Genomic characterization of Moraxella bovis and Moraxella bovoculi Uruguayan strains isolated from calves with infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis.

Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) is an ocular disease that affects bovines and has significant economic and health effects worldwide. Gram negative bacteria Moraxella bovis and Moraxella bovoculi are its main etiological agents. Antimicrobial therapy against IBK is often difficult in beef and dairy herds and, although vaccines are commercially available, their efficacy is variable and dependent on local strains. The aim of this study was to analyze for the first time the genomes of Uruguayan clinical isolates of M. bovis and M. bovoculi. The genomes were de novo assembled and annotated; the genetic basis of fimbrial synthesis was analyzed and virulence factors were identified. A 94% coverage in the reference genomes of both species, and more than 80% similarity to the reference genomes were observed. The mechanism of fimbrial phase variation in M. bovis was detected, and the tfpQ orientation of these genes confirmed, in an inversion region of approximately 2.18kb. No phase variation was determined in the fimbrial gene of M. bovoculi. When virulence factors were compared between strains, it was observed that fimbrial genes have 36.2% sequence similarity. In contrast, the TonB-dependent lactoferrin/transferrin receptor exhibited the highest percentage of amino acid similarity (97.7%) between strains, followed by cytotoxins MbxA/MbvA and the ferric uptake regulator. The role of these virulence factors in the pathogenesis of IBK and their potential as vaccine components should be explored.

Antimicrobial efficacy of in vitro and ex vivo photodynamic therapy using porphyrins against Moraxella spp. isolated from bovine keratoconjunctivitis.

Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) is an ocular disease affecting bovine herds worldwide, and it causes significant economic loss. The etiologic agent of IBK is considered to be Moraxella bovis, but M. ovis and M. bovoculi are frequently recovered of animals presenting clinical signs of IBK. The therapeutic measures available for its control have limited efficacy. Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) using porphyrins as photosensitizing molecules is an alternative method that can be used to reduce microbial growth. We evaluated the antibacterial activity of aPDT using two water-soluble tetra-cationic porphyrins (H2TMeP and ZnTMeP) against 22 clinical isolates and standard strains of Moraxella spp. in vitro and in an ex vivo model. For the in vitro assay, 4.0 µM of porphyrin was incubated with approximately 1.0 × 104 CFU/mL of each Moraxella sp. isolate and exposed to artificial light for 0, 2.5, 5, and 7.5 min. Next, 50 µL of this solution was plated and incubated for 24 h until CFU measurement. For the ex vivo assay, corneas excised from the eyeballs of slaughtered cattle were irrigated with Moraxella spp. culture, followed by the addition of zinc(II) porphyrin ZnTMeP (4.0 µM). The corneal samples were irradiated for 0, 7.5, and 30 min, followed by swab collection, plating, and CFU count. The results demonstrated the in vitro inactivation of the strains and clinical isolates of Moraxella spp. after 2.5 min of irradiation using ZnTMeP, reaching complete inactivation until 7.5 min. In the ex vivo experiment, the use of ZnTMeP resulted in the most significant reduction in bacterial concentration after 30 min of irradiation. These results encourage future in vivo experiments to investigate the role of metalloporphyrin ZnTMeP in the inactivation of Moraxella spp. isolates causing IBK.

Bacteria associated with infectious keratoconjunctivitis outbreak in confined lambs.

