The gynecological examination in Pantaneiro mares.

Gynecological examination is essential to assess the reproductive tract of mares and can provide important information about the uterine environment. It includes physical, vaginal, and rectal examination, ultrasound, cytology, culture, and endometrial biopsy. The present study aimed to perform gynecological examination and fertility to assess the fertility prognosis of Pantaneiro mares that have not been reproductively active and to determine their reproductive ability. Eight mares underwent ultrasound and gynecological examination and artificial insemination. Ultrasound revealed changes only in one mare. Histopathological findings were mild, such as periglandular and perivascular inflammatory cell infiltrates, fibrotic areas, glandular dilation, glandular island formation, and edema due to the phase of the estrous cycle. One animal was classified in category I and the others in category IIA. Cytological changes were found in only one mare. Endometrial culture from five mares resulted in isolation of Pseudomonas sp., Bacillus sp., Escherichia coli and Candida sp. Only four mares resulted pregnant through artificial insemination, using the same stallion with fresh semen, which has been proving fertility. Thus, mares with better uterine conditions will not always become pregnant and those with mild changes will not always be barren.

Retrospective study of epidemiological, clinical and pathological findings of bovine babesiosis in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil (1995 -2017).

Babesiosis is a tick-borne hemolytic disease caused by intraerythrocytic protozoan parasites of the genus Babesia. The present study describes epidemiological, clinical, and pathological features of cases of bovine babesiosis diagnosed over the last two decades in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul in central-western Brazil. Examination of a total of 5298 bovine samples resulted in a definitive or presumptive diagnosis of babesiosis in 41 cases from 33 outbreaks. Babesia bovis was the most common causal agent of bovine babesiosis, and animals of all ages were affected. Zebu cattle, which are more frequent in the study region than are taurine cattle, were the cattle most often affected. Although zebu cattle have been claimed to be highly tolerant, the present findings show that they can develop severe illness and die due to Babesia spp. infection. The disease was diagnosed almost every year over the time period covered in this study (1995-2017). However, the number of cases of bovine babesiosis diagnosed was low compared to the total number of cases reviewed. Veterinary practitioners that work on cattle farms should to be able to diagnose the disease in its early stages so that treatment can be initiated promptly and economic losses can be minimized.

Equine salmonellosis in southern Brazil.

The Salmonella sp. genus is identified in several species, and the zoonosis it causes is one of the most important types worldwide. The specifics of salmonellosis vary according to the function of the serovar involved, the species affected, age and predisposing factors. However, few cases of equine salmonellosis have been reported. This study presents ten confirmed salmonellosis cases in equines in southern Brazil. Six were adult animals with stress factors preceding the disease, while four were foals, three of which presented with hyperacute manifestations. The main clinical signs were diarrhea, anorexia, and hyperthermia. Lesions varied in distribution and severity, although fibrinonecrotic or necrohemorrhagic enteritis was observed in all animals, mainly in the large intestine (large colon and cecum-8/10) and small intestine (3/10). Substantial liquid content, mainly hemorrhagic, was observed in all animals. The most characteristic microscopic lesion was mucosa necrosis, which is often accompanied by fibrin deposition, followed by necrosis of follicular centers and vascular changes. Bacterial isolation revealed seven isolates. Five were serotyped, and the serovars Typhimurium and Anatum were associated with two cases each, while Muenster was associated with a case whose lesion pattern varied. Immunohistochemical staining was positive in all cases. All diagnoses were based on the clinical history, macroscopic and histological lesions, and the bacterial isolation and/or immunostaining associated with histological lesions.

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor as a cause of chronic cardiac insufficiency in cattle.

Chronic cardiac insufficiency was associated with a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor in a cow. An eight-year-old cow developed a progressive condition (over a period of three months) characterized by an enhanced abdominal volume, reluctance to move, a positive jugular pulse, watery diarrhea and death. At necropsy, moderate subcutaneous edema and an enhanced hepatic lobular pattern were observed. A 23x20x11 cm firm, grayish-white mass adhered to and infiltrated the right atrium. Multiple firm, yellowish-white nodules of 0.5 to 12 cm in diameter were diffusely scattered in the epicardium and parietal pericardium. Histologically, the tumor was poorly circumscribed with foci of infiltration of the myocardium. The neoplastic cells had two major histologic patterns, Antoni types A and B. Within occasional foci, pleomorphic cells with an epithelioid appearance were present in addition to multinucleated cells with periodic acid Schiff (PAS)-positive cytoplasmic globules. Foci of cartilaginous and granular differentiations were interspersed among the neoplastic cells. Multiple vessels presented wall hyalinization and tumoral embolus. Large necrotic foci with mineralization and cholesterol clefts were also observed. Immunohistochemically, the tumor was positive for S100 protein, vimentin and neuron-specific enolase labeling.

