Hilma Lúcia Tavares Dias

Avaliação de seis testes sorológicos no diagnóstico da brucelose bubalina

Four hundred and forty buffalo sera, selected from about 1,200 blood samples of another study, were examined. The samples were tested by six serological methods: two of agglutination, two of indirect ELISA and two of competitive ELISA. To determine the relative sensitivity and specificity of different tests, animals with a positive result to competitive ELISA of the FAO/IAEA were considered as infected. The relative sensitivity of competitive ELISA, indirect ELISA with conjugate anti-bovine light chain monoclonal antibody labelled with HRPO, indirect ELISA with anti-bovine IgG conjugate, rose Bengal test and rapid slide agglutination test was 100%, 98.57%, 97.14%, 91.42% and 79.28%, and the relative specificity 99.33%, 97.33%, 95.66%, 94.00% and 86.33%, respectively. The value of the different serological tests for the diagnosis of brucellosis is discussed.

Anticorpos IgG anti-Neospora caninum e Toxoplasma gondii em búfalas (Bubalus bubalis) criadas no estado do Pará

To investigate the occurrence of antibodies IgG anti-Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii, blood samples were collected from 374 adult female water buffaloes originated from 14 production units located in 13 counties of the state of Para. The sera were subjected to indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA), using titers of 200 and 64 as IFA cut off points for N. caninum and T. gondii, respectively. Hundred and fifty three (40.9%) buffaloes were sero-positive for N. caninum, with 100% of the properties being sources of infection. Four buffaloes (1.1%) in four farms were seropositive for T. gondii, and one buffalo cow (0.27%) was seropositive for the two parasites. The presence of antibodies indicates that these protozoan parasites are circulating among buffaloes from the properties studied, representing a source of infection to other animals, as well as a possible cause of reproductive disorders in this species.

Biometria testicular, eletroejaculação e características seminais de caititus, Tayassu tajacu Linnaeus, 1758 (Mammalia, Artiodactyla, Tayassuidae) mantidos em cativeiro na Amazônia Oriental

Estudos relacionados a obtencao e avaliacao de semen de Tayassu tajacu sao escassos, sendo necessarias pesquisas a respeito. Os objetivos do estudo foram avaliar a biometria testicular de caititus adultos cativos, testar a eficiencia da eletroejaculacao para obtencao de semen e avaliar suas caracteristicas seminais ao longo do ano. Procedeu-se a eletroejaculacao em oito animais adultos e as amostras de semen colhidas foram avaliadas quanto as caracteristicas fisicas e morfologicas. Os animais tinham testiculo esquerdo com 3,8 ± 0,4 cm X 2,6 ± 0,3 cm e 2,3 ± 0,2 de consistencia, e testiculo direito com 3,8 ± 0,5 cm X 2,7 ± 0,3 cm e 2,3 ± 0,2 de consistencia. A taxa de sucesso nas colheitas foi de 75,21%. O semen possuiu: volume 0,81 ± 0,86 mL, concentracao 137,44 ± 153 x 106 sptz mL-1, pH 7,92 ± 0,73, motilidade 52,66 ± 28,79%, vigor 2,2 ± 0,8, integridade de membrana plasmatica 55,84 ± 28,55%, defeitos maiores 22,87 ± 12,93%, defeitos menores 9,11 ± 5,88% e defeitos totais 31,52 ± 13,81%. Os animais apresentaram simetria testicular, a eletroejaculacao se mostrou eficiente para a obtencao de ejaculados em caititus e as flutuacoes observadas na producao seminal nao foram suficientes para caracteriza-los como animais de reproducao sazonal.

Intensive production system of collared peccary ( Pecari tajacu ) in Brazilian Amazon

good quality. The mating season extends from mid-February to June, with several males in the herd. According to the breeders, the Moka cows have good reproductive capacity and great longevity: they produce one calf per year, on average, along a productive life which can last 15 years. Calving is easy, without supervision or intervention. Marketing is done mostly by direct sale of live or slaughtered animals. Threehundred twenty-five animals were listed on the survey, on 11 farms, with an average of 30 animals per herd. Thirty-three animals typed as Moka by their owners were the subject of a phenotypical description and measurements. The mean value for the thoracic perimeter, the height at withers and the rump width are respectively 1626 15.2 cm, 1166 8.3 cm and 1206 17.6 cm; the mean liveweight of males and females are 4306 85 kg and 3406 45 kg respectively. These results constitute the initial values of a zootechnical description of the breed. They show the underaverage development of the animals, which can be qualified as medium sized. A photographic database of individual animals was created and could be used for the definition of the standard of the breed. The genetic analysis showed that the population presents a good allelic richness (6.7 alleles/locus) and genetic diversity (measured by an unbiased heterozygocity of 0.75), and a low estimated consanguinity (3.3%). Some specific features have been identified, such as the presence of zebu specific alleles, but few admixtures of taurine cattle. The relationship of this breed with African breeds, especially from Madagascar, or with European or Creole cattle will be studied in more detail in the future.

Comparação das técnicas de ELISA indireto e Imunofluorescência indireta na detecção de anticorpos anti-Neospora caninum em búfalas (Bubalus bubalis)

Para comparar dois testes sorologicos na deteccao de anticorpos anti-Neospora caninum em soros sanguineos de bufalas, foram coletados amostras de 288 bufalas entre dois a dez anos de idade. Para identificar a presenca de imunoglobulina G anti-N. caninum utilizou-se a reacao de imunofluorescencia indireta (RIFI), tendo o titulo 200 como ponto de corte, e o Ensaio Imunoenzimatico indireto (ELISA-indireto), considerando-se positiva as amostras que obtiveram razao S/P>0,5. Observaram-se 153 (53,12%) animais soropositivos para N. caninum, atraves da RIFI, enquanto que 50 (17,36%) animais foram reagentes no ELISA. A ocorrencia de anticorpos anti-N. caninum demonstram que o parasito esta circulando entre bufalas criadas no estado do Para, sendo que ambos os teste de RIFI e ELISA podem ser utilizados para diagnosticar imunoglobulinas contra este agente. No entanto observou-se uma fraca correlacao (Kappa=0,36) entre ambos os testes, considerando a RIFI como padrao ouro.

Palm kernel cake ( Elaeis guineensis ) in the diet of collared peccary ( Pecari tajacu ) raised in captivity in Brazilian Amazon (Partial results)

Wild animals have been raised in captivity for commercial purposes in Latin America and the Caribbean. One is the collared peccary (Pecari tajacu), that is a good source of protein for Amazonian inhabitants. However, whilst this artiodactyla mammal is well adapted to a captive breeding system the live weight production cost is high. Palm kernel cake Elaeis guineensis, by-product of the extraction of the palm oil, has been used as an alternative diet to partially replace commercial ration ingredients of some animal diets. Its chemical composition means it can be used used in non-ruminants diets. This work evaluated the effects of a partial substitution of the corn (Triticum aestivum) by palm kernel cake in collared peccary diets.