Introduction. Infectious keratoconjunctivitis is a significant ocular disease found in confined sheep. Little information about the aetiological agents and their antimicrobial susceptibility is available.Gap Statement. There is limited information on the aetiological agents involved in keratoconjunctivitis outbreaks in sheep.Aim. The present research aimed to determine the bacterial aetiological factors involved in an outbreak of infectious keratoconjunctivitis in confined lambs.Methodology. Ocular swabs were collected from 23 randomly selected lambs, which were classified into three groups according to the severity of the lesion: group I (N=6; no ocular involvement), group II (N=8; less severe injuries) and group III (N=9; more severe injuries). Isolation of aerobic bacteria and antimicrobial susceptibility tests were carried out. Molecular detection of Mollicutes was performed, and positive samples were tested to confirm the presence of the following species: Mycoplasma conjunctivae, Mycoplasma agalactiae and Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. capri.Results. Moraxella sp. and Mollicutes were detected in all groups, but we inferred that Moraxella sp. are only significant in the early stages of the disease. M. conjunctivae was detected in all tested groups, while M. agalactiae was detected in samples of group III only. One strain of Moraxella sp. was resistant to erythromycin and showed intermedite resistance to tetracycline.Conclusion. The presence of these species confirms their importance in the aetiology of this disease, and the low resistance profile observed in the studied farm suggested an increased cure success rate.

Isolation of Moraxella spp. from horses with conjunctivitis in Southern Brazil.

Infectious keratoconjunctivitis (IKC) is the most frequent ocular disease in livestock worldwide and is primarily caused by Moraxella bovis, M. ovis, and/or M. bovoculi. The economic impact of IKC is mainly due to ocular damage, which leads to weight loss, management difficulties, pain and discomfort, and cost of treatments. In horses, limited information is available on the association of Moraxella spp. with keratoconjunctivitis. The present report describes two cases of equine keratoconjunctivitis caused by members of the genus Moraxella. Both animals presented with lacrimation, conjunctivitis, photophobia, mucoid or purulent secretions, blepharitis, and conjunctival hyperemia. The diagnosis of IKC was based on the epidemiological and clinical findings; the etiological agent was identified through bacteriological (culture and biochemistry assays) and molecular testing (PCR and nucleotide sequencing). Our study reports the isolation of Moraxella bovoculi (SBP 88/19) and a putative new species/mutant of Moraxella (SBP 39/19) recovered from ocular secretions in horses. Thus, we suggest the inclusion of Moraxella spp. infection in the differential diagnosis of conjunctivitis in horses in Southern Brazil.

Moraxella bovis, Moraxella ovis and Moraxella bovoculi: biofilm formation and lysozyme activity.

AIMS: This study aimed to verify the formation of biofilms by Moraxella bovis, Moraxella ovis and Moraxella bovoculi isolates from ruminants. In addition, the lysozyme activity against the isolates of M. bovis, M. ovis and M. bovoculi in free form and in biofilms was determined. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study, 54 isolates of Moraxella sp. obtained from bovine and ovine clinical samples were evaluated in vitro for capacity of biofilm formation and lysozyme susceptibility in planktonic and sessile cells. In addition, biofilms produced by four Moraxella sp. isolates were visualized under scanning electron microscope (SEM). It was possible to demonstrate, for the first time, the ability to form biofilms by M. ovis and M. bovoculi. The isolates of Moraxella sp. have the capacity to form biofilms in different intensities, varying among weak, moderate and strong. It was verified that the lysozyme shows activity on Moraxella sp. in planktonic form. However, on biofilms there was a reduction in the production, but without impairing its formation, and on consolidated biofilms the lysozyme did not have the capacity to eradicate the preformed biofilms. CONCLUSIONS: This work shows the capacity of biofilm formation by Moraxella sp. of veterinary importance. The lysozyme susceptibility of Moraxella sp. in planktonic form shows that this enzyme has bacteriostatic activity on this micro-organism and it reduced the production of biofilms. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Based on the results, it is possible to infer that the biofilm formation capacity by Moraxella sp. and the resistance to lysozyme concentrations equal to or greater than the physiological levels of the ruminant tear may be linked not only to the capacity to colonize the conjunctiva, but also to remain in this place even after healing of the lesions, being a reservoir of Moraxella sp. in a herd.

Virulence genes in Moraxella spp. isolates from infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis cases.

