Emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria isolated from surgical site infection in dogs and cats / [Emergência de bactérias multirresistentes isoladas da infecção no sítio cirúrgico em cães e gatos]

Surgical site infections (SSIs) and antimicrobial resistance among pathogens causing SSI are a growing concern in veterinary hospitals. One major reason, the widespread use of antimicrobials, has led to increased incidence of SSIs. This study identified bacteria and resistance profiles to antimicrobials in the SSI cases diagnosed at the Surgical Clinic of Small Animals in the Veterinary Hospital, Federal University of Viçosa, Brazil. The main genus identified was Staphylococcus, followed by Escherichia, Enterococcus, Bacillus, Shigella, Citrobacter, Proteus, Morganella, Serratia, Enterobacter, Pseudomonas and Klebsiella were also found, but in small number. The results indicated the predominance of Gram-negative bacteria among the collected samples. Most of isolates identified were resistant to more than one of the following antimicrobials: ampicillin, tetracycline, enrofloxacin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and cephalotin. Of the 17 Staphylococcus sp. isolates, two (11.8%) were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and 11 (64.7%) of them were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP). There were bacterial genera identified with resistance to all tested antimicrobials in different proportions. This should alert veterinary hospitals to the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria and to the requirement for the revision of surgical protocols with regard to antimicrobial prophylaxis and therapy.(AU)

As infecções em sítio cirúrgico (ISCs) e a resistência bacteriana entre os patógenos relacionados constituem uma preocupação crescente nos hospitais veterinários. O aumento na incidência de ISCs possui forte relação com o uso amplo e disseminado de antibióticos. O presente estudo identificou bactérias e perfis de resistência a antibióticos nos casos de ISCs diagnosticados na Clínica Cirúrgica de Pequenos Animais do Hospital Veterinário da Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Brasil. O principal gênero identificado foi Staphylococcus, seguido pelos gêneros Escherichia, Enterococcus, Bacillus, Shigella, Citrobacter, Proteus, Morganella, Serratia, Enterobacter, Pseudomonas e Klebsiella, porém, em menor quantidade. Os resultados demonstraram a predominância de bactérias Gram-negativas entre as amostras coletadas. A maioria dos isolados identificados eram resistentes a um ou a mais de um dos seguintes antibióticos: ampicilina, tetraciclina, enrofloxacina, amoxicilina/ácido clavulânico e cefalotina. Entre os 17 isolados de Staphylococcus sp., dois (11,8%) eram Staphylococcus aureus resistentes à meticilina (SARM) e 11 (64,7%) eram Staphylococcus pseudintermedius resistentes à meticilina (SPRM). Houve identificação de gêneros bacterianos com diferentes proporções de resistência para todos os antibióticos avaliados. Esses achados devem alertar os hospitais veterinários para a emergência de bactérias multirresistentes e para a necessidade de revisar a profilaxia e a terapia antimicrobiana referente aos protocolos cirúrgicos.(AU)

Prevalence of Endoparasites in Urban Stray Dogs from Brazil Diagnosed with Leishmania, with Potential for Human Zoonoses.

BACKGROUND: In tropical environments, abandoned animals can be an important source for human zoonotic infections, such as human visceral leishmaniasis and other vector-borne diseases. Here, we report the frequency of protozoan and helminth intestinal parasites in stray dogs, which might have an implication for human health in urban Brazilian settings. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed necropsies on 93 animals, euthanized due to canine visceral leishmaniasis control program, and examined their intestines looking for the presence of helminths; we determined the parasite load, and the elimination of eggs and cysts of protozoan parasites in fecal samples. Further, we performed serology tests for the detection of specific antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii. RESULTS: Overall, a high prevalence of intestinal parasites with potential for human zoonoses resulted and only 8.6% of examined intestines remained negative. The most prevalent helminths were Ancylostoma caninum and Dipylidium caninum. For nematodes, high worm burdens were detected for A. caninum and Trichuris vulpis. Additionally, we analyzed worm burdens and quantitative stool examinations, but found no significant association between positive serology for Leishmania infection and intestinal parasite burden. Interestingly, serology for T. gondii infection revealed a prevalence of 33.3% and a positive result was significantly associated with a higher A. caninum adult worm recovery (p = 0.0087). CONCLUSION: Our results showed stray dogs living in urban areas are heavily parasitized, which presents a potential risk for humans. Beyond the control of canine visceral leishmaniasis, we propose an improvement of the control program to reduce the risk for other parasitic diseases in dogs and humans.

