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This study aims to assess calf usage of five potential enrichment devices provided simultaneously. We used 25 weaned Holstein-Friesian calves housed in groups of five (five replicates), and their behavior was recorded continuously with video cameras. This longitudinal observational study used a pen equipped with a mechanical and fixed brush, cowhide, and horizontal and vertical ropes. Data collected included how many visits each object received per day, the type of object usage, and the duration of the visits. Calves used all five objects at least once, and they used items more during the daytime than at night. Brushes were used mainly for grooming (e.g., rubbing or scratching), while ropes and cowhide for oral interactions (e.g., licking, chewing, and biting), most likely to lack oral stimulations that would naturally be satisfied by suckling and grazing at this age. The objects most frequently used were the mechanical brush and the horizontal rope, and they received the highest number of visits (214.9 and 154.9 bouts/day, respectively). The least chosen object was the stationary brush, which had the lowest number of visits (62.9 bouts/day). The provision of multiple enrichment objects for weaned calves should be considered as they may add complexity and novelty to barren environments.
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The S. mansoni adult worm n-butanol extract (Sm-AWBE) has been previously shown to contain specific S. mansoni antigens that have been used for immunodiagnosis of schistosomiasis in solid phase alkaline phosphatase immunoassay (APIA) and western blot (WB) analyses. Sm-AWBE was also used in immunoprotection studies against a fatal live-cercariae challenge in experimental mouse vaccination (~43% protection). The Sm-AWBE fraction was prepared by mixing adult worm membranous suspensions with aqueous-saturated n-butanol, centrifuging and recovering n-butanol-resistant proteins in the aqueous phase. Here we report a preliminary identification of Sm-AWBE protein components as revealed from a qualitative proteomic study after processing Sm-AWBE by 1D-gel electrophoresis, in-gel and in-solution tryptic digestions, and mass spectrometry analyses. We identified 33 proteins in Sm-AWBE, all previously known S. mansoni proteins and antigens; among them, immunomodulatory proteins and proteins mostly involved in host-parasite interactions. About 81.8% of the identified Sm-AWBE proteins are antigenic. STRING analysis showed a set of Sm-AWBE proteins configuring a small network of interactive proteins and a group of proteins without interactions. Functional groups of proteins included muscle contraction, antioxidant, GPI-anchored phosphoesterases, regulatory 14-3-3, various enzymes and stress proteins. The results widen the possibilities to design novel antigen combinations for better diagnostic and immunoprotective strategies for schistosomiasis control.
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Data on liver and spleen stiffness by 2-D shear wave elastography (2-D SWE) in hepatosplenic schistosomiasis (HES) remain scarce. We aimed to assess the correlation between single to multiple measurements of liver and spleen stiffness and to evaluate inter-hepatic lobe variability of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) using 2-D SWE in HES patients. Liver and spleen elastography were performed in HES patients in this cross-sectional study. A total of four stiffness measurements were performed in the right lobe (RL), left lobe (LL), and spleen. The correlation between the first measurement and the median of four measurements was assessed. Liver stiffness measurement of both hepatic lobes was compared. Twenty-six HES patients were included. Liver stiffness measurement was higher in the left than in the right hepatic lobe (17.9 kPa [11.3-92.0] versus 14.9 kPa [5.6-44.4]; P = 0.019). The first measurement was similar to the median of the four measurements for the RL (14.6 [5.6-60.8] versus 14.9 kPa [5.6-44.4]; P = 0.87), LL (17.4 [8.0-128.1] versus 17.9 kPa [11.3-92.0]; P = 0.54), and spleen (50.5 [10.0-157.0] versus 55.7 kPa [19.1-119.4]; P = 0.48). An excellent correlation between the first measurement and the median of four measurements for the RL (r = 0.93; P < 0.001), LL (r = 0.88; P < 0.001), and spleen (r = 0.89; P < 0.001) was observed. In HES, LSM of the LL seems to be higher than that of the right hepatic lobe. Considering the excellent correlation between the first measurement and the median of four measurements in both hepatic lobes and spleen, a single measurement would be sufficient to evaluate liver and splenic stiffness in patients with HES.
