Nadia Aline Bobbi Antoniassi

Causas de aborto bovino diagnosticadas no Setor de Patologia Veterinária da UFRGS de 2003 a 2011

The main causes of abortion in cattle diagnosed from January 2003 to December 2011 are described. A total of 490 fetuses from several Brazilian states were evaluated. Specific causes of abortion were found in 46.7% of the cases,and protozoan abortions, especially by Neospora caninum, were detected in 33% (162/490). Bacterial abortions corresponded to 6.3 % (31/490), followed by fungal ones to 0.8% (4/490). In two aborted fetuses (0.4 %), a co-infection with two agents could be identified. Non-infectious diseases could be associated with 3% of the abortions and congenital malformations with 2.6%.

Aspiration pneumonia associated with oesophageal myonecrosis in sheep due to BTV infection in Brazil

BLUETONGUE is an arthropod-borne disease of ruminants caused by the bluetongue virus (BTV). The distribution of BTV depends on the distribution of Culicoides species insect populations and appropriate climatic conditions. Except for some sheep breeds, most BTV infections in domestic ruminants are

Surto de babesiose cerebral em bovinos no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul

An outbreak of cattle mortality due to Babesia bovis infection in the county of Picada Cafe, Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil, in April 2007 is described. Twenty eight heifers (50.9%) died, out of a herd of 55 animals, in five days. The disease occurred approximately 20 days after heifers were transferred to this farm. The clinical signs included fever, anemia, aggressiveness, incoordination, petechiae in the mucous membranes and death after 1 to 2 days. The necropsy revealed pale mucous membranes, splenomegaly, enlarged and yellowish liver, congested and edematous gall bladder containing viscous granular bile. The kidneys and urine were dark red. The gray matter of cerebrum and cerebellum had a characteristic cherry-pink color. Hemorrhage was seen in the epicardium and endocardium. The histological findings consisted of hemoglobinuric nephrosis, paracentral hepatic necrosis, bile stasis, spleen congestion. The gray matter of the brain exhibited congestion with erythrocytes parasitized by Babesia bovis, which were also seen in the brain impression smear. The death of 28 heifers in 5 days was attributed to inadequate immunity against the parasite. The application of imidocarb dipropionate in animals presenting the initial stage of the disease and in all other animals of the herd was adopted as preventive treatment and no new cases of the disease happened in the next two months, when they were sent to slaughter.

Alterações clínicas e patológicas em ovinos infectados naturalmente pelo vírus da língua azul no Rio Grande do Sul

Bluetongue (BT) is a disease caused by bluetongue virus (BTV) and transmitted by vectors of the genus Culicoides. Serological studies have demonstrated the widespread presence of the virus in Brazil, however, clinical information of BT in South America are limited. This article describes clinical and pathological changes observed in sheep naturally infected by BTV in southern Brazil. In two outbreaks on different farms, 15 sheep showed clinical signs such as severe hyperthermia, apathy, swelling of the face and submandibular area, difficulty in swallowing with regurgitation, greenish mucopurulent nasal secretion, severe weight loss, and erosions in the oral mucosa. Necropsy findings in six sheep included subcutaneous edema of the face and ventral region of the chest, greenish nasal discharge, and dilated esophagus filled with abundant food contents, collapsed lungs with areas of anteroventral consolidation, and trachea and bronchi filled by foamy material mixed with food. In the heart and base of the pulmonary artery there were foci of hemorrhage. Histologically, the main changes were in cardiac and skeletal muscles and consisted of biphasic lesions characterized by hyaline and floccular degeneration/necrosis of myofibers associated with micro-mineralization and mononuclear cell infiltration. Pneumonia associated with the presence of organic matter and bacteria in the lumen of the bronchi was also observed. The diagnosis of BT was confirmed by detection of the viral genome by duplex RT-PCR in blood of affected animals, followed by the identification of BTV, serotype 12 by nucleotide sequencing.

Sheep abortion associated with Neospora caninum in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Neospora caninum e um protozoario que tem o cao como hospedeiro defiinitivo e, bovinos, ovinos, caprinos e equinos como hospedeiros intermediarios. Nestas ultimas especies pode provocar abortos e infeccoes neonatais. Este trabalho e o primeiro relato de aborto em ovinos associado com N. caninum no Mato Grosso do Sul. Os dados epidemiologicos foram obtidos atraves de entrevistas com o proprietario dos animais. Quatro fetos foram necropsiados, dos quais foram colhidos fragmentos de diversos orgaos fiixados em formol a 10%, incluidos em parafiina, processados pela tecnica usual de hematoxilina e eosina e tambem foi realizada imuno-histoquimica para N. caninum e Toxoplasma gondii. O surto ocorreu em um rebanho constituido por 268 ovinos da raca Santa Ines, destes 186 eram femeas prenhes, no terco fiinal de gestacao e 10 abortaram. Dos quatro fetos analisados, tres eram da mesma femea, sendo um de menor tamanho. A necropsia o pulmao de um dos fetos estava crepitante e todos os orgaos estavam avermelhados. Os achados histologicos foi infiiltrado mononuclear entre as fiibras do miocardio e ao redor dos vasos, alem de estruturas circulares compostas por pontilhados basofiilicos semelhantes a protozoarios. A IHQ revelou marcacao fortemente positiva para N. caninum e fracamente positiva para T. gondii, caracterizando infeccao por N. caninum.

