Feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukemia virus: frequency and associated factors in cats in northeastern Brazil.

Our aims were to determine the frequencies of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) in owned and stray cats in the northeastern region of Brazil, ascertain the status of FeLV infection, and investigate potential associated factors among the owned cats. Blood samples from 200 asymptomatic owned cats and 30 stray cats were processed using nested PCR and commercial immunochromatographic tests to diagnose infections. To evaluate the factors associated with FIV and/or FeLV in owned cats, a semi-structured interview was conducted with each owner about the animal's environment, and these data were subjected to unconditional logistic regression. The frequencies for owned cats were 6% (12/200) and 3% (6/200) for FIV and FeLV, respectively. No owned cat was positive for both viruses. Stray cats showed frequencies of 6.66% (2/30) and 0% (0/30) for FIV and FeLV, respectively. Contact with other cats and living in peri-urban areas were considered to be risk factors (P < 0.05) for FIV. We did not identify any factors associated with infections with FeLV. Our results confirm the presence of these two retroviruses in the region under study. Our use of different diagnostic techniques allowed us to determine the frequency of retroviruses in the feline population more accurately, particularly with regard to infections by FeLV, which have complex pathogenesis.

Intestinal development of bovine foetuses during gestation is affected by foetal sex and maternal nutrition.

We aimed to evaluate the effects of maternal nutrition (MN) and foetal sex on the intestinal development of bovine foetuses throughout different days of gestation (DG). Forty-four multiparous, dry Holstein × Gyr cows with average initial body weight of 480 ± 10 kg were fed the same diet of either restricted feeding at 1.15% of body weight (CO, n = 24) or fed ad libitum (overnourished, ON, n = 20). Six cows from CO group and five cows from ON group were slaughtered at 139, 199, 241 and 268 DG, and foetuses were necropsied to evaluate the intestinal development. The mass, length and density of foetal intestines were not affected by MN (p ≥ 0.260). An interaction between MN and DG was observed for the villi length of jejunum (p = 0.006) and ileum (p < 0.001). Villi length of jejunum and ileum was higher (p < 0.10) in foetuses from ON-fed cows than in foetuses from CO-fed cows at 139 DG. However, at 199 DG, the villi length of jejunum and ileum of foetuses from CO-fed cows was higher than in foetuses from ON-fed cows. Despite these differences, MN did not affect the villi length of jejunum and ileum at 268 DG (p > 0.10). Female foetuses had greater small intestine mass (p = 0.093), large intestine mass (p = 0.022), small intestine mass in proportion to body mass (p = 0.017) and large intestine mass in proportion to body mass (p < 0.001) than male foetuses. Female foetuses had also longer small intestine (p = 0.077) and greater small intestine density (p = 0.021) and villi length of jejunum (p = 0.001) and ileum (p = 0.010) than males. We conclude that MN affects the pathway for the development of foetal villi length throughout the gestation in bovine foetuses without changing the final villi length. Female foetuses had higher intestinal mass, density and villi length than males during the foetal phase in bovines.