Infecção natural por Listeria monocytogenes em cobaios Cavia porcellus / Natural infection by Listeria monocytogenes in guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus)

Listeriose foi identificada em quatro porcos-da-índia (Cavia porcellus) enviados para diagnóstico postmortem. Dois cobaios (1 e 2), apresentaram especialmente nódulos esbranquiçados multifocais no fígado e ceco, alterações que corresponderam microscopicamente a múltiplos focos necróticos associados com estruturas bacterianas basofílicas, degeneração gordurosa difusa e infiltrado linfocitário periportal. Lesões similares estavam presentes no intestino delgado, ceco e baço desses dois cobaios. Os outros cobaios (3 e 4) apresentavam exclusivamente alterações pulmonares caracterizadas por coloração avermelhada difusa e áreas esbranquiçadas multifocais na superfície pleural associadas histologicamente com infiltrado neutrofílico multifocal acentuado nos lúmens alveolar e bronquiolar, além de edema interseptal e alveolar, trombos vasculares e numerosos macrófagos alveolares (pneumonia supurativa). Em seções histológicas coradas pelo Brown-Hopps, foram identificadas estruturas bacilares Gram-positivas. A avaliação imuno-histoquímica para anticorpos antiListeria monocytogenes revelou marcação fortemente positiva nos focos necróticos do fígado, ceco, baço, útero, estômago e linfonodos mesentéricos dos dois cobaios com listeriose sistêmica. Nos cobaios com pneumonia supurativa, observou-se intensa marcação nos lúmens alveolares. L. monocytogenes foi isolada de amostras de fígado e de casca de arroz utilizada como cama dos cobaios. Sugere-se que as lesões pulmonares foram consequentes à aspiração de partículas da cama de casca de arroz contaminada com L. monocytogenes.

Listeriosis was identified in four guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) received for post mortem evaluation. Two animals showed multifocal white nodules in the liver and cecum. These changes corresponded microscopically to multiple necrotic foci associated with basophilic bacterial structures, diffuse lipid vacuolation, and periportal lymphocytic infiltrates. Similar lesions were seen in the small intestine, cecum, and spleen of these two guinea pigs. The other two guinea pigs showed almost exclusively pulmonary changes that were characterized by diffuse red coloration and multifocal whitish areas in the pleural surface, which were microscopically associated with multifocal marked neutrophilic infiltrate within the alveolar and bronchiolar lumens, besides of interseptal and alveolar edema, vascular thrombi, and increased numbers of alveolar macrophages (suppurative pneumonia). The basophilic bacterial structures were Gram-positive for the Brown-Hopps special stain. The immunostaining antiListeria monocytogenes showed strong positive reactions in the necrotic foci of the liver, cecum, spleen, uterus, stomach, and mesenteric lymph node in the two guinea pigs with systemic listeriosis. The two guinea pigs with suppurative bronchopneumonia showed positive intense antiListeria monocytogenes immunostaining within the alveolar lumens. L. monocytogenes was isolated from samples of liver and rice hulls used as bedding material in the cages of the guinea pigs. It is suggested that the pulmonary changes observed here were caused by aspiration of particles of the rice hulls bedding contaminated with L. monocytogenes.

Alterações patológicas em potros infectados por Actinobacillus equuli subsp. haemolyticus / Pathological changes in foals infected with Actinobacillus equuli subsp. haemolyticus

Neste trabalho, são descritos dois casos fatais de septicemia com lesões embólicas causadas por Actinobacillus equuli subsp. haemolyticus em potros recém-nascidos. Em um dos animais, foram observados, na necropsia, pequenos nódulos esbranquiçados de aproximadamente 0,2cm de diâmetro na cortical dos rins e no outro havia uma área de coloração acinzentada no lobo diafragmático esquerdo do pulmão. As principais alterações microscópicas observadas no primeiro animal foram rins com infiltrado inflamatório multifocal a coalescente acentuado, com predomínio de neutrófilos, associado com áreas basofílicas levemente granulares compostas por grumos bacterianos. No segundo animal, o pulmão apresentava infiltrado inflamatório neutrofílico, edema, congestão e colônias bacterianas intravasculares. Em ambos os casos, colônias bacterianas foram encontradas disseminadas por vários órgãos incluindo capilares cerebrais. Nos dois casos foi isolado e identificado A. equuli subsp. haemolyticus.

This paper describes two fatal cases of embolic and septicaemic lesions caused by Actinobacillus equuli subsp. haemolyticus in two newborn foals. In one foal was observed at necropsy small whitish nodules of approximately 0,2cm in diameter on the renal cortex and the other foal had an area of gray color in the left diaphragmatic lobe of the lung. The main histologic changes were observed in the first foal kidneys with multifocal to coalescing inflammatory suppurative infiltrates associated with slightly granular basophilic bacterial colonies. In the second animal the lung showed neutrophilic inflammatory infiltrate, edema, congestion and presence of intravascular bacterial colonies. In both cases, the bacteria were disseminated by several organs including cerebral capillary cerebral. In both cases A. equuli subsp. haemolyticus was isolated and identified.