Aspectos clínicos, patológicos, imuno-histoquímicos e virológicos em cinco bezerros persistentemente infectados com o vírus da diarreia viral bovina em uma propriedade do Rio Grande do Sul

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is responsible for different syndromes that affect cattle worldwide causing important economic losses. This study analyzed the clinical, pathological, immunohistochemical and viral aspects of persistent infection by BVDV in five animals of a farm located in the county of Viamao, Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. The clinical signs included growth impairment, nasal and ocular discharge and, in two animals, congenital cataract. The main gross lesions observed at the necropsy were enlargement of mesenteric lymph nodes and Peyers patches, and in one case, pododermatitis and crusted lesions on nasal planum and periocular region. Microscopic findings were characterized mostly by mononuclear infiltrate in the lamina propria, primarily in the small intestine and lymphoid depletion with histiocytic infiltrate in follicular centers of lymph nodes and Peyers patches. Viral antigens were more frequently demonstrated in epidermal keratinocytes, epithelium of hair follicles and dendritic cells of the dermis of the ears and skin, histiocytes and lymphocytes in lymph nodes, thyroid follicular cells, in the cytoplasm of neurons and to a lesser extent, in glial cells in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Viral isolation from blood samples and organs confirmed the presence of non-cytopathic BVDV. Moreover, viral RNA was detected by RT-PCR in serum samples. Phylogenetic analysis of a partial fragment of the5 non-translated region of the viral genome allowed the classification of the sample as BVDV type 2b. The present study strengthens the need to investigate and to characterize BVD outbreaks and to describe its different clinic-pathological presentations.

Nutritional fibrous osteodystrophy in goats

Sete de um total de 25 caprinos jovens (menos de um ano de idade) de um rebanho no sul do Brasil desenvolveram osteodistrofia fibrosa nutricional. Os animais afetados eram confinados em baias e alimentados com concentrado, cuja relacao Ca:P era 1:6. O restante do rebanho (35 cabras) era mantido na pastagem e nao desenvolveu a doenca. Os sinais clinicos se caracterizaram por aumento de volume da mandibula e maxila, varios graus de abertura de boca com protrusao da lingua, em associacao com dispneia e anormalidades de apreensao de alimento e mastigacao. Os animais afetados apresentaram os niveis sericos de fosforo e paratormonio aumentados, bem como maior atividade de fosfatase alcalina. Tres caprinos foram necropsiados e os achados de necropsia incluiram aumento bilateral da maxi-la e mandibula, dentes frouxos, alem de multiplas fraturas incompletas de costelas em um caprino. Microscopicamente, havia intensa proliferacao de tecido conjuntivo frouxo ao redor de trabeculas osseas, muitas das quais estavam parcial ou completamente nao mineralizadas. Trabeculas osseas mineralizadas apresentaram osteoclastos em lacunas de Howship.

Mionecrose aguda por Clostridium septicum em equinos

Two cases of acute necrotizing myositis caused by Clostridium septicum in horses are described. Both horses presented swelling of the right pelvic limb extending to the ventral abdominal region. The cut surface of the affected area revealed blood-stained edema and gas bubbles. The skeletal muscles of the caudal region of the thigh of the affect limbs had dark red discolored areas of blood-stained edema and crepitation; the deep musculature was dry. The main histopathological findings were swelling, vacuolation and hyaline and floccular necrosis of skeletal myofibers; in between myofibers there were hemorrhage, edema and large amounts of bacilli. In both cases, C. septicum was isolated from the edema fluid of muscular lesions.

Fulguração como causa de morte em bovinos no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul

Lightning strike may cause sporadic deaths of animals that have been exposed to high-voltage electric currents during thunderstorms. Four healthy adult cattle from two herds were found dead next to eucalypt trees immediately after storms in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. There were recent burns and loose barks on the trunks of the trees, apart numerous branches and leaves scattered on the ground under the canopy of the trees. No gross or microscopic lesions were observed. In addition, there was no evidence of any toxic or infectious disease. These findings suggest that lightning strike caused the death of those animals.

Intoxicação espontânea por Sorghum sudanense em bovinos leiteiros no Rio Grande do Sul

Descreve-se um surto de intoxicacao espontânea por Sorghum sudanense (aveia de verao, capim-sudao) em um rebanho de bovinos leiteiros no municipio de Triunfo, Rio Grande do Sul. Essa planta e utilizada como forrageira em diversas regioes do estado; entretanto, intoxicacoes ocasionais sao associadas com a formacao de acido cianidrico por hidrolise dos glicosideos cianogenicos presentes na planta. Vinte e nove vacas Holandesas foram colocadas, no final do dia, em um potreiro de 800m2, onde uma pastagem estabelecida de capim-sudao rebrotava e atingia 30cm de altura. Na manha seguinte, quase todo pasto havia sido consumido e tres vacas foram encontradas mortas. Nao foram relatados sinais clinicos, mesmo porque os animais nao foram observados durante a noite. Exceto pela presenca de folhas mastigadas de capim-sudao nas proximidades da entrada do rumen, nao foram observadas alteracoes macro ou microssopicas. Amostras da planta de diferentes locais no potreiro foram positivas no teste do papel picrossodico. Esses achados sugerem que as tres vacas foram afetadas por intoxicacao cianidrica secundaria ao consumo de Sorghum sudanense.