Lorena Lima Barbosa Guimarães

Novel Bovine Papillomavirus Type Discovered by Rolling-Circle Amplification Coupled with Next-Generation Sequencing.

Currently, fifteen bovine papillomavirus (BPV) types have been identified and classified into four genera: Deltapapillomavirus, Epsilonpapillomavirus, Dyoxipapillomavirus, and Xipapillomavirus. Here, the complete genome sequence of a new BPV type (BPV 04AC14) recovered from a papillomatous lesion is reported. The genome is 7,282 bp in length and exhibits the classic genetic organization and motifs of the members of Papillomaviridae. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses revealed that BPV 04AC14 clusters with members of the Xipapillomavirus genus. The nucleotide sequence of the L1 capsid protein of the novel BPV is closely related to its counterpart, BPV3, with which it shares 79% similarity. These findings suggest that this virus is a new BPV type of the Xipapillomavirus genus.

Identification of bluetongue virus serotypes 1, 4, and 17 co-infections in sheep flocks during outbreaks in Brazil

Bluetongue (BT) is a vector-borne viral disease caused by the Bluetongue virus (BTV), an Orbivirus from the Reoviridae family, affecting domestic and wild ruminants. BTV circulation in Brazil was first reported in 1978, and several serological surveys indicate that the virus is widespread, although with varied prevalence. In 2014, BT outbreaks affected sheep flocks in Rio Grande do Sul state, causing significant mortality (18.4%; 91/495) in BTV-infected sheep. In total, seven farms were monitored, and one or two sheep from each farm that died due to clinical signs of BT were necropsied. Apathy, pyrexia, anorexia, tachycardia, respiratory, and digestive disorders were noted. Additionally, an abortion was recorded in one of the monitored farms. The main gross lesions observed were pulmonary edema, anterior-ventral pulmonary consolidation, muscular necrosis in the esophagus and in the ventral serratus muscle, and hemorrhagic lesions in the heart. The blood and tissue samples were tested for BTV RNA detection by RT-qPCR targeting the segment 10. Positive samples were used for viral isolation. The isolated BTVs were typed by conventional RT-PCR targeting the segment 2 of the 26 BTV serotypes, followed by sequencing analysis. BTV-1, BTV-4 and BTV-17 were identified in the analyzed samples. Double or triple BTV co-infections with these serotypes were detected. We report the occurrence of BT outbreaks related to BTV-1, BTV-4 and BTV-17 infections and co-infections causing clinical signs in sheep flocks in Southern Brazil, with significant mortality and lethality rates.

Genome Sequence of Bluetongue virus Serotype 17 Isolated in Brazil in 2014

ABSTRACT The complete genome sequence of Bluetongue virus (BTV) serotype 17 strain 17/BRA/2014/73, isolated from a sheep in Brazil in 2014, is reported here. All segments clustered with western topotype strains and indicated reassortment events with other BTV from the Americas. The strain 17/BRA/2014/73 represents a novel reference strain for BTV-17 from South America.

Neoplasmas oculares e de anexos em cães e gatos no Rio Grande do Sul: 265 casos (2009-2014)

Ocular neoplasms cause discomfort, loss of vision or may also reflect systemic diseases. A retrospective study has been performed to identify and analyze ocular and annexes neoplasms obtained by biopsies sent to the Sector of Veterinary Pathology at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (SPV/ UFRGS). 265 diagnoses of ocular and annexes neoplasms, 87.5% in canine species and 12.5% in feline species, were made from January 2009 to December 2014. Neoplasms occurred more in animals over the age of 12 months and animals of old age, dogs (52/232) and cats (21/33) mixed breed were the most affected. The eyelid was most commonly affected in dogs (164/232) and feline (20/33), followed by the third eyelid in dogs (20/232) and eye orbit in cats (5/33). The most common tumor diagnosed was meibomian adenoma in dogs (82/232) and squamous cell carcinoma in cats (10/33) both in the eyelids. Twenty four tumor types have been identified in dogs and 16 in cats. Benign neoplasms in dogs represented the largest number of diagnosis (56%) whereas in cats, there were more cases of malignant neoplasms (75.8%).

Achados patológicos em caninos com displasia renal no Sul do Brasil

Renal dysplasia results from a disturbance which occurs during nephrogenesis. The disease may be unilateral or bilateral, and leads to abnormal kidney differentiation leading to renal failure in young dogs. Several agents, including viruses, can cause the dysplasia till three months after birth, when the early nephron formation of the developing kidney is completed. Eleven renal dysplasia cases were diagnosed in 186 dogs with renal failure of 5,846 dogs necropsied in the Veterinary Pathology Sector, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, in the period 2002-2013. Tissue samples collected during necropsy were fixed in 10% formaldehyde and stained with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and Masson’s trichrome protocol. Upon necropsy, kidneys were pale, smaller than normal, irregular and firm, and presented lower cortex diameter. Some exhibited cysts and whitish, parallel radially arranged striae in the medulla. Primary and secondary renal lesions were observed during histological examination. Primary lesions included fetal glomeruli and tubules, quantitative reduction in glomeruli, adenomatous tubules, and persistence of metanephric ducts. As for secondary lesions, Masson trichrome staining revealed intense interstitial fibrosis in all cases; furthermore, dilation of tubules and of Bowman’s capsules, glomerular atrophy, and glomerulosclerosis were observed. Even though most cases were associated with breed, the results obtained indicate high prevalence of renal dysplasia in mixed-breed dogs, possibly because they were the majority of animals referred for necropsy. Although primary lesions were easily identified using HE, Masson’s trichrome protocol is useful to characterize the extent of fibrosis.