Determination of the seroprevalence of Leptospira spp. and the main serovars circulating in cattle in the province of Manabí, Ecuador. / Determinación de la seroprevalencia de Leptospira spp. y los principales serovares circulantes en el ganado bovino en la provincia de Manabí, Ecuador.

Leptospirosis is a transmissible zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic strains of the genus Leptospira. Clinical signs in cattle are fever, haematuria, haemoglobinuria, meningitis, abortion, birth of weak calves and infertility; in the most severe cases, it can cause death to the animal. The few studies conducted in Ecuador, and in particular the province of Manabí, have revealed varying prevalence rates, ranging from 35.8% to 75%. The objective of this study is to determine the seroprevalence of leptospirosis in cattle and to ascertain the main serovars circulating in the province of Manabí. A cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted from November 2015 to March 2016, for which seven cantons were selected at random and a total of 854 animals from 67 herds were investigated. The samples were processed in the laboratories of the Animal Diagnostics Directorate of the Ecuadorian Agency for Agriculture Quality Assurance (AGROCALIDAD) in Tumbaco, using the microscopic agglutination test. The sera were analysed to check whether they contained any of the eight serovars of Leptospira interrogans circulating most frequently in the country: Canicola, Hardjo, Pomona, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Grippotyphosa, Wolffi, Bratislava and Copenhageni. Overall seroprevalence at herd level was 97.01%, with the most common serovars being Pomona, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Grippotyphosa, Bratislava and Canicola. It was concluded that there is high seroprevalence at herd level in the province of Manabí.

La leptospirose est une maladie zoonotique infecto-contagieuse causée par des souches pathogènes du genre Leptospira. Chez les bovins, le tableau clinique de la maladie se caractérise par de la fièvre, une hématurie, une hémoglobinurie, une méningite, des cas d'avortement ou la naissance de veaux faibles et une infertilité ; dans les cas les plus graves, la maladie peut provoquer la mort de l'animal. En Équateur et plus précisément dans la province de Manabí, les rares études effectuées jusqu'à ce jour ont rapporté des taux de prévalence allant de 35,8 % à 75 %. Les auteurs présentent les résultats d'une étude visant à déterminer la prévalence sérologique de la leptospirose dans le cheptel bovin de la province de Manabí ainsi que les principaux sérovars présents. Une enquête épidémiologique transversale a été conduite de novembre 2015 à mars 2016 dans sept cantons choisis de manière aléatoire. Au total, 854 animaux appartenant à 67 élevages ont été testés. Les prélèvement ont été préparés par les laboratoires de la Direction du diagnostic vétérinaire de l'Agence équatorienne de la qualité agricole (AGROCALIDAD) de Tumbaco et soumis à une épreuve d'agglutination microscopique afin de déterminer s'ils contenaient l'un ou plusieurs des huit sérovars de Leptospira interrogans présents dans le pays, à savoir Canicola, Hardjo, Pomona, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Grippotyphosa, Wolffi, Bratislava et Copenhageni. La séroprévalence globale au niveau des troupeaux était de 97,01 %, les sérovars les plus fréquents étant Pomona, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Grippotyphosa, Bratislava et Canicola. Les auteurs en concluent que la séroprévalence au niveau des troupeaux est élevée dans la province de Manabí.

La leptospirosis es una enfermedad zoonótica infectocontagiosa causada por cepas patógenas del género Leptospira. En el ganado bovino, clínicamente se caracteriza por fiebre, hematuria, hemoglobinuria, meningitis, abortos y/o nacimiento de animales débiles e infertilidad, y, en los casos más graves, puede provocar la muerte de los animales. En Ecuador, y en concreto en la provincia de Manabí, los escasos estudios realizados denotan prevalencias variables, que van del 35,8% al 75%. El objetivo del presente estudio es determinar la seroprevalencia de la leptospirosis en el ganado bovino y conocer los principales serovares circulantes en la provincia de Manabí. Se realizó un estudio epidemiológico de tipo transversal en el período comprendido entre noviembre de 2015 y marzo de 2016, para el cual se seleccionaron siete cantones al azar y se investigaron un total 854 animales pertenecientes a 67 hatos. Las muestras se procesaron en los Laboratorios de la Dirección de Diagnóstico Animal de la Agencia Ecuatoriana para la Calidad del Agro (AGROCALIDAD) de Tumbaco utilizando la técnica de aglutinación microscópica, y los sueros se analizaron para comprobar si contenían cada uno de los ocho serovares de Leptospira interrogans de mayor circulación en el país: Canicola, Hardjo, Pomona, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Grippotyphosa, Wolffi, Bratislava y Copenhageni. La seroprevalencia general a nivel de hatos fue del 97,01%, siendo los más frecuentes los serovares Pomona, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Grippotyphosa, Bratislava y Canicola. Se llegó a la conclusión de que en la provincia de Manabí existe una alta seroprevalencia a nivel de hatos.

