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Anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies were investigated in 125 Saimiri spp. kept at a research institute. A total of 12% of primates tested positive, all of which were Saimiri sciureus. These results highlight the need to minimize the possibility of this protozoan's circulation, which can lead to fulminant infection in these animals.
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Anticuerpos Antiprotozoarios , Enfermedades de los Monos , Saimiri , Toxoplasma , Toxoplasmosis Animal , Animales , Brasil/epidemiología , Anticuerpos Antiprotozoarios/sangre , Enfermedades de los Monos/parasitología , Femenino , Estudios Seroepidemiológicos , MasculinoRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Toxoplasmosis has been of public health concern due to direct associations with socioeconomic vulnerability and inadequate living conditions. METHODS: Accordingly, the present study aimed to assess antibodies against T. gondii, historical reported toxoplasmosis cases and associated socio-environmental risk factors in Pinhais, a full urban area of Curitiba, currently the eighth biggest metropolitan area of Brazil. Anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies were assessed by an indirect immunofluorescence reaction (RIFI). Owner and dog samples were also tested by IFAT to anti-Leishmania spp. and anti-Trypanosoma cruzi antibodies. RESULTS: Overall, 20/135 (14.8%) persons and 13/133 (9.8%) dogs from 25 different households were considered seropositive to T. gondii. All samples were seronegative to Leishmania spp. and Trypanosoma cruzi. CONCLUSIONS: Although no significant covariates were found in the regression model, statistically associated risk factors in the bivariate analysis included no public water use (p = 0.016) and drinking raw milk (p = 0.041) for owners, and obesity (p = 0.028) and tick infestation (p = 0.03) for dogs. In addition, a spatial cluster of T. gondii seropositivity for both owners and their dogs overlapped the location of historic reported cases of human acquired, gestational and congenital toxoplasmosis. Finally, the results herein showed tick infestation as an indicator of socio-environmental risk for T. gondii exposure in the household environment, and dogs may be used as sentinels for human toxoplasmosis cases.
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The causative agent of Chagas disease is Trypanosoma cruzi, which is widely distributed throughout the South American continent and extends into North America. Its occurrence in bats is poorly described and may impact the disease's maintenance and epidemiology. The aim of this study was to detect the agent by PCR assays targeting kDNA and nuclear DNA in the organs of 203 urban bats and rural vampire bats from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, São Paulo state, during the pandemic period from 2020 to 2022. In total, 6 of the 203 bats (2.97%) were positive for T. cruzi. Infection was detected in 2% (2/101) of Desmodus rotundus, 33% (1/3) of Nyctinomops laticaudatus, 25% (1/4) of Artibeus lituratus, 4% (1/24) of Eumops glaucinus and in 2% (1/41) of Molossus molossus. The gene sequences obtained were assessed for quality and deposited in a public repository. Fruit bats were statistically associated with positivity for T. cruzi. To our knowledge, this study detected T. cruzi for the first time in bats from São Paulo state and in N. laticaudatus and E. glaucinus species.
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BACKGROUND: Although the Coxiella burnetii infection has been investigated in dogs, its role in human transmission remains to be fully established, particularly in close and daily human-dog contact settings, such as in Police K-9 Units. METHODS: Accordingly, this study aimed to assess anti-C. burnetii antibodies in clinically healthy police officers by an in-house indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), and working dogs by a commercial IFA Kit, from the State Special Operations Battalion, Paraná, Southern Brazil. RESULTS: Overall, 1/18 (5.5%) police officers and 9/30 (30.0%; CI 95% 16.66-47.88) dogs tested seropositive to anti-C. burnetii IgG antibodies. CONCLUSIONS: To date, this is the highest prevalence of Q fever seropositivity among military dogs worldwide. Despite the low sampling rate, a statistically significant association was found between seropositivity and female dogs (p = 0.0492). Further studies with larger sample sizes should be conducted to establish the prevalence of Q Fever in other Brazilian K-9 Units. In summary, this study is the first to conduct a concomitant serosurvey of police officers and working dogs, and its findings should be considered a warning for cross-exposure and transmission of Coxiella burnetii among Police K-9 Units in Brazil and worldwide.