Antimicrobial profile screening of two oils of Copaifera genus / Avaliação do perfil antimicrobiano de dois óleos do gênero Copaifera

O objetivo deste estudo foi identificar a atividade inibitória de óleos de copaíba sobre o crescimento dos micro-organismos: Shigella flexneri, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Citrobacter freundi, Staphylococcus aureus, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae e Haemophilus parasuis. Foi realizado um teste de difusão em ágar com duas soluções a 10 por cento de óleos de copaíba obtidos de duas diferentes espécies de copaíba (Copaifera officinalis e C. langsdorffii) e um controle negativo com tween 80 e água. Os isolados clínicos de H. parasuis e A. pleuropneumoniae foram incubados em microaerofilia. Os resultados mostraram três espécies Gram-negativas inibidas por ambas as soluções de óleo de copaíba: E. coli, P. aeruginosa e S. flexneri. Na inibição de P. aeruginosa o óleo de C. officinalis foi superior ao de C. langsdorffii (P<0,05). Todas as cepas de S. aureus tiveram seu crescimento inibido pelas soluções no ensaio, sem diferença estatística entre os halos. Estes resultados sugerem que o óleo de copaíba pode ser uma fonte potencial de compostos inibitórios para ser utilizada como antimicrobianos no tratamento de infecções humanas e animais e conservação de alimentos.

Reflex control of arterial pressure and heart rate in short-term streptozotocin diabetic rats

Impaired baroreflex sensitivity in diabetes is well described and has been attributed to autonomic diabetic neuropathy. In the present study conducted on acute (10-20 days) streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats we examined: 1) cardiac baroreflex sensitivity, assessed by the slope of the linear regression between phenylephrine- or sodium nitroprusside-induced changes in arterial pressure and reflex changes in heart rate (HR) in conscious rats; 2) aortic baroreceptor function by means of the relationship between systolic arterial pressure and aortic depressor nerve (ADN) activity, in anesthetized rats, and 3) bradycardia produced by electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve or by the iv injection of methacholine in anesthetized animals. Reflex bradycardia (-1.4 ± 0.1 vs -1.7 ± 0.1 bpm/mmHg) and tachycardia (-2.1 ± 0.3 vs -3.0 ± 0.2 bpm/mmHg) were reduced in the diabetic group. The gain of the ADN activity relationship was similar in control (1.7 ± 0.1 percent max/mmHg) and diabetic (1.5 ± 0.1 percent max/mmHg) animals. The HR response to vagal nerve stimulation with 16, 32 and 64 Hz was 13, 16 and 14 percent higher, respectively, than the response of STZ-treated rats. The HR response to increasing doses of methacholine was also higher in the diabetic group compared to control animals. Our results confirm the baroreflex dysfunction detected in previous studies on short-term diabetic rats. Moreover, the normal baroreceptor function and the altered HR responses to vagal stimulation or methacholine injection suggest that the efferent limb of the baroreflex is mainly responsible for baroreflex dysfunction in this model of diabetes

Short report: occurrence of Leishmania donovani DNA in donated blood from seroreactive Brazilian blood donors.

Human visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar) transmitted by blood transfusion has been described in previous reports. Seroprevalence of antibodies to Leishmania donovani was shown to be related to prior blood transfusions in multiply transfused hemodialysis patients in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. In this study, a possible correlation between seroreactivity and the presence of L. donovani DNA was investigated in asymptomatic healthy blood donors. Sera were tested using the fucose mannose ligand (FML) ELISA, which was shown to have a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 96-100%, reliability, and diagnostic and prognostic potential for the detection of human and canine kala-azar, respectively. Leishmanial DNA was assessed by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and dot-blot hybridization techniques in blood and bone marrow samples. Among 21 FML-seroreactive asymptomatic blood donors, 5 (24%) were positive by the PCR and 9 (43%) were positive in a dot-blot assay of blood samples, showing a significant correlation (chi2 = 14.24, P < 0.01). No Leishmania DNA was detected in 20 FML non-reactive blood donors. Our results point to the need for control of transmission of kala-azar by blood transfusion in areas endemic for this disease.

Prevalence of anti-Leishmania donovani antibody among Brazilian blood donors and multiply transfused hemodialysis patients.

The prevalence of anti-Leishmania donovani antibodies was investigated in 1,500 Brazilian blood donors and multiply transfused hemodialysis patients. Sera were tested using the fucose-mannose ligand (FML) ELISA, which was shown to have 100% sensitivity and 96% specificity for kala-azar. Among 1,194 volunteer blood donors, seroreactivity was 9%, increasing to 25% in a periurban kala-azar focus. However, higher positivity (37%) was found in multiply transfused hemodialysis patients from Natal, where kala-azar is constantly present in low numbers (endemic), with sporadic outbreaks in localized regions (endemic and epidemic). Risk factors included blood transfusion, which was significantly associated with the presence of anti-Leishmania antibodies (chi2 = 8.567, P < 0.005), but did not include potential exposure to sandfly bites (chi2 = 0.033, P > 0.1). The prevalence significantly decreased to 7% in hemodialysis patients from Rio de Janeiro, where kala-azar is only occasionally seen, and was 0% in patients undergoing continuous ambulatorial peritoneal dialysis. The prospective analysis of 27 FML-seroreactive donors from Natal revealed amastigotes of Leishmania in the bone marrow of one subject while four had clinical complaints, including splenomegaly and hepatosplenomegaly. Our results point to the need for control of blood transfusion as a possible route for transmission of kala-azar in endemic areas.