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Diagnóstico por Imagen de Elasticidad/métodos , Diagnóstico por Imagen de Elasticidad/normas , Cirrosis Hepática/diagnóstico por imagen , Cirrosis Hepática/parasitología , Hígado/diagnóstico por imagen , Esquistosomiasis/diagnóstico por imagen , Bazo/diagnóstico por imagen , Estudios Transversales , Femenino , Humanos , Hígado/parasitología , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Estudios Prospectivos , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Esquistosomiasis/complicaciones , Bazo/parasitologíaRESUMEN
Streptococcus pneumoniae remains a major agent of invasive diseases, especially in children and the elderly. The presence of pneumococcal capsule, pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA), and pilus type 1 (PI-1) and the ability of colony phase variation are assumed to play important roles in the virulence potential of this microorganism. Differences in the capsular polysaccharide allow the characterization of more than 90 pneumococcal serotypes; among them, serotype 14 and serogroup 9 stand out due to their prevalence in the pre- pneumococcal conjugate vaccine era and frequent association with penicillin non-susceptibility. Here we investigated the distribution of PI-1 and pspA genes and colony phase variants among 315 S. pneumoniae isolates belonging to serotype 14 and serogroup 9, recovered over 20 years in Brazil, and correlated these characteristics with penicillin susceptibility and genotype as determined by multilocus sequence typing. All strains were shown to carry pspA genes, with those of family 2 (pspA2) being the most common, and nearly half of the strains harbored P1-1 genes. The pspA gene family and the presence of PI-1 genes were conserved features among strains belonging to a given clone. A trend for increasing the occurrence of pspA2 and PI-1 genes over the period of investigation was observed, and it coincided with the dissemination of CC156 (Spain9V -3) clone in Brazil, suggesting a role for these virulence attributes in the establishment and the persistence of this successful clone. Opaque variant was the colony phenotype most frequently observed, regardless of clonal type. On the other hand, the transparent variant was more commonly associated with penicillin-non-susceptible pneumococci and with strains presenting evidence of recombination events involving the genes coding for polysaccharide capsule and PspA, suggesting that pneumococcal transparent variants may present a higher ability to acquire exogenous DNA. The results bring to light new information about the virulence potentials of serotype 14 and serogroup 9 S. pneumoniae isolates representing the major clones that have been associated with the emergence and the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance in our setting since the late 1980s.
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The standard method of obtaining body temperature in a bird can be a stressful event, making routine evaluations challenging. Twenty-eight privately owned birds in good health were enrolled in the study to compare digital and infrared (IR) temperature readings. Digital thermometer readings in the cloaca were compared with two different IR thermometers, Ototemp (OT) and VetTemp (VT), used at the skin of the cloaca, breast, axillary area and tympanic membrane. The majority of the IR temperature readings were not significantly different from the cloacal digital reading. Additionally, the different IR thermometers read close to each other at individual reading sites. The IR measurements at the axilla (OT, mean = 40.35°C, SD = 1.24°C; VT, mean = 40.20°C, SD = 1.38°C) were most similar to the standard cloacal measurement (mean = 40.83°C, SD = 0.88°C). For veterinarians who currently avoid measuring cloacal body temperatures to prevent unnecessary stress on avian patients utilizing IR thermometers in the axillary region provide a less invasive and reasonable measurement of core body temperature in birds to allow for a more comprehensive assessment of health status.