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Brazilian descendants of former Black-slave (quilombola) communities have been predisposed to several zoonotic diseases due to social vulnerability, characterized by subsistence and close contact with livestock and companion animals. Accordingly, the present study has assessed anti-Coxiella burnetii antibodies in 200 individuals and 20 dogs from four quilombola communities located in Paraná State, southern Brazil. Serum samples were tested by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) using in-house and commercial diagnostic protocols, with analysis of seropositive titers and antibody type. Fisher's exact test was used to compare seropositivity to C. burnetti with binary variables, with variables with three or more possible responses submitted to logistic regression. In total, 44/200 (22%; 95% CI 16.82-28.24) people tested positive, and 4.5% had titers higher than 128, indicating a recent onset of C. burnetii infection. Seropositive individuals were statistically associated with the Limitão community (p = 0.0013), urban workers as occupations (p = 0.0475), consumption of undercooked meat (p = 0.0159), and contact with animal abortion (p = 0.0276). No seropositivity association was found for age, sex, education, habit of entering forest areas, consumption of game meat, consumption of raw milk, flea and tick bites, dog contact, or history of female miscarriage. Only one of 20 dogs was seropositive with a titer of 128, probably related to an acute animal infection. Despite the prevalence here being higher than previous Brazilian reports, including with symptomatic populations, the results were within range for worldwide outbreaks and occupational risk populations. To the reader's knowledge, this is the first human survey of Q fever in southern Brazil and should be considered a warning for C. burnetii in vulnerable populations, particularly Quilombola communities.
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Coxiella burnetii is the agent of Q fever, a disease that poses risks to public health and damages livestock. We discovered the circulation of C. burnetii for the first time in Paraguay, based on the seropositivity of a flock of >300 sheep. The animals were tested by IFA for anti-C. burnetii antibodies and by SAM for anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies, an important differential diagnosis for reproductive disorders in sheep in Paraguay. C. burnetii seropositivity was determined in 45%, in contrast to Leptospira spp. which had no reactive samples. Cases of miscarriage and fetal resorption were associated with high seropositivity titers. This study suggests the circulation of a unique genotype in the country and an imminent risk to public health, since in addition to being highly transmissible and infectious to humans, Q fever is still not a cause for concern on the part of government and health agencies in the country.
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Diseases arising from the imbalance between the triad environment, humans, and animals affect individuals' health, as well as the social, and economic well-being of the world's population. Across the globe, health education activities are being conducted to prevent and control zoonoses. To guide future educational interventions, we reviewed scientific articles published in the last five years to characterize and verify the tools: target audience, duration, effectiveness, and gaps and difficulties. Four databases were searched, and 16 articles were selected for the meta-analysis, with 81.3% of the studies being conducted in underdeveloped or developing countries. Of these, 56.3% involved children under 14 years of age, and 62.5% involved activities in elementary and middle schools. The researchers are the professionals who are the most engaged in the activities, and 56.3% of the studies are conducted by veterinarians. Several new teaching tools have been proposed, demonstrating remarkable effectiveness. For systematic reviews to provide a guide for the design of new educational activities, it is necessary to better describe teaching methodologies and evaluation tools, as well as to evaluate in the long term, not only the impact of knowledge on the population but also the incidence of zoonoses.
As doenças decorrentes do desequilíbrio entre a tríade ambiente, humanos e animais afetam a saúde dos indivíduos, bem como o bem-estar social e econômico da população mundial. Em todo o mundo, atividades de educação em saúde estão sendo realizadas para prevenir e controlar zoonoses. Para orientar futuras intervenções educativas, revisamos artigos científicos publicados nos últimos cinco anos para caracterizar e verificar as ferramentas: público-alvo, duração, efetividade, lacunas e dificuldades. Quatro bases de dados foram pesquisadas e 16 artigos foram selecionados para a meta-análise, com 81,3% dos estudos sendo conduzidos em países subdesenvolvidos ou em desenvolvimento. Destes, 56,3% envolviam menores de 14 anos e 62,5% envolviam atividades no ensino fundamental e médio. Os pesquisadores são os profissionais mais engajados nas atividades, sendo que 56,3% dos estudos são conduzidos por veterinários. Várias novas ferramentas de ensino foram propostas, demonstrando notável eficácia. Para que as revisões sistemáticas orientem o desenho de novas ações educativas, é necessário descrever melhor as metodologias de ensino e os instrumentos de avaliação, bem como avaliar a longo prazo não só o impacto do conhecimento na população, mas também a incidência de zoonoses.