INTRODUCTION: Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) is an important ocular disease which affects cattle worldwide. To advance towards IBK effective prevention and treatment strategies, it is important to define the distribution and genetic diversity of potential virulence factors present in M. bovis and M. bovoculi. The objective of this work was to identify and to analyze Moraxella spp. potential virulence factor genes in a collection of clinical isolates. METHODOLOGY: The presence and diversity of virulence factors in a collection of Moraxella spp. strains isolated since 1983 to 2009 in Uruguay was analyzed by PCR using primers for partial amplification of tolC, omp79, plb, fur and mbxA. The selection criterion of these genes was based on the fact that they encode virulence factors which could be present and conserved within strains, an important issue for the development of vaccines. RESULTS: Differences in PCR amplification were observed within tolC (84%), omp79 (80%), plb (76%) and fur (44%) in M. bovis strains, whereas mbxA was amplified in all M. bovis and M. bovoculi strains. Regarding genetic diversity, the tolC nucleotide sequences were the less diverse within all M. bovis and mbxA were the less diverse within all M. bovis and M. bovoculi strains. CONCLUSIONS: PCR amplifications suggest the occurrence of differences between both Moraxella species, related to evaluated genes within Moraxella spp. strains and suggests that both species may have different pathogenic attributes. MbxA and the outer membrane protein TolC might be considered for future studies to develop new vaccines against IBK.

Differences in the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of Moraxella bovis, M. bovoculi and M. ovis.

The aim of this study was to determine the differences in the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of Moraxella bovis, M. bovoculi and M. ovis. Thirty-two strains of Moraxella spp. isolated from cattle and sheep with infectious keratoconjunctivitis were tested via broth microdilution method to determine their susceptibility to ampicillin, cefoperazone, ceftiofur, cloxacillin, enrofloxacin, florfenicol, gentamicin, neomycin, oxytetracycline and penicillin. The results demonstrated that Moraxella spp. strains could be considered sensitive for most of the antimicrobials tested in this study, but differences between the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of these three Moraxella species were found. M. bovis might differ from other species due to the higher MIC and MBC values it presented.

Differences in the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of Moraxella bovis, M. bovoculi and M. ovis

The aim of this study was to determine the differences in the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of Moraxella bovis, M. bovoculi and M. ovis. Thirty-two strains of Moraxella spp. isolated from cattle and sheep with infectious keratoconjunctivitis were tested via broth microdilution method to determine their susceptibility to ampicillin, cefoperazone, ceftiofur, cloxacillin, enrofloxacin, florfenicol, gentamicin, neomycin, oxytetracycline and penicillin. The results demonstrated that Moraxella spp. strains could be considered sensitive for most of the antimicrobials tested in this study, but differences between the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of these three Moraxella species were found. M. bovis might differ from other species due to the higher MIC and MBC values it presented.

Técnica para utilização da homeopatia em doença infecciosa aguda / Technique for use of homeopathy in acute infectious disease / Técnica para el uso de la homeopatía en la enfermedad infecciosa aguda

A homeopatia é classificada por muitos médicos veterinários como uma técnica farmacológica que "apresenta efeitos bons, mas demora para agir", enquanto na sua origem, o criador da homeopatia a utilizava com muita frequência em casos agudos,com excelente resultado. A utilização de tratamento homeopático em caso de animal diagnosticado com cinomose canina demonstrou que é preciso conhecer a evolução da doença aguda infecciosa para fazer uma escolha correta do medicamento homeopático.Este artigo relata a aplicação de uma técnica homeopática para o tratamento de um animal da espécie canina acometido de cinomose, e defende que, nos quadros de doenças infecciosas agudas, devem-se utilizar potências baixas e frequência elevada de administração do medicamento homeopático, até o retorno de sinais clínicos anteriores à doença aguda (quando houvesse doença crônica previamente instalada) ou a suspensão completa dos sinais que caracterizam a doença infecciosa aguda (caso não houvesse uma doença crônica previamente instalada). A homeopatia pode ser uma alternativa muito eficiente no tratamento de doença aguda infecciosa.

