João Marcos Araújo Medeiros

Tristeza parasitária bovina no Sertão da Paraíba

Twenty four outbreaks of cattle tick fever are reported in the semiarid region of Paraiba known as Sertao. Eighteen outbreaks were caused by Anaplasma. marginale, two by Babesia bigemina, and two by mixed infection of A. marginale and Babesia sp. In other two outbreaks of babesiosis the species of Babesia was not identified. Outbreaks occurred from August 2007 to October 2009, however with a concentration of the outbreaks at the end of the rainy period and beginning of the dry period in each year. Twenty two outbreaks affected adult cattle and two affected calves approximately 11 months-old. Three outbreaks affected Bos taurus indicus cattle, of the Nelore and Gir breeds. In 21 outbreaks Holstein, Brown Swiss and crossbred of these breeds with Bos taurus indicus cattle were affected. It is concluded that in the sertao of Paraiba there are areas of enzootic instability for cattle tick fever occurring outbreaks at the end of the rainy season, mainly in hilly areas of the Borborema region, and in wet areas of some river basins, including Rio do Peixe, Rio Piranhas and Rio Espinharas.

Pododermatite infecciosa e outras doenças podais de caprinos e ovinos no semiárido Nordestino

This paper reports the occurrence and epidemiology of outbreaks of foot rot and other foot diseases in goats and sheep in the semiarid region of Paraiba, northeastern Brazil. Four farms were inspected for the presence of foot lesion in sheep and goats and for environmental conditions, general hygiene, pastures, and disease control measures. The prevalence of foot lesions was 19.41% (170/876) in sheep and 17.99% (52/289) in goats, ranging between 5.77% and 33.85% in different farms. Foot rot was the most common disease, affecting 12.1% of the animals examined (141/1165), but with significantly higher (p<0.05) prevalence in sheep (13.69%) than in goats (7.27%). The frequency of malignant foot rot was also significantly lower (p<0.05) in goats (9.53%) than in the sheep (40.83%). On one farm, Dorper sheep showed significantly higher (p<0.05) prevalence of foot rot (17.5%) than Santa Ines sheep (6.79%), and the number of digits affected was also higher in the former. Dichelobacter nodosus and Fusobacterium necrophorum were isolated from cases of foot rot. White line disease was found in 3.95% of the animals, sole ulcers in 1.29%, foot abscess in 1.03% and hoof overgrowth in 0.5%. The high rainfall at the time of occurrence, grazing in wetlands, clay soils with poor drainage, presence of numerous stony grounds, closure of the flocks in pens at night, and introduction of affected animals were considered predisposing factors for the occurrence of foot diseases.

Pulmonary choristoma associated with calf meningocele

Pulmonary choristoma is a rare malformation reported in different animal species defined as a mass of normal histological pulmonary tissue in an abnormal location. A case of pulmonary choristoma and meningocele is reported in a calf that presented a fluctuating subcutaneous fluid containing mass, measuring 15 x 15 x 20cm in the skull frontal region. The skin covering the sac was surgically removed. Macroscopically, subcutaneous nodules up to 2cm in diameter with irregular whitish areas mixed with red areas were observed. In the histological examination, pulmonary lobules tissue composed by alveoli, bronchi, bronchioles and cartilage were observed. Dilated blood vessels and hemorrhages were present between the lobules. In this case the pulmonary choristoma was associated with meningocele, and probably was the mechanical cause for the failure of the skull closure.

Influência da Ingestão de Colostro na Aquisição de Imunidade Passiva e Mortalidade Neonatal em Cabritos da Raça Moxotó Criados em Sistemas Extensivo e Intensivo

Objetivou-se identificar atraves de dosagens da proteina serica total se um fornecimento artificial de colostro asseguraria melhor aquisicao de imunidade passiva em cabritos da raca Moxoto. Foram formados quatro grupos experimentais em dois sistemas de criacao (extensivo e intensivo) para comparar dois manejos de colostro (ingestao na mae e fornecimento em mamadeiras). A avaliacao da aquisicao de imunidade foi feita atraves da dosagem de proteina serica total das crias as 48 horas de vida O peso dos cabritos ao nascer e a producao de colostro das cabras foram registrados. Os valores de proteina total dos grupos diferiram significativamente, sendo de 7,11±0,2 g/dL nos animais que ingeriram colostro nas maes e 6,35±0,17g/dL nos que ingeriram em mamadeiras, independente do sistema de criacao. A aquisicao de imunidade foi satisfatoria em todos os grupos experimentais, porem ocorreu alta mortalidade de crias no sistema extensivo de criacao 37% (10/27), devido ao complexo hipotermia/inanicao. A producao de colostro das cabras criadas intensivamente foi significativamente superior aos das cabras criadas extensivamente. Conclui-se que nos sistemas de criacao estudados nao e necessario fornecimento artificial de colostro para garantir a imunidade passiva, mas e importante dar boas condicoes nutricionais as cabras no final da gestacao para assegurar a producao de um volume de colostro capaz de assegurar a sobrevivencia da cria. DOI:10.15528/2176-4158/rcpa.v12n1p80-84

Imunidade passiva, ingestão de colostro e mortalidade em cabritos Moxotó criados em sistemas extensivo e intensivo

The acquisition of passive immunity in Moxoto kids was determined by dosages of total serum proteins. Four experimental groups were formed in two breeding systems - extensive and intensive - and two managements of colostrum intake - suckling from the mother or supplying in bottles. In both breeding systems, the serum protein levels were significantly higher in kids with natural ingestion of colostrum, 7.11±0.2g/dL, than in kids with artificial ingestion, 6.35±0.17g/dL. The kids of the intensive system had levels of total serum protein of 7.21±0.19 g/dL which was higher than the one of the extensive breeding system, 6.25±0.18g/dL. However, the passive immunity was satisfactory in all groups. There was high mortality of kids, 37%, due to starvation/hypothermia, in the extensive breeding system. This mortality was apparently due to the low levels of colostrum ingestion, 55.83±8.7mL. The production of colostrum by does from intensive breeding sistem, 163.5±14.71mL, was significantly higher than those from extensive breeding system, 53.75±19.12mL. The total weight of the kids born in the extensive breeding system, 2,881±252.78g, was similar to those born in the intensive breeding system, 2,297±194.59g. The colostrum ingestion allowed appropriate immunity acquisition by kid raised under both systems. However, the extensive breeding system determined a severe nutritional deficiency in the does with low colostrum production and high neonatal losses.