Las enfermedades derivadas del desequilibrio entre el medio ambiente, los seres humanos y los animales afectan la salud de las personas, así como el bienestar social y económico de la población mundial. En todo el mundo se están realizando actividades de educación sanitaria para prevenir y controlar las zoonosis. Para orientar futuras intervenciones educativas, revisamos artículos científicos publicados en los últimos cinco años para caracterizar y verificar las herramientas: público objetivo, duración, efectividad, vacíos y dificultades. Se realizaron búsquedas en cuatro bases de datos y se seleccionaron 16 artículos para el metanálisis, y el 81,3 % de los estudios se realizaron en países subdesarrollados o en vías de desarrollo. De estos, el 56,3% involucraba a niños menores de 14 años y el 62,5% involucraba actividades en educación primaria y secundaria. Los investigadores son los profesionales más comprometidos con las actividades, siendo el 56,3% de los estudios realizados por veterinarios. Se han propuesto varias herramientas didácticas nuevas que han demostrado una eficacia notable. Para que las revisiones sistemáticas orienten el diseño de nuevas acciones educativas, es necesario describir mejor las metodologías docentes y los instrumentos de evaluación, así como evaluar a largo plazo no solo el impacto del conocimiento en la población, sino también la incidencia de las zoonosis.
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Control de Enfermedades Transmisibles/métodos , Educación en Salud/métodos , Vigilancia de Zoonosis , Promoción de la Salud/estadística & datos numéricosRESUMEN
AIMS: We investigate extraintestinal pathogenic genes (ExPEC) related to virulence of Escherichia coli in flies from the dairy environment. METHODS AND RESULTS: We collected 217 flies from nine dairy farms, which were submitted to microbiological culture. Fifty-one E. coli were identified using mass spectrometry. Eleven dipteran families were identified, with a predominance of Muscidae, and a minor frequency of Tachinidae, Drosophilidae, Sphaeroceridae, Ulidiidae, Syrphidae, Chloropidae, Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, and Piophilidae. A panel of 16 virulence-encoding genes related to ExPEC infections were investigated, which revealed predominance of serum resistance (traT, 31/51 = 60.8%; ompT, 29/51 = 56.9%), iron uptake (irp2, 17/51 = 33.3%, iucD 11/51 = 21.6%), and adhesins (papC, 6/51 = 11.8%; papA, 5/51 = 9.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reveal Dipterans from milking environment carrying ExPEC virulence-encoding genes also identified in clinical bovine E. coli-induced infections.
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Dípteros , Infecciones por Escherichia coli , Escherichia coli Patógena Extraintestinal , Humanos , Animales , Bovinos , Escherichia coli/genética , Virulencia/genética , Granjas , Infecciones por Escherichia coli/veterinaria , Infecciones por Escherichia coli/microbiología , Factores de Virulencia/genética , InsectosRESUMEN
The in vitro algaecide activity of quaternary ammonium (QA) against Prototheca isolated from bovine clinical mastitis was investigated, in which the clinical severity was scored, milk samples were subjected to microbiological culture, and algal species were identified by molecular typing. A total of 4275 milk clinical samples of different cows from ten large dairy farms were used. Forty-four (1%) samples of cows from three dairy farms yielded growth of Prototheca, of which 88.6% (39/44) were identified as Prototheca bovis and 11.3% (5/44) as Prototheca sp. by MALDI-TOF MS, whereas 100% of the isolates were identified as P. bovis using PCR sequencing of the cytb gene. Among cows for which clinical severity scoring was available, 78.8% (26/33) and 21.2% (7/33) had mild and moderate infections, respectively, whereas no animal showed severe clinical signs. The algaecide activity of QA in Prototheca was observed in low concentrations among all isolates, in 20.4% (9/44) at 35 ppm, 36.4% (16/44) at 17 ppm, and 43.2% (19/44) at an 8 ppm, in addition to activity on three reference Prototheca strains. Overall, the study highlights the predominance of P. bovis as the causative agent of algal mastitis in bovines. Prototheca induced abnormalities preponderantly in the milk and mammary gland tissue of cows, and to our knowledge, our study is the first to apply clinical severity scoring in protothecal mastitis. In addition, the study underlines the activity of QA in low concentrations against Prototheca, indicating its potential use as an antiseptic/disinfectant in milking facilities and dairy environments.
