This study evaluated the sanitary hygienic quality and the presence of pathogenic microorganisms in raw meats and fresh sausages marketed in the city of Uruguaiana, Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil. We analyzed 238 samples of fresh sausages, beef, pork, and chicken from 18 commercial establishments (butchers, supermarkets, and groceries). Samples were subjected to enumerate hygiene indicator microorganisms (mesophilic aerobes and enterobacteria) and detection of Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes. The mean counts of mesophilic aerobes and enterobacteria were 5.09 and 3.54 log CFU/g, respectively. Beef samples presented the highest frequency of Salmonella spp. (7.93%) and fresh sausages present the highest frequency of L. monocytogenes (19.04%). Among the analyzed samples, 43.70% did not comply with the microbiological parameters established by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. The presence of Salmonella spp. and L. monocytogenes in different samples and commercial establishments demonstrate the failures of good manufacturing practices in industrial environmental and retails points and the need to train food handlers to reduce the exposure of consumers to potential risks.

Herpesviruses are significant pathogens of ruminants. In water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis), however, herpesviruses have not been thoroughly studied. Although bubaline alphaherpesvirus 1 (BuAHV1) and bovine alphaherpesvirus 1 (BoAHV1) have already been recovered from water buffaloes, to date, no reports on the occurrence of bovine alphaherpesvirus 5 (BoAHV5) in these animals have been published. Therefore, the aim of this study was to search for BuAHV1, BoAHV1, and BoAHV5 in palatine tonsils of apparently healthy water buffaloes from the Pará state, Northern Brazil. Tissue samples of tonsils (n = 293) were screened by a nested PCR (nPCR) targeting a region of UL44 (gC coding gene), followed by sequencing, to detect and differentiate between the viral types. Viral genome segments were detected in 18 out of 293 (6.1%) of the palatine tonsil samples. Two animals carried genomes of BoAHV1 only, eleven animals carried BoAHV5 genomes only, and four animals carried BuAHV1 only. Another animal had both BoAHV1 and BoAHV5 genomes in its tonsils. No infectious virus could be recovered from any of the samples. The BuAHV1 sequences identified here were more closely related to BuAHV1 genomes identified in India. Phylogenetic analyses suggested a closer relationship between the recovered BoAHV5 and BuAHV1 genomes. Therefore, evidence is provided here to confirm that not only BoAHV1 and BuAHV1, but also BoAHV5, can infect water buffaloes. This report highlights (i) the first detection of BoAHV5 in water buffaloes and (ii) the occurrence of coinfections with BoAHV1 and BoAHV5 in that species. Such findings and the similarity of BoAHV5 to Indian herpesvirus genomes suggest that the origin of type 5 may be linked to recombinations between bovine and bubaline herpesviruses within bubalines, since the scenario for generation of recombinants in buffaloes is potentially present.

Extreme flood events can overwhelm sanitation infrastructure and drive the widespread dispersal of viral pathogens into aquatic environments. In May 2024, Porto Alegre (southern Brazil) experienced an unprecedented flood that caused record-breaking overflow of the Guaíba hydrological system and prolonged urban inundation. Here we report a one-year longitudinal environmental viral surveillance study, comprising seven campaigns between May 2024 and April 2025. Surface waters were analyzed by RT-qPCR for SARS-CoV-2, norovirus genogroups I and II, hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV). All five targets were detected simultaneously during the flood peak, reflecting widespread contamination possibly driven by sewage overflow and multi-site infrastructure failure. Thereafter, the number of targets detected per campaign was lower and fluctuating (two to four), tracing a transition from an initial multi-pathogen contamination pulse observed during the flood peak to persistent detection of viral genomic material in surface waters. SARS-CoV-2 was detected in every campaign, in a minority of sites in all campaigns except the last (C7, 14/22, 63.6%), where both detection frequency and viral load increased significantly ( p < 0.001 for both; median Ct 29.7 versus 36.8). HEV was detected only at the flood peak; norovirus GII was detected intermittently up to C6, without a significant temporal pattern ( p = 0.13); and norovirus GI was absent between C2 and C5, reappearing in C6 and C7. HAV detection increased significantly over the monitoring period (Cochran–Armitage p < 0.0005), temporally coincident with an officially declared hepatitis A outbreak. These findings demonstrate the value of longitudinal, multi-target environmental surveillance for capturing both the acute virological impact of extreme flooding and the persistent contamination dynamics that follow, pointing to chronic vulnerabilities in urban wastewater infrastructure that outlast the emergency.