Homeopathy is a pharmacological technique that "has good effects, but it has a very slow action", while in essence the statement was contrary. The use of homeopathic treatment in case of animais diagnosed with canine distemper demonstrated that: there is a need to know the evolution of acute infectious disease for to selection of homeopathic medicine. In cases of acute infectious diseases should use low power levelsand high frequency of homeopathic medicine administration until the return of clinicalsigns prior to acute ar full suspension of signs that characterize acute infectious disease. Homeopathy can be a very efficient alternative in the treatment of acute infectious disease.

La Homeopatía es una técnica farmacológica que "tiene buenos efectos, pero es muy lento en su acción", mientras que, en esencia, la declaración era contrario.El uso dei tratamiento homeopático en el caso de los animales diagnosticados con Moquillo canino demonstrado que: tenemos que conocer la evolución de la enfermedad infecciosa aguda en la selección de la medicina homeopática. En los casos de las enfermedades infecciosas agudas deben utilizar los niveles de baja potencia y alta frecuencia de la administración de la medicina homeopática hasta el regreso de los síntomas clínicos anteriores a la enfermidad aguda o la suspensión completa de los signos que caracterizan a la enfermedad infecciosa aguda. La homeopatía puede seruna alternativa muy eficiente en el tratamiento de la enfermedad infecciosa aguda.

Técnica para utilização da homeopatia em doença infecciosa aguda / Technique for use of homeopathy in acute infectious disease / Técnica para el uso de la homeopatía en la enfermedad infecciosa aguda

A homeopatia é classificada por muitos médicos veterinários como uma técnica farmacológica que "apresenta efeitos bons, mas demora para agir", enquanto na sua origem, o criador da homeopatia a utilizava com muita frequência em casos agudos,com excelente resultado. A utilização de tratamento homeopático em caso de animal diagnosticado com cinomose canina demonstrou que é preciso conhecer a evolução da doença aguda infecciosa para fazer uma escolha correta do medicamento homeopático.Este artigo relata a aplicação de uma técnica homeopática para o tratamento de um animal da espécie canina acometido de cinomose, e defende que, nos quadros de doenças infecciosas agudas, devem-se utilizar potências baixas e frequência elevada de administração do medicamento homeopático, até o retorno de sinais clínicos anteriores à doença aguda (quando houvesse doença crônica previamente instalada) ou a suspensão completa dos sinais que caracterizam a doença infecciosa aguda (caso não houvesse uma doença crônica previamente instalada). A homeopatia pode ser uma alternativa muito eficiente no tratamento de doença aguda infecciosa.(AU)

Homeopathy is a pharmacological technique that "has good effects, but it has a very slow action", while in essence the statement was contrary. The use of homeopathic treatment in case of animais diagnosed with canine distemper demonstrated that: there is a need to know the evolution of acute infectious disease for to selection of homeopathic medicine. In cases of acute infectious diseases should use low power levelsand high frequency of homeopathic medicine administration until the return of clinicalsigns prior to acute ar full suspension of signs that characterize acute infectious disease. Homeopathy can be a very efficient alternative in the treatment of acute infectious disease.(AU)

La Homeopatía es una técnica farmacológica que "tiene buenos efectos, pero es muy lento en su acción", mientras que, en esencia, la declaración era contrario.El uso dei tratamiento homeopático en el caso de los animales diagnosticados con Moquillo canino demonstrado que: tenemos que conocer la evolución de la enfermedad infecciosa aguda en la selección de la medicina homeopática. En los casos de las enfermedades infecciosas agudas deben utilizar los niveles de baja potencia y alta frecuencia de la administración de la medicina homeopática hasta el regreso de los síntomas clínicos anteriores a la enfermidad aguda o la suspensión completa de los signos que caracterizan a la enfermedad infecciosa aguda. La homeopatía puede seruna alternativa muy eficiente en el tratamiento de la enfermedad infecciosa aguda.(AU)

Diversity of Moraxella spp. strains recovered from infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis cases in Uruguay.