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BACKGROUND: Leptospirosis represents a One Health issue, affecting humans and animals. This study investigated pathogenic leptospires in small wild rodents in São Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: Kidney samples from 164 rodents underwent qPCR testing, targeting pathogenic Leptospira spp. RESULTS: Thirty-five animals (21.34%) tested positive, including five rodent species: Akodon montensis (2/21; 9.5%), Necromys lasiurus (1/4; 25%), Oligoryzomys nigripes (24/92; 26.1%), Oligoryzomys flavescens (5/26; 19.2%), and Sooretamys angouya (3/14; 21.4%). Botucatu municipality exhibited the highest prevalence, with 42.5% (20/47) of the animals testing positive. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of Leptospira spp. in wild rodents suggests they may be chronic carriers, contaminating the environment.
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Leptospira , Leptospirosis , Enfermedades de los Roedores , Animales , Humanos , Brasil/epidemiología , Leptospira/genética , Roedores , Leptospirosis/epidemiología , Leptospirosis/veterinaria , Sigmodontinae , Enfermedades de los Roedores/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
Leptospirosis has been a neglected, widespread and reemerging zoonotic disease of global importance. The One Health holistic approach combining human, animal and environmental health has been important for control and prevention of zoonotic disease. An urban municipality in Southern Brazil with a high prevalence of leptospirosis was selected by convenience, with asymptomatic human and canine individuals serologically tested using MAT against 30 Leptospira spp. serovars. Epidemiological questionnaires were assessed along with the historical national database, with associated risk factors to dog and human seropositivity analyzed using multiple logistic regression. The spatial distribution of retrospective human leptospirosis cases was analyzed using a Kernel map and overlapped dog seropositivity and historical flooding areas, demonstrating that domestic and asymptomatic dogs may be important environmental sentinels for leptospirosis in such urban areas, even in the absence of human seropositivity and low canine seropositivity. Associated risk factors for leptospirosis in dogs and humans according to multiple regression included healthy dogs (p = 0.02, odds ratio-OR = 0.17, confidence interval of 95%CI 0.03-0.71) with indoor access (p = 0.059, OR = 5.12, 95%CI 1.10-37.7) and human males (p = 0.042, OR = 2.44, 95%CI 1.08-6.11) with presenting calf pain (p = 0.005, OR = 3.14, 95%CI 1.46-7. 14), jaundice (p < 0.001, OR = 4.61, 95%CI 2.11-10.10) and renal failure (p = 0.008, OR = 4.49, 95%CI 1.49-13.76). The greater the rain precipitation (above 3 mm of average annual precipitation), the higher the number of leptospirosis cases in humans. In conclusion, dog active serosurvey and rain precipitation should be systematically reported and plotted altogether as a basis for the early detection and monitoring of human risk areas. Such findings may serve as a basis for public health policies in Brazil and other endemic countries worldwide.
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Enterococcus spp., including E. faecalis and E. faecium, pose risks to dairy farms as opportunistic pathogens. The study evaluates antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and virulence characteristics of Enterococcus spp. isolated from bovine milk. Bile esculin agar was used to assess 1471 milk samples, followed by colony identification, gram staining, catalase tests, and 45 °C incubation. PCR analysis targeted E. faecalis and E. faecium in characteristic Enterococcus spp. colonies, with MALDI-TOF used for negative samples. Multiple tests, including disk diffusion, chromogenic VRE agar for vancomycin resistance, Vancomycin Etest® for MIC determination, and PCR for virulence factors (cylA, esp, efaA, ace, asa1, gelE, and hyl genes), were performed. Out of 100 identified strains, E. durans (30.66%), E. faecium (26.28%), and E. faecalis (18.25%) were predominant. AMR in Enterococcus spp. varied, with the highest rates against rifampicin (27%), tetracycline (20%), and erythromycin (18%). Linezolid (5%), vancomycin, ciprofloxacin, and teicoplanin (3% each) had lower prevalence. E. faecium and E. faecalis showed high AMR to rifampicin, erythromycin, and tetracycline. Thirty-two strains (18.98%) grew on VRE Chromoselect agar, while 4 (2 E. faecalis and 2 E. faecium) showed vancomycin resistance by MIC values. E. faecalis carried gelE (45.5%) and asa1 (36%), and E. gallinarum had 9.1% with the asa1 gene. Detecting resistant Enterococcus in bovine milk supports control strategies for enterococci on dairy farms, highlighting AMR concerns in the food chain.
