Tuberculosis prevalence and risk factors for water buffalo in Pará, Brazil.

The prevalence of and possible risk factors for tuberculosis were studied in water buffalo from Pará, Brazil. In this study, 3,917 pregnant and nonpregnant female Murrah and Mediterranean buffaloes were studied; 2,089 originated from Marajó Island, and 1,108 were from the mainland. The comparative cervical tuberculin test was used as a diagnostic test for tuberculosis in these animals. The prevalence of positive buffaloes was 3.5 % (100/2,809) on Marajó Island and 7.2 % (80/1,108) on the mainland. The municipalities with the highest tuberculosis prevalence rates in animals were Ipixuna do Pará (10.1 %), Marapanim (9.8 %), Chaves (9.4 %), Paragominas (8.6 %), and Cachoeira do Arari (6.7 %). The tuberculosis prevalence was not significantly different between the Murrah (4.3 %) and Mediterranean (4.8 %) breeds or between pregnant (5 %) and nonpregnant (4.3 %) buffaloes. Tuberculosis was detected in water buffaloes from Pará, Brazil; the mainland buffalo exhibited the highest tuberculosis prevalence. These results indicate that this disease is dangerous to public health and buffalo farming in Pará.

[Artificial feeding through capillaries tubes of engorged partially females of the tick Dermacentor (Anocentor) nitens]. / Alimentação artificial por meio de tubos capilares de fêmeas parcialmente ingurgitadas do carrapato Dermacentor (Anocentor) nitens.

Artificial feeding is an important toll for studying ticks feeding mechanism and transmission of pathogenic agents in the absence of vertebrate host. The objective was to feed artificially of engorged partially females of Dermacentor (Anocentor) nitens, proceeding of infested naturally equines and evaluate the influence of this technique on biological parameters of species. Engorged partially females were collected, weighted and separate by weight in two range of 40 to 60 milligrams and 61 to 100 milligrams. Each range was further sorted in four groups with homogeneous weight which were fed for 6, 12, 24 and 36 hours through capillaries tubes containing citrated bovine blood. It was observed that artificial feeding promoted increase weight of females in both range and definitive times. The Ticks fed artificially for periods more drawn out, had presented parameters of the non-parasitic phase next to the observed ones in conditions to laboratory for this species. Females of D. (A.) nitens partially engorged ingested great volume of blood when submitted to artificial feeding through capillaries tubes, without any effect in their biological parameters.