BACKGROUND: Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) is the most common ocular disease that affects cattle throughout the world and it has a very significant economic impact. IBK is caused by members of the genus Moraxella and therapeutic and preventive measures have shown limited success. Vaccines, most of them chemically inactivated bacterins, generally induce a limited protection. METHODOLOGY: In this study, the genetic diversity of Uruguayan clinical Moraxella bovis and Moraxella bovoculi isolates was assessed by RAPD-PCR, ERIC-PCR and BOX-PCR fingerprinting. Also, antibiotic resistance of the Moraxella spp. isolates was assessed utilizing the disk diffusion method. RESULTS: When interspecific molecular diversity was assessed, different bands patterns were observed even within a single outbreak of IBK, showing the coexistence of different genotypes of Moraxella spp. The high genetic diversity within M. bovis and M. bovoculi isolates did not permit to correlate isolates DNA fingerprints with geographical origins, dates or even with both different Moraxella species. Antibiotics resistance patterns showed significant differences between M. bovis and M. bovoculi. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study of diversity that includes M. bovis and M. bovoculi associated to IBK cases. Genetic diversity did not allow to correlate DNA fingerprints of the isolates with geographical origins, isolation dates or even both different Moraxella species. Antibiotics resistance patterns showed differences between M. bovis and M. bovoculi. This remarkable variation within isolates could explain the partial protection induced by commercial vaccines. All these findings could be important for the design of prevention or treatment strategies against IBK.

Evaluation of biofilm-forming capacity of Moraxella bovis, the primary causative agent of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis.

The difficulties in preventing and treating infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) and the consequent impact on the cattle industry worldwide emphasize the need to better understand this infectious process along with the biology of Moraxella bovis, its primary causative agent. Although there is increasing evidence that bacterial biofilms participate in a variety of ocular infections by direct biofilm formation on the surfaces of the eye, IBK has not been considered as a biofilm-based disease so far, and even more, no information is currently available regarding the ability of M. bovis to adopt a biofilm lifestyle. In the present research, we demonstrated the capacity of M. bovis clinical isolates and reference strains to form biofilms on different abiotic surfaces and culture conditions, and provided qualitative and quantitative information on the biofilm growth and architecture of mature biofilms. In addition, our data indicated that the type IV pili play a critical role in the biofilm formation in vitro. Most significantly, we proved that through exposure to MgCl2 type IV pili are removed from the cell surface, not only preventing M. bovis biofilm formation but also disassembling preformed biofilms. These results could constitute a new approach in the understanding of M. bovis colonization process in cattle eye and/or nasal cavity, and may aid in the development of future antimicrobial strategies for the control of IBK.

Bactericidal activity of lachrymal secretion and complement system in copper deficient bovines.

Copper deficiency in humans and animals has been related to increased susceptibility to infections. Neutrophils are one of the most studied components of the immune response; however, to the best of our knowledge, other defenses of the innate immune system have not been analyzed in copper-deficient animals. Our previous studies in copper-deficient bovines have shown increased susceptibility to infectious keratoconjunctivitis, an ocular disease caused by Moraxella bovis. The objective of this work was to evaluate the bactericidal activity of lachrymal secretion and complement system, two main mechanisms of the innate immune response against M. bovis, in copper-deficient cattle. Our results indicate that copper deficiency has no effect on bactericidal activity of complement system and lachrymal secretion against M. bovis in calves. Other components of local and systemic ocular defense mechanisms that could explain the increased susceptibility to infectious keratoconjunctivitis observed in copper-deficient bovines should be investigated.