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Brazilian quilombos are rural semi-isolated remnant communities of former black slaves and their descendants who traditionally maintained themselves through archaic subsistence livestock and agriculture practices and historically lacked specific public health policies. Although such individuals and their dogs may be exposed to zoonotic pathogens such as Toxoplasma gondii, no study to date has assessed these human-animal populations together. Populations in four different Brazilian quilombos in southern Brazil were evaluated. Overall, 93/208 people (44.7%) and 63/100 dogs (63.0%) were seropositive for IgG anti-T. gondii antibodies by indirect immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT), 4/208 (1.9%) human samples seropositive for IgM anti-T. gondii antibodies, with a human-dog seropositivity ratio for IgG of 0.71. Quilombola individuals ingesting game meat were 2.43-fold more likely (95% CI: 1.05-5.9) to be seropositive. No risk factors were associated with seropositivity among dogs, thus suggesting that their exposure to T. gondii was random. Surprisingly, our research group had previously found an inverted human-dog ratio for T. gondii seropositivity of 2.54 in the urban area of a nearby major city. Because consumption of raw/undercooked game meat by quilombola individuals may have contributed to higher exposure, higher overall seroprevalence among dogs may have also indicated interaction with wildlife. Although these dogs may hunt wildlife without their owners' awareness, the higher dog seropositivity may also be related to feeding from discarded food in the community or backyard livestock animals and drinking surface water contaminated with oocysts. Thus, wildlife cannot be singled out as the reason, and future studies should consider sampling water, soil, wildlife, and livestock tissues, to fully establish the source of infection in dogs herein.
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The performance of a commercial immunofluorescence assay (IFA commercial), an in-house immunofluorescence assay (IFA in-house) and an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were evaluated in the detection of antibodies anti-C. burnetii in the serum of Q fever patients and persons without the disease. For the study, seropositive and seronegative samples for Q fever (n = 200) from a serum bank of the Instituto Adolfo Lutz in Brazil were used. Commercial IFA was considered in this study as the gold standard for diagnosing Q fever. The in-house IFA demonstrated good agreement with the commercial test, showing high sensitivity (91%) and specificity (97%) compared to the gold standard, with a Kappa coefficient of 0.8954. The indirect ELISA test showed lower agreement with the gold standard, showing low sensitivity (67%), although the specificity of the technique was high (97%) and the Kappa coefficient was moderate (0.6631). In-house IFA is an excellent alternative for diagnosing Q fever.
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Although Toxoplasma gondii exposure has been reported in indigenous populations worldwide, a One Health approach has not been applied to date. This study concurrently assessed T. gondii exposure in indigenous populations, and their dogs, environment, and indigenous or non-indigenous healthcare professionals (HPs). Human and dog serum samples from 9 indigenous communities in Brazil were assessed by indirect immunofluorescence antibody test for anti-T. gondii antibodies. Soil samples (30 per community) were processed with PCR to amplify T. gondii DNA. Associated risk factors and seroprevalence were analyzed using logistic regression models. Human seropositivity and type of water source were assessed by generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) with binomial error distribution, and game meat consumption with chi-squared test. Overall, 225/463 (49%) indigenous persons were seropositive for anti-T. gondii antibodies. Of all the HPs, 67/168 (40%) were positive, and included 54/147 (37%) positive non-indigenous HPs. Indigenous persons more likely to be seropositive compared with non-indigenous HPs (OR: 1.63; 95% CI: 1.11-2.39). A total of 97/253 (38%) dogs were seropositive and highly associated with seropositive owners (p < 0.001). Based on univariate analysis for indigenous individuals, state location of community (p < 0.001), ethnicity (p < 0.001), consumption of game meat (p < 0.001), type of water source (p < 0.001), and educational level (p = 0.026) were associated with seropositivity. Logistic regression showed that indigenous seropositivity was associated with eating game meat (p = 0.002), drinking water from rivers (p < 0.001), and inversely proportional to the educational level. According to univariate analysis for non-indigenous HP, age (p = 0.005), frequency of visits to the indigenous populations (p < 0.001), consumption of water at the indigenous communities (p < 0.001), and ingestion of raw meat (p = 0.023) were associated with T. gondii seropositivity. Logistic regression revealed living outdoors (p = 0.042), habit of hunting (p = 0.008), and drinking river water (p = 0.007) as risk factors associated to seropositivity in dogs. In addition, indigenous communities lacking water treatment had higher seroprevalence for all groups including indigenous persons (GLMM; z = -7.153; p < 0.001), their dogs (GLMM; z = -2.405; p = 0.0162), and all HPs (GLMM; z = -2.420; p = 0.0155). Human seropositivity was associated with that of their dogs (p < 0.001). A single soil sample, out of 270 (0.37%), was positive for T. gondii by PCR. Our results indicate water source is a risk for human and dog toxoplasmosis in indigenous communities; both share similar exposure. Moreover, quality water access was shown to be crucial to prevent toxoplasmosis in both total and non-indigenous HPs who work in these indigenous communities.
