Cattle rearing in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil / Panorama da bovinocultura no Rio Grande do Sul

Background: The economy of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) relies majorly on agriculture; among the livestock production chains, cattle production has the largest economic, historical, and cultural importance in RS. The cattle industry is the main zootechnical activity in RS. Due to this, there is an actual need for updated characterization of the animal population, considering the population dynamics and the requirements imposed by the Official Veterinary Service (SVO) to meet certain characteristics. This would facilitate appropriate policies and measures to safeguard the health of the cattle in RS, as well as safeguard public health, and consequently avoid the economic impacts of possible health events.Materials, Methods & Results: Based on data from the livestock survey of 2013 from the Department of Animal Health (DDA), the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, and Agribusiness of the State of Rio Grande do Sul (SEAPA-RS), descriptive and spatial analyses of the cattle population were performed using software R and ArcMap TM 10, respectively. It was observed that the state has more than 13 million cattle distributed over approximately 346,000 farms. The majority of the bovine population consists of females over the age of 36 months. The predominant function of these farms is a complete cycle (breeding to fattening). Beef production is the predominant activity, followed...(AU)

Cattle rearing in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil / Panorama da bovinocultura no Rio Grande do Sul

Background: The economy of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) relies majorly on agriculture; among the livestock production chains, cattle production has the largest economic, historical, and cultural importance in RS. The cattle industry is the main zootechnical activity in RS. Due to this, there is an actual need for updated characterization of the animal population, considering the population dynamics and the requirements imposed by the Official Veterinary Service (SVO) to meet certain characteristics. This would facilitate appropriate policies and measures to safeguard the health of the cattle in RS, as well as safeguard public health, and consequently avoid the economic impacts of possible health events.Materials, Methods & Results: Based on data from the livestock survey of 2013 from the Department of Animal Health (DDA), the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, and Agribusiness of the State of Rio Grande do Sul (SEAPA-RS), descriptive and spatial analyses of the cattle population were performed using software R and ArcMap TM 10, respectively. It was observed that the state has more than 13 million cattle distributed over approximately 346,000 farms. The majority of the bovine population consists of females over the age of 36 months. The predominant function of these farms is a complete cycle (breeding to fattening). Beef production is the predominant activity, followed...

Epidemiologia e controle dos focos de doença de aujeszky no rio grande do sul, brasil, em 2003 / Epidemiology and control of pseudorabies outbreaks in rio grande do sul state, brazil, 2003

A doença de Aujeszky (DA), ou pseudoraiva, é uma enfermidade infecto-contagiosa de etiologia viral de grande importância para a suinocultura comercial em todo o mundo. A infecção causa perdas econômicas diretas e indiretas, pela restrição ao comércio internacional de produtos suínos. Embora a DA venha sendo notificada em várias regiões do Brasil desde o início do século XX, o Rio Grande do Sul (RS) permanecia provisoriamente livre com base em critérios da Organização Internacional de Epizootias (OIE). Em 2003 ocorreram dois focos da enfermidade em municípios do norte do RS, limítrofes com Santa Catarina, Estado que tem registrado vários focos nos últimos anos. Como estratégia de combate foram determinados o rastreamento da movimentação de suínos, a interdição da área e a erradicação dos focos através de abate sanitário em matadouros sob Inspeção Federal. No evento 1 (Pinheirinho do Vale, janeiro de 2003) cinco unidades produtoras de leitões (UPLs) foram afetadas, sendo que uma apresentou animais com sinais clínicos. A partir desse foco foram rastreados 42.399 suínos em 146 rebanhos, sendo eliminados seis rebanhos o foco índice e cinco outras com sorologia positiva num total de 7.822 animais. No evento 2 (Aratiba, setembro de 2003), a disseminação da infecção foi maior, atingindo outros três municípios e 77 granjas (nove com sinais clínicos, 68 com sorologia positiva). Foram rastreados 109.316 suínos em 630 rebanhos, com a erradicação de 28.443 animais das granjas que apresentaram sinais clínicos ou sorologia positiva. No total foram rastreados 151.715 animais em 776 rebanhos, sendo detectados 71 rebanhos com sorologia positiva. Essas medidas foram eficazes na erradicação dos focos e impediram a disseminação da enfermidade para outras regiões, permitindo ao RS readquirir o status sanitário anterior aos surtos

Aujeszkys disease (AD) or pseudorabies is an important viral disease of swine and has significant economic impact on the pig industry worldwide. The infection produces direct and indirect economic losses, mainly due to restrictions to international trade of swine products. Since the beginning of the 20th century, AD had been notified in several Brazilian regions, yet Rio Grande do Sul state (RS) remained as a provisionally free area under the International Organization of Epizooties (OIE) guidelines. In 2003, two outbreaks were notified in swine herds located in northern RS, boundary with Santa Catarina, a state where the infections is endemic. Control/eradication measures consisted in tracing back all swine movements, quarantine and eradication of the affected herds by sanitary slaughter under official inspection. In outbreak # 1 (Pinheirinho do Vale, January/2003) six herds were affected, one of which presented animals with clinical signs. Starting from this outbreak, 146 herds and 42.399 pigs were traced back, six herds (7.822 animals) being depopulated the herd where the index outbreak plus five other herds with positive serology. The outbreak #2 (Aratiba, September/2003) resulted in a wider spread of the infection, involving another three counties and 77 herds (nine with clinical signs; 68 with positive serology). From the index case, 109.316 pigs in 630 herds were traced back; 28.443 animals from positive herds were slaughtered. Total numbers reached 151.715 traced back animals in 776 herds; 71 herds were found serologically positive. The adopted measures were efficient to eliminate the outbreaks and to stop the disease spread to neighboring areas, reestablishing the sanitary status previous to the outbreaks