Moraxella bovoculi em casos de ceratoconjuntivite infecciosa bovina no Rio Grande do Sul / Moraxella bovoculi in cases of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

A ceratoconjuntivite infecciosa (CI), embora raramente fatal, resulta em perdas econômicas significativas para os rebanhos bovinos e ovinos. Os principais agentes causadores dessa enfermidade são Moraxella bovis e Moraxella ovis. Em 2007 foi descrita uma nova espécie também responsável pela CI e denominada Moraxella bovoculi, que até o presente momento, não havia sido relatada no Brasil. Assim, objetivou-se com este trabalho caracterizar e distinguir 54 isolados de Moraxella spp. de amostras clínicas oriundas de 34 bovinos e 17 ovinos, encaminhadas ao Laboratório de Bacteriologia da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria no período de 1990 a 2011, visando a identificação de M. bovoculi. A distinção dos isolados foi fundamentada nas características genotípicas, pela amplificação parcial da região intergênica 16S-23S e clivagem dos produtos da amplificação com enzima RsaI. Como resultados, 25 (46%) isolados foram caracterizados como M. bovis, 17 (32%) como M. ovis e 12 (22%) como M. bovoculi. Logo, conclui-se que M. bovoculi encontra-se presente no rebanho bovino do Rio Grande do Sul e, portanto, no Brasil.

Infectious keratoconjunctivitis (IK), although rarely fatal, results in significant economic losses for cattle and sheep farmers. The main causative agents of this disorder are Moraxella bovis and Moraxella ovis. In 2007, a new species also responsible for IK was described. This newly described pathogen, called Moraxella bovoculi, was never reported in Brazil. Therefore, the aim of this study was confirmed the M. bovoculi among the samples analyzed. For this, 54 isolates of Moraxella spp. from clinical samples derived from 34 cattle and 18 sheep, sent to the laboratory of bacteriology from 1991 to 2011 was characterized. Differentiation among the species was based on genotypic characteristics, using partial amplification of 16S-23S intergenic region and cleavage products of amplification with enzyme RsaI. Results showed that 25 isolates (46%) were characterized as M. bovis, 17 (32%) as M. ovis, and 12 (22%) as M. bovoculi. This means that M. bovoculi is present among cattle herds in Rio Grande do Sul and, therefore, in Brazil.

Moraxella bovoculi em casos de ceratoconjuntivite infecciosa bovina no Rio Grande do Sul / Moraxella bovoculi in cases of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

A ceratoconjuntivite infecciosa (CI), embora raramente fatal, resulta em perdas econômicas significativas para os rebanhos bovinos e ovinos. Os principais agentes causadores dessa enfermidade são Moraxella bovis e Moraxella ovis. Em 2007 foi descrita uma nova espécie também responsável pela CI e denominada Moraxella bovoculi, que até o presente momento, não havia sido relatada no Brasil. Assim, objetivou-se com este trabalho caracterizar e distinguir 54 isolados de Moraxella spp. de amostras clínicas oriundas de 34 bovinos e 17 ovinos, encaminhadas ao Laboratório de Bacteriologia da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria no período de 1990 a 2011, visando a identificação de M. bovoculi. A distinção dos isolados foi fundamentada nas características genotípicas, pela amplificação parcial da região intergênica 16S-23S e clivagem dos produtos da amplificação com enzima RsaI. Como resultados, 25 (46%) isolados foram caracterizados como M. bovis, 17 (32%) como M. ovis e 12 (22%) como M. bovoculi. Logo, conclui-se que M. bovoculi encontra-se presente no rebanho bovino do Rio Grande do Sul e, portanto, no Brasil.(AU)

Infectious keratoconjunctivitis (IK), although rarely fatal, results in significant economic losses for cattle and sheep farmers. The main causative agents of this disorder are Moraxella bovis and Moraxella ovis. In 2007, a new species also responsible for IK was described. This newly described pathogen, called Moraxella bovoculi, was never reported in Brazil. Therefore, the aim of this study was confirmed the M. bovoculi among the samples analyzed. For this, 54 isolates of Moraxella spp. from clinical samples derived from 34 cattle and 18 sheep, sent to the laboratory of bacteriology from 1991 to 2011 was characterized. Differentiation among the species was based on genotypic characteristics, using partial amplification of 16S-23S intergenic region and cleavage products of amplification with enzyme RsaI. Results showed that 25 isolates (46%) were characterized as M. bovis, 17 (32%) as M. ovis, and 12 (22%) as M. bovoculi. This means that M. bovoculi is present among cattle herds in Rio Grande do Sul and, therefore, in Brazil.(AU)

Molecular and phenotypic analysis of Moraxella spp. associated with infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis in Uruguay.

Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) is a common ocular disease of cattle, which is generally thought to be caused by Moraxella bovis. However, a recently characterized Moraxella, M. bovoculi, has been isolated from animals with IBK. The aim of this study was to identify and characterize strains of Moraxella spp. obtained from IBK cases in different geographic locations within Uruguay. Ribosomal gene sequencing indicated that there were two groups of isolates that showed homology with either M. bovis or M. bovoculi. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the presence of two species as the isolates grouped in different branches of the dendrogram. Conventional biochemical characterization did not distinguish between the species; only 9/25 isolates which had genetic homology with M. bovoculi showed any differences in biochemistry.

Evaluation of cytokines as adjuvants of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis vaccines.

In this work two cytokines were used in combination with inactivated bacteria (bacterin) to test the bovine conjuctival immune response to the pathogen Moraxella bovis, the causative agent of Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK). Treatments using the bacterin vaccine combined with interleukin-2 and interferon-α as adjuvants (Group A), the bacterin vaccine only (Group B), and controls without treatment (Group C), were applied by ocular spraying to evaluate the local immune response in the corneal structure of cattle experimentally infected with M. bovis. Six weeks after infection, 14 out of a total of 34 animals presented different corneal lesions; 9 corresponding to the control group C, 4 to the group B and only one to the group A. According to the clinical manifestations, a numeric score was calculated. Control animals presented the highest score value (12 points), followed by group B (7.5 points) and group A (1 point). These results suggest that the addition of cytokines to M. bovis treatments can reduce not only eye injuries caused by IBK but also the number of diseased animals.

Sensibilidade e especificidade do método famacha em ovinos com e sem ceratoconjuntivite

Objetivou-se avaliar a sensibilidade e especificidade do método FAMACHA© em animais que tenham lesões oculares sugestivas de uma ceratoconjuntivite infecciosa, que é responsável por causar hiperemia dos vasos sanguíneos da conjuntiva. Desta forma, estes animais supostamente poderiam ser dados como falsos positivos pelo método. Quarenta e quatro (44) fêmeas de idade variada, mestiças de Santa Inês foram avaliadas em diferentes graus de lesão ocular e grau FAMACHA© para cada olho por quatro avaliadores treinados, obtendo, assim, um total de 352 dados. Os valores de sensibilidade e especificidade foram calculados para o grupo com e sem lesão, de acordo com Vatta et al. (2001), Thrusfield (2005) e Sotomaior et al. (2012). Os valores de sensibilidade e especificidade, considerando o F© 3 como sendo grau de anemia, dos animais com lesão ocular, foram de 79,17% e 73,21%, respectivamente, se mostrando maiores do que os dos animais sem lesão que foram de 62,5% para sensibilidade e 63,94% para especificidade. Isso indica que a presença de lesão ocular não interfere significativamente na avaliação do método FAMACHA©, desde que o avaliador seja corretamente treinado e saiba diferenciar uma conjuntiva normal de uma com inflamação.(AU)

This paper aimed to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity FAMACHA© system in animals with ocular lesions suggestive of infectious keratoconjunctivitis, which is responsible for causing redness of the conjunctiva blood vessels. Thus, these animals supposedly could be given as false positives by this method. Forty-four (44) females of varying age, Santa Ines crossbred, were evaluated in different degrees of ocular injury and FAMACHA© grade of each eye by four experienced evaluators, giving thus a total of 352 data. The sensitivity and specificity were calculated for the group with and without injuries, according to Vatta et al. (2001), Thrusfield (2005) and Sotomaior et al. (2012). The values of sensitivity and specificity, considering the F© 3 as an anemia degree, for animals with ocular damage, were 79.17% and 73.21%, respectively, showing to be higher than those for animals that were uninjured, that were 62.5% for sensitivity and 63.94% for specificity. This indicates that the presence of eye injury does not interfere significantly in FAMACHA© evaluation, since the evaluator be properly trained and able to differentiate a normal conjunctiva from another with inflammation.(AU)