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This review aims to provide current information about Q fever, elucidating the etiological, epidemiological, pathogenic, clinical, diagnostic, therapeutic, and prophylactic aspects of the disease for the medical community. We discuss the main forms of presentation of the agent, its ability to persist in the body, the infinite possibilities of susceptible hosts, the main known forms of transmission, its importance in populations at occupational risk, and the role of arthropods in the natural history of the disease. Focusing on Brazil, we present the cases already described and studies developed since its first report, and how there is still much to unravel. We are aware of the possibilities of the persistence of the agent and the development of severe clinical pictures and the specific treatments currently instituted. We also wish to raise awareness about the future, the new genotypes that are emerging, the need to study the effects of vaccines, and the impact of Q fever on the population. Q fever is a poorly understood disease in Latin America, and recent studies, especially in Brazil, have revealed the importance of developing new studies.
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Fiebre Q , Animales , Humanos , Fiebre Q/diagnóstico , Fiebre Q/epidemiología , Brasil/epidemiología , Zoonosis/epidemiología , GenotipoRESUMEN
Leptospirosis has been described as a disease neglected worldwide. Affecting humans and animals, the disease is often related to poor environmental conditions such as lack of sanitation and presence of synanthropic rodents. Despite being considered as a One Health issue, no study has focused on comparing owner-dog seroprevalence between islands and seashore mainland. Accordingly, the present study assessed anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies by applying microscopic agglutination test (MAT) methods to Leptospira and assessing associated risk factors via univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis of owners and their dogs in islands and seashore mainland of southern Brazil. No anti-Leptospira spp. Seropositivity was found in 330 owner serum samples, while dogs presented an overall seroprevalence of 5.9%. All seropositive dogs reacted to serogroups of Leptospira interrogans, including 66.7% of Pyrogenes, 44.4% Canicola, 22.2% Icterohaemorrhagiae, 16.7% Australis; six reacted to more than one serogroup. No association was found among seropositivity and epidemiological variables, except that neighborhood dogs were less likely to be seropositive. Although no seropositivity was observed in owners, seropositivity in dogs had the potential to indicate such species as being sentinels for environmental exposure and potential human risk of infection.
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Mastitis occurrence in dairy cows is a broad topic that involves several sectors, from antimicrobial resistance and virulence of strains to economic implications and cattle management practices. Here, we assessed the molecular characterization (antimicrobial resistance determinants, virulence genes, sequences type, serotypes, and plasmid types) of 178 Escherichia coli strains isolated from milk samples from cows with clinical mastitis using a genome-based k-mers approach. Of these, 53 (29.8%) showed multidrug resistance by disc diffusion. We selected eight multidrug-resistant mastitis-associated E. coli for whole-genome sequencing and molecular characterization based on raw data using k-mers. We assessed antimicrobial resistance genes, virulence factors, serotypes, Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST), and plasmid types. The most antimicrobial resistance gene found were blaTEM-1B (7/8), tetA (6/8), strA (6/8), strB (6/8), and qnrB19 (5/8). A total of 25 virulence factors were detected encoding adhesins, capsule, enzymes/proteins, increased serum survival, hemolysin, colicins, and iron uptake. These virulence factors were associated with Extraintestinal Pathogenic E. coli. Three pandemic clones were found: ST10, ST101, and ST69. Two E. coli were assigned in the O117 serogroup and one in the O8:H25 serotype. The most common plasmid groups were IncFII (7/8) and IncFIB (6/8). Our findings contribute to the knowledge of virulence mechanisms, epidemiological aspects, and antimicrobial resistance determinants of E. coli strains obtained from clinical mammary infections of cows.