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Temperatura Corporal , Psittaciformes , Termómetros/veterinaria , Animales , Axila , Cloaca , Femenino , Masculino , Temperatura Cutánea , Termómetros/clasificación , Membrana TimpánicaRESUMEN
This study evaluated the impact that participation in sessions with children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has on therapy dogs. Nine certified therapy dogs were paired for 6 sessions with groups of 3-4 children. Sessions consisted of 5 different activities. Activities 1 and 5 involved interactions solely with each dog and their owner, as a control. Activities 2-4 consisted of interactions with the dogs and the children which included social skills training, dog training, and reading in the company of dogs. One-zero interval sampling of stress-associated behaviors was conducted at 20-second intervals for a 10-minute duration during each of the 5 activities. At the end of each activity, heart rate was monitored, and a saliva sample was obtained for cortisol analysis. Dogs demonstrated only occasional behavioral responses and no significant findings related to cortisol or heart rate when the different activities were compared. The results indicate that with proper supervision and well-trained therapy staff, including suitable therapy dogs and their handlers, canine stress can be minimal in a therapy setting.
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Terapia Asistida por Animales , Trastorno por Déficit de Atención con Hiperactividad/terapia , Perros/fisiología , Adulto , Bienestar del Animal , Animales , Conducta Animal , Niño , Femenino , Frecuencia Cardíaca/fisiología , Humanos , Hidrocortisona/análisis , Masculino , Saliva/química , Estrés PsicológicoAsunto(s)
Pruebas Diagnósticas de Rutina/métodos , Esquistosomiasis/diagnóstico , Animales , Antígenos Helmínticos/análisis , Humanos , Sistemas de Atención de Punto , Schistosoma/genética , Schistosoma/inmunología , Schistosoma/fisiología , Esquistosomiasis/epidemiología , Esquistosomiasis/inmunología , Sensibilidad y EspecificidadRESUMEN
Zika virus (ZIKV) infection usually presents as a mild and self-limited illness, but it may be associated with severe outcomes. We describe a case of a 30-year-old man with systemic erythematous lupus and common variable immunodeficiency who became infected with both Zika (ZIKV) and Chikungunya (CHIKV) virus during the 2016 outbreak in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The patient presented with intense wrist and right ankle arthritis, and ZIKV RNA and virus particles were detected in synovial tissue, blood and urine, and CHIKV RNA in serum sample, at the time of the diagnosis. During the follow up, ZIKV RNA persisted for 275 days post symptoms onset. The patient evolved with severe arthralgia/arthritis and progressive deterioration of renal function. Fatal outcome occurred after 310 days post ZIKV and CHIKV co-infection onset. The results show the development of severe disease and fatal outcome of ZIKV infection in an immunosuppressed adult. The data suggests a correlation between immunodeficiency and prolonged ZIKV RNA shedding in both blood and urine with progressive disease. The results also indicate a possible role for arbovirus co-infections as risk factors for severe and fatal outcomes from ZIKV infection.
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BACKGROUND: Hepatosplenic schistosomiasis (HES) has not been evaluated by transient elastography so far and its correlation with ultrasound variables remains to be defined. AIMS: The aim of this study was to describe the parameters of liver and spleen stiffness in HES assessed by transient elastography in comparison with cirrhotics and controls evaluating its correlation with ultrasonographic data. PATIENTS AND METHODS: HES, hepatitis C virus-cirrhotic, and control patients were included in this sectional study. Liver and spleen stiffness were compared among the three groups. The ultrasonographic parameters were compared with transient elastography in HES patients. RESULTS: Thirty HES, 30 hepatitis C virus-cirrhotic patients, and 17 controls were included. Those with HES presented liver stiffness that was significantly higher than the controls and lower than the cirrhotics: 9.7 (3.6-75.0) versus 3.7 (2.8-5.4) versus 27.0 (14.7-61.5) kPa (P<0.001). Spleen stiffness values were comparable between hepatosplenic and cirrhotics: 66.4 (25.7-75.0) versus 69.1 (18.0-75.0) kPa (P=0.78) and were significantly higher than the controls 16.5 kPa (6.3-34.3) (P<0.001). In patients with HES, high spleen stiffness was associated with right liver lobe diameter (P=0.015), splenic artery resistance index (P=0.002), portal vein diameter (P=0.021), portal vein area (P=0.008), portal vein congestion index (P=0.035), splenic vein diameter (P=0.013), and spleen diameter (P=0.021). CONCLUSION: Liver stiffness may be a useful tool to differentiate portal hypertension related to cirrhosis from that of HES. High spleen stiffness is a potential surrogate marker of portal hypertension in this population.