Sensibilidade e especificidade do método famacha em ovinos com e sem ceratoconjuntivite

Objetivou-se avaliar a sensibilidade e especificidade do método FAMACHA© em animais que tenham lesões oculares sugestivas de uma ceratoconjuntivite infecciosa, que é responsável por causar hiperemia dos vasos sanguíneos da conjuntiva. Desta forma, estes animais supostamente poderiam ser dados como falsos positivos pelo método. Quarenta e quatro (44) fêmeas de idade variada, mestiças de Santa Inês foram avaliadas em diferentes graus de lesão ocular e grau FAMACHA© para cada olho por quatro avaliadores treinados, obtendo, assim, um total de 352 dados. Os valores de sensibilidade e especificidade foram calculados para o grupo com e sem lesão, de acordo com Vatta et al. (2001), Thrusfield (2005) e Sotomaior et al. (2012). Os valores de sensibilidade e especificidade, considerando o F© 3 como sendo grau de anemia, dos animais com lesão ocular, foram de 79,17% e 73,21%, respectivamente, se mostrando maiores do que os dos animais sem lesão que foram de 62,5% para sensibilidade e 63,94% para especificidade. Isso indica que a presença de lesão ocular não interfere significativamente na avaliação do método FAMACHA©, desde que o avaliador seja corretamente treinado e saiba diferenciar uma conjuntiva normal de uma com inflamação.

This paper aimed to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity FAMACHA© system in animals with ocular lesions suggestive of infectious keratoconjunctivitis, which is responsible for causing redness of the conjunctiva blood vessels. Thus, these animals supposedly could be given as false positives by this method. Forty-four (44) females of varying age, Santa Ines crossbred, were evaluated in different degrees of ocular injury and FAMACHA© grade of each eye by four experienced evaluators, giving thus a total of 352 data. The sensitivity and specificity were calculated for the group with and without injuries, according to Vatta et al. (2001), Thrusfield (2005) and Sotomaior et al. (2012). The values of sensitivity and specificity, considering the F© 3 as an anemia degree, for animals with ocular damage, were 79.17% and 73.21%, respectively, showing to be higher than those for animals that were uninjured, that were 62.5% for sensitivity and 63.94% for specificity. This indicates that the presence of eye injury does not interfere significantly in FAMACHA© evaluation, since the evaluator be properly trained and able to differentiate a normal conjunctiva from another with inflammation.

Dynamics of Moraxella bovis infection and humoral immune response to bovine herpes virus type 1 during a natural outbreak of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis in beef calves.

Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) is an acute disease caused by Moraxella bovis (Mb). Several factors may predispose animals to an IBK outbreak; one commonly observed is infection with bovine herpes virus type 1 (BHV-1). The aim of this study was to investigate the dynamics of BHV-1 virus infection and its relation with clinical cases of IBK in weaned calves from a beef herd with a high prevalence of lesions caused by Mb. Sampling was carried out in six stages and included conjunctival swabs for isolating Mb as well as blood samples for identifying antibodies specific for BHV-1. A score for IBK lesions after observing each eye was determined. The findings of this study showed a high prevalence of BHV-1 virus infection (100% of animals were infected at the end of the trial); 67% of animals were culture-positive for Mb, but low rates of clinical IBK (19% of calves affected) were detected at the end of the trial. These results suggest that infection with BHV-1 did not predispose these animals to IBK, and that Mb infection produced clinical and subclinical disease in the absence of BHV-1 co-infection.