Three dog shelters in Rio Grande do Sul were investigated for associations between the occurrence of respiratory viruses and shelter environmental conditions. Nasal secretions randomly collected during the cold season were tested via PCR, and this data collection was followed by nucleotide sequencing of the amplicons. In shelter #1 (poor sanitary and nutritional conditions, high animal density and constant contact between dogs), 78% (58/74) of the nasal samples were positive, 35% (26/74) of which were in single infections and 44% (32/74) of which were in coinfections. Shelters #2 and #3 had satisfactory sanitary and nutritional conditions, outdoors exercise areas (#2) and animal clustering by groups (#3). In shelter #2, 9% (3/35) of the samples were positive for Canine parainfluenza virus (CPIV), and 6% (2/35) were positive for Canid herpesvirus 1 (CaHV-1). In shelter #3, 9% (7/77) of the samples were positive for Canine adenovirus type 2 (CAdV-2), and 1% (1/77) were positive for Canine distemper virus (CDV). The amplicon sequences (CPIV and CDV nucleoprotein gene; CAdV-2 E3 gene; CaHV-1 glycoprotein B gene) showed 94–100% nucleotide identity with GenBank sequences. Our results demonstrate that CPIV, CAdV-2 and CDV are common in dog shelters and that their frequencies appear to be related with environmental and nutritional conditions. These results indicate the need for control/prevention measures, including vaccination and environmental management, to minimize these infections and improve dog health.

A irradiação é um método físico de conservação capaz de prolongar a vida de prateleira dos alimentos, mas não consiste em tornar o alimento radioativo. As normas brasileiras

O leite é um produto rico em nutrientes e faz parte da alimentação da população. A produção leiteira no Brasil tem grande importância na economia, e as perspectivas de aumento de produção e consumo nos próximos anos são altas. O Rio Grande do Sul é um grande produtor, e boa parte do leite produzido no estado é oriunda das propriedades familiares e de sistemas de agricultura familiar. Devido ao grande consumo de leite e produtos lácteos é necessário que haja por parte dos produtores uma preocupação com a qualidade do leite produzido, visto que, atualmente os consumidores estão cada vez mais preocupados com a qualidade dos produtos consumidos, além disso, a questão qualidade é uma exigência da legislação e das indústrias. Para que isto aconteça uma série de requisitos de Boas Práticas Agropecuárias e de produção devem ser tomadas. Com isso o objetivo da pesquisa foi verificar a qualidade microbiológica e físico-química do leite produzido na cidade de Santana do Livramento-RS. Com os resultados obtidos podemos observar que em relação aos padrões físico-químicos quase que a totalidade dos produtores atendeu os parâmetros exigidos pela legislação. Em relação a Contagem Padrão em Placas, 73,33% dos produtores possuem padrões de contagens baixas com valores 4.200 UFC/mL até 200.000 UFC/mL, o que indica boas condições de higiene e de Boas práticas em seus processos. Conclui-se que o leite dos produtores analisados atende, em sua maioria, os requisitos físico-químicos e microbiológicos estabelecidos pela legislação, o que indica uma preocupação por parte destes produtores com qualidade.

Artisanal cheese, produced with raw milk by a predominantly manual approach, has a historical and cultural tradition related to the region of origin. Given its economic and cultural importance, the main objective of this study was to investigate and characterize the diversity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) of artisanal cheeses produced and traded by family agro-industries in a region of southern Brazil. The LAB composition of artisanal cheese samples, belonging to different municipalities of the Region of Vale do Taquari, were characterized by the next-generation sequencing (NGS) method, amplifying the V3/V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. A total of 35 LAB species, distributed in seven genera, were identified, and rarefaction analysis suggested that the total diversity assessed by 16S rRNA analysis was high in the analyzed samples. The average Ph ranged from 4.6 to 6.6, and a correlation with the genus Lactococcus (r = 0.62) was the most expressive. The LAB genera identified in the cheese samples were Bavariicococcus, Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Marinillactibacillus, and Pediococcus. Lactococcus lactis was the most predominant species, present in all samples. Although some species have been identified in the three altitudes studied, the abundance varied according to geographic environments. Enterococcus italicus is more present at high altitudes, unlike Lactococcus plantarum and Lactococcus raffinolactis at low altitudes. Lactococcus lactis was present in the three geographic environments evaluated, but the highest abundance was observed at high altitudes. The identification of LAB present in fermented cheeses is essential to understand the organoleptic quality during the maturation process as well as to establish the shelf life, including the safety and the overall quality of the cheese. This specific microbiota contributes to the flavor and unique characteristics of the regional dairy products, and on the other hand can be a source of specific starter cultures that guarantee the product’s identity.

No abstract