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Diagnóstico por Imagen de Elasticidad , Hepatitis C Crónica/diagnóstico por imagen , Hipertensión Portal/diagnóstico por imagen , Cirrosis Hepática/diagnóstico por imagen , Hígado/diagnóstico por imagen , Esquistosomiasis/diagnóstico por imagen , Bazo/diagnóstico por imagen , Ultrasonografía Doppler en Color , Adulto , Anciano , Brasil , Estudios de Casos y Controles , Estudios Transversales , Diagnóstico Diferencial , Elasticidad , Femenino , Hepatitis C Crónica/virología , Humanos , Hipertensión Portal/parasitología , Hipertensión Portal/virología , Hígado/parasitología , Hígado/virología , Cirrosis Hepática/patología , Cirrosis Hepática/virología , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Valor Predictivo de las Pruebas , Esquistosomiasis/parasitología , Bazo/parasitología , Bazo/virologíaRESUMEN
Zika virus (ZIKV) transmission through non-mosquito-dependent routes has become increasingly important since reports of sexual transmission. Breastfeeding is a potential means of ZIKV transmission, but data on this remain limited. The cases of four mothers with laboratory-proven infections are reported. No disease evolved in three of the breastfed babies despite detectable maternal viremia and viruria, the presence of viral RNA shedding, and the isolation of infective particles in one milk sample. Fever and rash in one infant of a ZIKV-infected mother proved to be related to chikungunya virus infection. The results suggest that the presence of infective particles in breast milk may not be sufficient for the efficient perinatal transmission of ZIKV.
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Transmisión Vertical de Enfermedad Infecciosa , Leche Humana/virología , Esparcimiento de Virus , Infección por el Virus Zika/transmisión , Adulto , Lactancia Materna , Femenino , Humanos , Lactancia , Embarazo , ARN Viral/análisisAsunto(s)
Infecciones Asintomáticas , Portador Sano/virología , Infecciones por HTLV-I/virología , Virus Linfotrópico T Tipo 1 Humano/genética , Provirus/genética , Proteínas Reguladoras y Accesorias Virales/genética , Brasil , Portador Sano/sangre , Codón de Terminación/genética , Femenino , Infecciones por HTLV-I/sangre , Virus Linfotrópico T Tipo 1 Humano/química , Humanos , Persona de Mediana Edad , Mutación , Factores de Transcripción NFATC/genética , Factores de Transcripción NFATC/metabolismo , Carga Viral , Proteínas Reguladoras y Accesorias Virales/aislamiento & purificaciónAsunto(s)
Infecciones por HTLV-I/transmisión , Infecciones por HTLV-I/virología , Virus Linfotrópico T Tipo 1 Humano/genética , Mutación Missense , Enfermedades de Transmisión Sexual/transmisión , Enfermedades de Transmisión Sexual/virología , Proteínas Reguladoras y Accesorias Virales/genética , Brasil/epidemiología , Femenino , Infecciones por HTLV-I/epidemiología , Virus Linfotrópico T Tipo 1 Humano/aislamiento & purificación , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Epidemiología Molecular , Proteínas Mutantes/genética , Análisis de Secuencia de ADN , Enfermedades de Transmisión Sexual/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
Antimicrobial-resistant pneumococcal strains have been detected worldwide since the 1960s. In Brazil, the first penicillin-nonsusceptible pneumococci (PNSP) were reported in the 1980s, and their emergence and dissemination have been mainly attributed to serogroup 9 and serotype 14 strains, especially those highly related to recognized international clones. In the present study, antimicrobial susceptibility testing and multilocus sequence typing were performed on 315 pneumococcal isolates belonging to serogroup 9 (n = 99) or serotype 14 (n = 216), recovered from patients or asymptomatic carriers between 1988 and 2011 in Brazil, in order to trace changes in antimicrobial resistance and genotypes prior to the full introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in the country. Over the 23-year study period, the PNSP levels increased, and four clonal complexes (CC156, CC66, CC15, and CC5401) have played important roles in the evolution and dissemination of pneumococcal isolates belonging to serogroup 9 and serotype 14, as well as in the emergence of antimicrobial resistance, in the pre-pneumococcal-vaccination era. The earliest PNSP strains detected in this study belonged to serotype 9N/ST66 and were single locus variants of the international clone Tennessee14-18 ST67 (CC66). The first serotype 14 PNSP isolates were identified in 1990 and were related to the England14-9 ST9 (CC15) clone. Serotype 14 PNSP variants of the Spain9V-3 ST156 clone with elevated penicillin MICs and nonsusceptibility to other beta-lactams were detected in 1995 and showed an increasing trend over the years. The results also indicated that introduction of ST156 in our region was preceded by the emergence of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole resistance and by the dissemination of ST162. In addition to the presence of successful international clones, a novel regional serotype 14 genotype (CC5401) has emerged in 1996.
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Antibacterianos/farmacología , Farmacorresistencia Bacteriana Múltiple/genética , Filogenia , Infecciones Neumocócicas/epidemiología , Infecciones Neumocócicas/historia , Streptococcus pneumoniae/clasificación , Enfermedades Asintomáticas , Brasil/epidemiología , Células Clonales , Monitoreo Epidemiológico , Europa (Continente)/epidemiología , Historia del Siglo XX , Historia del Siglo XXI , Humanos , Incidencia , Pruebas de Sensibilidad Microbiana , Tipificación de Secuencias Multilocus , Resistencia a las Penicilinas/genética , Penicilinas/farmacología , Filogeografía , Infecciones Neumocócicas/tratamiento farmacológico , Infecciones Neumocócicas/microbiología , Vacunas Neumococicas , Serogrupo , Streptococcus pneumoniae/efectos de los fármacos , Streptococcus pneumoniae/genética , Streptococcus pneumoniae/aislamiento & purificación , Combinación Trimetoprim y Sulfametoxazol/farmacología , Estados Unidos/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
Streptococcus pneumoniae remains as an important cause of community-acquired bacterial infections, and the nasopharynx of asymptomatic carriers is the major reservoir of this microorganism. Pneumococcal strains of serotype 14 and serogroup 9 are among the most frequently isolated from both asymptomatic carriers and patients with invasive disease living in Brazil. Internationally disseminated clones belonging to such serotypes have been associated with the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance in our setting, highlighting the need for epidemiological tracking of these isolates. In this scenario, Multiple Loci VNTR Analysis (MLVA) has emerged as an alternative tool for the molecular characterization of pneumococci, in addition to more traditional techniques such as Multi-Locus Sequence Typing (MLST) and Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE). In the present study, 18 VNTR loci, as well as other previously described reduced MLVA panels (7 VNTR loci), were evaluated as tools to characterize pneumococcal strains of serotypes 14, 9N and 9V belonging to international and regional clones isolated in Brazil. The 18 VNTR loci panel was highly congruent with MLST and PFGE, being also useful for indicating the genetic relationship with international clones and for discriminating among strains with indistinguishable STs and PFGE profiles. Analysis of the results also allowed deducing a novel shorter 7 VNTR loci panel, keeping a high discriminatory power for isolates of the serotypes investigated and a high congruence level with MLST and PFGE. The newly proposed simplified panel was then evaluated for typing pneumococcal strains of other commonly isolated serotypes. The results indicate that MLVA is a faster and easier to perform, reliable approach for the molecular characterization of S. pneumoniae isolates, with potential for cost-effective application, especially in resource-limited countries.