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Infecciones por Escherichia coli , Mastitis Bovina , Animales , Bovinos , Femenino , Antibacterianos/farmacología , Farmacorresistencia Bacteriana Múltiple/genética , Escherichia coli , Infecciones por Escherichia coli/veterinaria , Tipificación de Secuencias Multilocus , Factores de Virulencia/genética , GenomaRESUMEN
AIMS: We aimed to investigate the prevalence of rotavirus and coronavirus in dipterans that commonly inhabit the environment of dairy farms. METHODS AND RESULTS: We collected 217 insect specimens from nine dairy farms, which were examined through hemi-nested RT-PCR followed by Sanger sequencing in search of VP1 and N genes for rotavirus and bovine coronavirus-BCoV, respectively. With a predominance of Muscidae (152/217 = 70%) 11 families of Diptera were identified. Rotavirus A (RVA) and betacoronavirus (BCoV) were detected in 14.7% (32/217) and 4.6% (10/217) of the dipterans, respectively. Sequencing of the amplicons was possible for 11.5% (25/217) of RVA and 0.5% (1/217) of BCoV, confirming the presence of these pathogens. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the role of dipterans as carriers of RVA and BCoV of great relevance for public and animal health.
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Enfermedades de los Bovinos , Dípteros , Infecciones por Rotavirus , Rotavirus , Animales , Bovinos , Rotavirus/genética , Betacoronavirus , Granjas , Insectos , Heces , Enfermedades de los Bovinos/epidemiología , Diarrea/epidemiología , Filogenia , GenotipoRESUMEN
Mammary pathogenic Escherichia coli (MPEC) is one of the most common pathogens associated with clinical mastitis. We analyzed isolates obtained from milk samples of cows with clinical mastitis, collected from 10 farms in Brazil, to verify molecular and phenotypic characteristics. A total of 192 (4.5%) mammary pathogenic E. coli isolates were obtained from 4,275 milk samples analyzed, but we tested 161. We assigned most of these isolates to E. coli phylogroups B1 (52.8%) and A (36.6%), although phylogroups B2, C, D, E, and unknown also occurred. All isolates were assessed for the presence of several genes encoding virulence factors, such as adhesins (sfaDE, papC, afaBC III, ecpA, fimH, papA, and iha), toxins (hlyA, cnf1, sat, vat, and cdt), siderophores (iroN, irp2, iucD, ireA, and sitA), an invasion protein (ibeA), and serum resistance proteins (traT, KpsMTII, and ompT), and isolates from phylogroups B1, B2, and E showed up to 8 genes. Two isolates harbored the locus of enterocyte effacement (escN+) and lack the bundle-forming pilus (bfpB-) operon, which corresponds to a molecular profile of a subgroup of diarrheagenic E. coli (aEPEC), thus being classified as hybrid MPEC/aEPEC isolates. These isolates displayed a localized adherence-like pattern of adherence in HeLa cells and were able to promote F-actin polymerization underneath adherent bacteria. Based on the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analyses, considerable genetic variability was observed. A low index of antimicrobial resistance was observed and 2 extended-spectrum ß-lactamase-producing E. coli were identified, both harboring blaCTX-M15 gene, and were classified as ST10 and ST993 using multilocus sequence typing. A total of 148 (91.2%) isolates were weak biofilm producers or formed no biofilm. Because raw milk is still frequently consumed in Brazil, the occurrence of virulence factor-encoding genes from extraintestinal or diarrheagenic E. coli added to the presence of extended-spectrum ß-lactamase-producing isolates can turn this veterinary medicine problem into a public health concern.