Evaluation of the efficacy of intramuscular versus intramammary treatment of subclinical Streptococcus agalactiae mastitis in dairy cows in Colombia.

A randomized controlled trial was performed in 17 Colombian dairy herds to determine the cure risk among cows subclinically infected with Streptococcus agalactiae exposed to 2 antibiotic therapies. Composite milk samples were collected before milking at the onset of the trial (pretreatment) and 2 subsequent times over a period of approximately 63 d. The intramammary application (IMM) of ampicillin-cloxacillin was compared with the intramuscular application (IM) of penethamate hydriodide, and cure risks after an initial and retreatment application were assessed. Cure risk after the initial treatment was higher (82.4%) for the IMM treatment than for IM therapy (65.8%). However, no difference was observed in the cure risk of refractory cases after retreatment (IMM=52.6% vs. IM=51.2%). The cumulative cure risk (both initial and retreatment) was 90.4 and 82.9% for the IMM and IM products, respectively. A 2-level random effects logistic model that controlled for pretreatment cow-level somatic cell count, indicated that IM treatment (odds ratio=0.37) had a lower cure risk than IMM and a tendency for a lower cure risk with increasing baseline somatic cell count. Our findings suggest that both products and administration routes can reduce the prevalence of S. agalactiae in affected herds, but the IMM product had a better efficacy in curing the infection. In addition to the treatment protocol, the cow somatic cell count should be considered when making management decisions for cows infected with S. agalactiae.

From goat colostrum to milk: physical, chemical, and immune evolution from partum to 90 days postpartum.

This study focused on the study of the changes originated in the milk from partum until d 90 of lactation. Ten multiparous Majorera goats, bred carefully under animal health standards, with a litter size of 2 kids (the average in this breed is 1.83 prolificacy) and similar gestation length (149 ± 1 d) were used. Goat kids were removed from their dams to avoid interferences with the study. Compositional content (fat, protein, and lactose) were measured, as well as some other properties, including pH, density, titratable acidity, ethanol stability, rennet clotting time, and somatic cell count. Moreover, immunity molecules (IgG, IgA, and IgM concentrations and chitotriosidase activity) received great attention. Fat and protein content were higher in the first days postpartum, whereas lactose content was lower. Density, titratable acidity, rennet clotting time, and somatic cell count decreased throughout the lactation period, whereas pH and ethanol stability increased. Relative to the immunological parameters, each measured parameter obtained its maximum level at d 0, showing the first milking as the choice to provide immunity to the newborn kids. On the other hand, this study might be used to establish what the best use is: processing or kid feeding.

Effects of supercritical fluid extraction pressure on chemical composition, microbial population, polar lipid profile, and microstructure of goat cheese.

The consumer trend for healthier food choices and preferences for low-fat products has increased the interest in low-fat cheese and nutraceutical dairy products. However, consumer preference is still for delicious food. Low- and reduced-fat cheeses are not completely accepted because of their unappealing properties compared with full-fat cheeses. The method reported here provides another option to the conventional cheese-making process to obtain lower fat cheese. Using CO(2) as a supercritical fluid offers an alternative to reduce fat in cheese after ripening, while maintaining the initial characteristics and flavor. The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of pressure (10, 20, 30, and 40 × 10(6) Pa) of supercritical CO(2) on the amount of fat extracted, microbial population, polar lipid profile, and microstructure of 2 varieties of goat cheese: Majorero, a protected denomination of origin cheese from Spain, and goat Gouda-type cheese. The amount of fat was reduced 50 to 57% and 48 to 55% for Majorero and goat Gouda-type cheeses, respectively. Higher contents (on a fat basis) of sphingomyelin and phosphatidylcholine were found in Majorero cheese compared with control and goat Gouda-type cheeses. The microbial population was reduced after supercritical fluid extraction in both cheeses, and the lethality was higher as pressure increased in Majorero cheese, most noticeably on lactococcus and lactobacillus bacteria. The Gouda-type cheese did not contain any lactobacilli. Micrographs obtained from confocal laser scanning microscopy showed a more open matrix and whey pockets in the Majorero control cheese. This could explain the ease of extracting fat and reducing the microbial counts in this cheese after treatment with supercritical CO(2). Supercritical fluid extraction with CO(2) has great potential in the dairy industry and in commercial applications. The Majorero cheese obtained after the supercritical fluid extraction treatment was an excellent candidate as a low-fat goat cheese, lower in triglycerides and cholesterol but still with all the health benefits inherent in goat milk.

