Fasciola hepatica infection in cattle and the use of simulation models for endemic areas.

Fasciolosis is a food-borne disease that causes great distress to a range of hosts, including humans. The objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate the liver damage and carcass weight of cattle naturally infected with Fasciola hepatica from the state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil, and to (2) determine the distribution of adult flukes in 12,236 cattle liver from RS. The data from these experiments were used to calculate the overall economic loss due to F. hepatica infection. Eighteen adult Polled Hereford cows were divided into a triclabendazole (TbG) and a F. hepatica-positive group (FhG). For Experiment 1, a generalized linear mixed model revealed a statistical difference in carcass weight (49.8 kg) between TbG and FhG. The Monte Carlo analysis also revealed that the animals' weight differences were due to the disease. For Experiment 2, the prevalence of infected livers was above 16% (1904/12,236), mostly (20.1%) from the south-west region of RS. The Susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) epidemic model revealed the evolution of the infection using a high infectivity and low recovery rate. Other distinctive scenarios that occur in RS were also established with different rates of infectivity. The economic assessment showed a potential loss of US$45 million to the beef cattle industry of RS, with an overall State cost of US$90.3 million. These novel findings reveal the importance of fasciolosis infection, which can cause a significant health condition and poor animal welfare.

Single-aliquot, non-bronchoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage in the diagnosis of metastatic mammary tumours in dogs.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of bronchoalveolar lavage as an auxiliary tool for the diagnosis of neoplastic lung metastasis from mammary tumours in dogs. METHODS: A single-institution prospective observational study including 20 healthy dogs and 30 with mammary tumours. Thoracic radiography and single-aliquot, non-bronchoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage with cytology interpretation was performed in all animals and the results compared between groups. RESULTS: Dogs with mammary gland tumours and radiographic evidence of pulmonary metastasis had significantly higher relative neutrophil counts in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid than dogs with tumours without evidence of metastasis. In only one dog, in which thoracic radiographs were normal, were malignant cells identified in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Inflammatory bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in dogs with mammary gland tumours may suggest metastatic disease. Bronchoalveolar lavage does not appear to be sensitive for identifying malignant cells.

Infrared Thermography in Dogs with Mammary Tumors and Healthy Dogs.

BACKGROUND: Infrared thermography is a painless, noninvasive, nonionizing diagnostic imaging exam used in human medicine as an auxiliary tool for breast cancer diagnosis in women. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: Define thermographic mean temperatures of healthy mammary glands and compare these temperatures with those of mammary glands with tumors in dogs. ANIMALS: Fifty client-owned female dogs were evaluated, including 20 with histopathologically confirmed mammary tumor and 30 clinically healthy (control). METHODS: A randomized study using infrared thermography analyzed each mammary gland of the animals from the control group and mammary glands with tumors from the tumor group, then the thermographic temperatures obtained were compared. Thermographic exam was performed in a temperature-controlled room with a cooled thermographic camera-Flir E-40 (Flir Systems(®) ) RESULTS: There was significantly a higher temperature in the caudal abdominal and inguinal mammary glands than the other glands in the healthy group (P < .05). Dogs with mammary tumors had significantly higher thermographic temperature compared with unaffected glands regardless of the tumor size and the location (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: The technique seems to be able to assess for the presence of neoplasia within the mammary tissue in bitches. Further investigation is necessary to determine the impact of this technique when adopted clinically.

Cutaneous Pythiosis insidiosi in calves from the Pantanal region of Brazil.

Two cases of cutaneous Pythiosis insidiosi were diagnosed in cattle from the Pantanal region, Brazil. The lesions were observed in the limbs of two 8-month-old beef calves. Close examination showed local swelling and focal ulceration of the skin. Microscopically, there was multifocal granulomatous dermatitis with intralesional Pythium insidivosum hyphae. The diagnosis was based on the morphological aspects, immunohistochemical findings and culture of the etiologic agent.