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Streptococcus pneumoniae/genética , Técnicas de Tipificación Bacteriana , ADN Bacteriano/genética , Electroforesis en Gel de Campo Pulsado , Genotipo , Repeticiones de Minisatélite/genética , Tipificación de Secuencias Multilocus , Filogenia , SerogrupoRESUMEN
Pigs used in research are often housed in barren environments. The effects of ice as a simple enrichment tool for newly weaned pigs were investigated. Four replicates of 120 pigs were separated into 3 groups. One group was given free access to blocks of ice (ice group), another group had access to Classic Kong toys (Kong group), and a 3rd group did not receive any enrichment (control group). The behavior of each group was observed every 5 min from 08:00 hr to 12:00 hr during 4 consecutive days. Pigs were motivated to explore the ice blocks (4.85%±1.34) over the Classic Kong toys (2.03%±0.59). No differences in other behaviors were found between treatments. Ice is an effective and easy-to-replace enrichment device. Blocks of ice can be used as enrichment devices for pigs housed in research facilities.
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Crianza de Animales Domésticos/métodos , Conducta Animal , Hielo , Porcinos/psicología , Bienestar del Animal , Animales , Animales de Laboratorio , Vivienda para Animales , Juego e Implementos de Juego , DesteteAsunto(s)
Infecciones por HTLV-II/diagnóstico , Hepatitis C Crónica/diagnóstico , Virus Linfotrópico T Tipo 2 Humano/genética , Paraparesia Espástica Tropical/diagnóstico , Brasil , Coinfección , Genotipo , Infecciones por HTLV-II/fisiopatología , Infecciones por HTLV-II/virología , Hepacivirus/aislamiento & purificación , Hepatitis C Crónica/fisiopatología , Hepatitis C Crónica/virología , Virus Linfotrópico T Tipo 2 Humano/clasificación , Virus Linfotrópico T Tipo 2 Humano/patogenicidad , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Paraparesia Espástica Tropical/fisiopatología , Paraparesia Espástica Tropical/virología , FilogeniaRESUMEN
Optochin (Opt) susceptibility is used largely for the identification of Streptococcus pneumoniae in diagnostic laboratories. Opt-resistant (Opt(r)) S. pneumoniae isolates have been reported, however, indicating the potential for misidentification of this important pathogen. Point mutations in the atpC gene have been associated with the emergence of Opt(r) S. pneumoniae, but data on the characterization of such atypical variants of S. pneumoniae are still limited. The present report describes the results of a polyphasic approach to identifying and characterizing 26 Opt(r) S. pneumoniae isolates recovered from patients or carriers living in Brazil. Sixteen isolates consisted of heterogeneous populations, and 10 isolates were homogeneously Opt(r). The isolates had different serotypes and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles. They also presented diverse genetic characteristics, as indicated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA), and pspA gene typing. Except for Opt MICs (4- to 64-fold higher among Opt(r) variants), Opt(r) and Opt-susceptible (Opt(s)) subpopulations originating from the same culture had identical characteristics. Sequencing of the atpC gene of the Opt(r) variants revealed 13 different nucleotide changes distributed among eight different codons. Changes in codon 49 were the most frequent, suggesting that this might be a hot spot for optochin resistance-conferring mutations. On the other hand, five novel types of mutations in the atpC gene (Met13Ile, Gly18Ser, Gly20Ala, Ala31Val, and Ala49Gly) were identified. In silico prediction modeling indicated that the atpC gene mutations corresponded to alterations in the transmembrane region of the ATPase, leading to a higher hydrophobicity profile in α-helix 1 and to a lower hydrophobicity profile in α-helix 2.