Patterns in composition, abundance and scarring of whale sharks Rhincodon typus near Holbox Island, Mexico.

Photo-identification and conventional tagging were used to estimate population size and structure of the whale shark Rhincodon typus near Holbox Island, Mexico. From 2005 to 2008, photographs of spot patterns behind the last gill slit and in a lateral view on the left side of each animal were used to identify individuals. Additionally, 578 R. typus were tagged using conventional marker tags. Of these and the 350 R. typus that were identified from 1184 photographs, 65% were male; 27%, female and 8%, indeterminate sex. Photographed R. typus ranged in size from 2·5 to 9·5 m total length. Size was bimodal with a large peak at 6 m and a smaller peak at 7 m. Photo-identification showed that there was considerable loss of marker tags. Few of these remained on the animals for more than a year, so that interannual re-sights using tagging could not be used in population modelling. Forty six interannual re-sightings were found in the photographic library; the interval between these re-sightings was typically 1 year. It was estimated that the R. typus aggregation near Holbox Island ranged from 521 to 809 individuals, based on mark-recapture models. From 13 to 33% of R. typus photographed had scars that were attributable to boat strikes. This study provides a baseline for assessing the status of R. typus near Holbox Island. This information is useful to understand drivers of local population size and distribution and potential concerns about increasing effects of tourism on R. typus in this area and for designing better management programmes for R. typus conservation.

Comparative analysis of the expression and regulation of Wnt5a, Fz4, and Frzb1 during digit formation and in micromass cultures.

Previous studies have shown that three members of the Wnt signaling pathway, the ligand WNT5A, the receptor FZ4, and the Wnt antagonist FRZB1, are implicated in the formation and differentiation of the digits. In this study, we have attempted to establish a functional correlation between them by comparing their expression patterns and their regulation by the signals controlling proliferation and differentiation of the limb mesoderm during formation of the avian digits in vivo and in micromass cultures. In vivo Wnt5a and Fz4 are expressed in the undifferentiated mesoderm of the autopod and in the differentiating digit cartilages. In the undifferentiated mesoderm, the expression of both genes is regulated positively by FGFs and negatively by bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs). As chondrogenic differentiation starts, Fz4 becomes intensely up-regulated in the aggregate and in the developing perichondrium, whereas transcripts of Wnt5a are excluded from the core of the aggregate but maintained in the surrounding mesenchyme and perichondrium. In addition, at this stage, the expression of both genes become positively regulated by BMPs. These changes in expression and regulation are coincident with the induction of Frzb1 in the chondrogenic aggregate, which is expressed under the positive control of BMPs. Our findings fit with a role of Wnt5a/Fz4 negatively regulating in vivo the initiation and progression of cartilage differentiation. In vitro, only Frzb1 is expressed and regulated in a manner resembling that observed in vivo. Wnt5a and Fz4 are both expressed in the differentiating mesenchyme of micromass cultures, but their expression is not significantly regulated by the addition of FGF-2 or BMP-7 to the culture medium.

[Cysticercosis. Scientific productivity measured with with a review of the literature published from 1965 to 1995]. / Cisticercosis. Productividad científica medida por medio de un análisis de la literatura publicada entre 1965 y 1995.

There have been 2521 articles published on cysticercosis between 1965 and 1995. An analysis of these articles is presented in this paper and includes the subjects, grouped in 61 descriptors and the frequency of each one, the number of articles published each year, which has increased, the journals used, in total 663, 7% of which include 42% of the articles, the parameters used to measure the quality and importance of the main journals used for cysticercosis, for example, 56% have impact factor, the authors and co-authors which add 4848, of these, 59 have published between 9 and 79 articles each one, the analysis of their frequency of publication indicates that once they start publishing on cysticercosis they follow on in this area. Of the most productive authors 58% are Latinoamerican, 22 of which are Mexican.