No abstract

INTRODUCCIONEl ciervo rojo (Cervus elaphus) en estado salvaje es un animal poco propenso a contraer enfermedades, aunque esta situación se modifica cuando los ciervos son criados en cautiverio. En estas condiciones pueden aparecer distintas enfermedades, entre las cuales pueden citarse las deficiencias minerales.La ataxia enzoótica (AE) es una patología de los ciervos que causa parálisis lenta y progresiva en las extremidades posteriores. Es originada por una leucomielopatía del tejido nervioso, caracterizada por una desmielinización de los axones pertenecientes a la médula espinal. Dicha patología está asociada en la mayoría de los casos a una deficiencia de cobre (Cu), siendo considerado este mineral como el principal factor etiológico (Barlow y El Cu es un oligoelemento esencial para el correcto funcionamiento de numerosas enzimas involucradas, entre otras funciones en la síntesis de glóbulos rojos, matriz proteica de los huesos, cartílagos, tendones, melanina y queratina. Es además de gran importancia para el normal desarrollo del sistema nervioso (Kaneko 1989).El primer diagnóstico de esta enfermedad en la Argentina fue en el año 1995 (Campero y col 1996); sin embargo, la AE ya ha sido ampliamente descrita con anterioridad principalmente en Europa y Nueva Zelanda (Alexander y Buxton 1994).La morbilidad de la AE suele ser muy baja, usualmente menor a 1%, aunque en raras ocasiones se han observado casos de hasta el 13% (Thompson y col 1994).Si bien tiene algunas similitudes con la AE que se observa en corderos recién nacidos, la principal diferencia radica que en los ciervos rojos sólo se presenta a partir de los 9 meses de edad (Wilson y col 1979).El objetivo del presente trabajo es describir un caso de AE en ciervos rojos ocurrido en el año 2002 en un establecimiento que se dedica a la cría de esta especie en Argentina. Ataxia enzoótica en ciervo rojo (Cervus elaphus) en ArgentinaEnzootic ataxia in red deer (Cervus elaphus) in Argentina J P Soler 1 *, S B Cseh 2 1 Médico Veterinario. Actividad Privada, Argentina 2 Lic. Bioquímica. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. EEA Balcarce. SUMMARYEnzootic ataxia is a pathology that causes slow and progressive paralysis of the hind limbs in red deer and has been related to copper (Cu) deficiency. This condition is not seen until deer are about 9 months old. The objective of this paper is to describe a clinical case of enzootic ataxia in red deer kept in captivity in Argentina. The problem started with two pregnant female deer that showed hind limb weakness. One was slaughtered for necropsy. Blood and organ samples were taken, and the latter were kept in formaldehyde at 10%. A necropsy of the foetus was also carried out and a liver sample was taken. Grass and water were analyzed. Cu, Fe, Zn, Mo and SO 4 levels were measured in grass, while total salt, SO 4 , Ca, Mg, Na and Cl levels were measured in water. Disease prevalence was 0.14%. Liver Cu values were 14.6 ppm and 337 ppm DM in the female and foetus respectively. Blood Cu level in the female was 0.5 μg/...

No abstract

No abstract

The aims of the present study were to determine the Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity rates in farmed red deer hinds from Argentina and their relationship with reproductive losses. Over a 2-year period, 449 hinds from 4 commercial farms were serologically tested at late gestation for N. caninum and T. gondii by IFAT. During the first year, a sequential serological analysis was carried out at 3 different time points to analyze antibody dynamics from mating until the end of the gestation period. Fetal and postnatal mortality rates were estimated by 3 successive ultrasound scannings (us) annually and a breeding control carried out after the calving period. Ultrasound fetal measurements were used to estimate conception date and gestational age of abortions. The seropositivity rate for N. caninum was 25.5% (37/145) for the yearlings and 34.2% (104/304) for the adults, while for T. gondii was 64.3% (93/145) and 78.3% (238/304), respectively. Abortions detected at us1 and us2 were 13/21 (61.9%) with a range of gestational age of 30-87 days, while abortions detected at us3 were 8/21 (38.1%) with a range of gestational age of 49-209 days. The fetal mortality rate was 4% and 5.8%, while the postnatal mortality rate was 18.8% and 4.1% of 101 yearlings and 294 adult pregnant hinds, respectively. Most seropositive hinds to both protozoans showed a stable antibody titer pattern from mating to the end of gestation, and a lower proportion developed an increase in titers suggesting infection recrudescence. Seroconversion during the gestational period was demonstrated in 6 and 50 hinds for N. caninum and T. gondii, respectively. Hinds with fetal mortality were more likely to be seropositive to N. caninum (OR = 3.1) or have N. caninum titers ≥400 (OR = 27.4) than hinds that weaned a fawn. No statistical associations were detected for T. gondii seropositivity and reproductive losses. The pregnancy rate was not affected by N. caninum or T. gondii infection, while the serological evidence of N. caninum causing postnatal mortality was marginal. Based on serological evidence, N. caninum would be a potential abortigenic agent in red deer hinds.