Background and Aim: To establish prevention strategies, recording the prevalence of foot injuries within a herd should be the starting point in determining the risk factors involved in digital diseases. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of claw disorders in lactating Jersey cows raised in a semi-confinement system. Materials and Methods: Five hundred and eighty-four digits were examined from 73 lactating Jersey cows. The lameness score system was used to assess each cow while walking and on standing position, and digital lesions were evaluated with the cows restrained in a hydraulic cattle chute. Results: The prevalence of digital lesions was 93.1%. Among the 68 affected cows, only 21 were lame. Of the 584 digits examined, 970 lesions were recorded, corresponding to 13.3% lesions per cow and 1.66% injuries per digit. Forty-eight cows (65.7%) had lesions in all digits, and 92.8% of digits had at least one lesion. Lesions in digits of fore limbs were more common (55.3%) (p<0.0001) than those of hind limbs (44.7%). Foot injuries in medial digits of the fore limbs were more prevalent (56.8%) (p<0.001) than in the lateral digits (43.2%). The lesions' occurrence was similar in both medial and lateral digits of the hind limbs (p=0.8347). The primary diseases observed were heel horn erosion (53.8%), white line disease (19.3%), and double sole (12.4%), which together accounted for 92.4% and 84.9% of foot disorders diagnosed in the fore and hind limbs, respectively. Other digital diseases occurred less frequently. Conclusion: The prevalence of foot disorders in lactating Jersey cows raised in semi-confinement systems was high. This could be due to the lack of preventive trimming, infectious diseases, and nutritional problems.

Papillomaviruses (PVs) are oncogenic and infect the skin and mucosa of various host species. Considering the recent advances in research on PVs using rolling circle amplification (RCA) followed by high-throughput sequencing (HTS), in this study, we aimed to investigate the bovine papillomavirus (BPV) types associated with proliferative lesions in the upper alimentary tract of an affected bull and characterize the viral strains through complete genome sequencing using this strategy. We analyzed the PV strains associated with two hyperplastic esophageal lesions through PCR using degenerate primer pairs and RCA, followed by HTS. HTS of the libraries generated using RCA products provided the whole genome sequence of BPV4 present in squamous papilloma, whereas the complete genome sequence of BPV2 and subgenomic fragments of BPV4 were identified in carcinoma in situ (CIS). For the first time, we have sequenced BPV2 identified from the CIS of the bovine upper alimentary canal. Additionally, RCA followed by HTS allowed characterization of the mixed infection by BPV2 and BPV4 in this lesion. These data reveal that BPV4 is not the only BPV type present in CIS of the esophageal mucous membrane; moreover, a mixed infection caused by BPV2 and BPV4 at the tested anatomical site was demonstrated.

The present review aims to show the main aspects related to bluetongue virus (BTV) infection in sheep. The bluetongue (BT) is a viral, infectious, and non-contagious disease caused by a virus (BTV) of the Orbivirus genus, transmited by a hematophagous vector of the Culicoides genus, to domestic and wild ruminants, mainly to sheep, the most susceptible species. It is caused by the association of endemic with climate conditions, with high temperatures and humidity. Economic loss is directly linked to death, abortion, weight loss, loss of milk, and meat production, and, indirectly, to the restriction on the export of animals and their by-products. The study concludes that the BTV is worldwidely spread, and probably persists due to the warm and humid climate that leads to the proliferation of Culicoides sp., being necessary to adopt measures that reduce the risk factors associated to the BTV infection.

Food security is important, and is being increasingly focused on during animal production. In bovine carcasses, we can find hematomas that are the consequences of traumas caused by several factors. These cause the extravasation of blood from vessels, causing the blood to accumulate in muscular tissues, which can then serve as a substrate for bacterial proliferation. The objective of this study was to quantify the occurrence of hematomas in bovine carcasses and to determine their degree of severity, to measure the economic impact these hematomas can cause. The slaughter of 385 animals was monitored, and 56.88% showed some type of hematoma. In injured animals, there were a total of 427 lesions, with an average of 1.94 of injuries per animal. There was a total loss of 65.7 kg of meat, with following proportional distribution: 12.32% in the front room (8.1 kg), 33.18% near the ribs and the lumbar region (21.8 kg), and 54.49% (35.8 kg) in the hindquarter. The resulting economic loss was calculated to be a total of US $ 206.66 (R $ 817.93). We conclude that the occurrence of hematoma lesions in bovine carcasses from the north central mesoregion of Paraná is responsible for economic losses.

A sincronização do estro é uma ferramenta útil que fornece ao criador de ovinos um planejamento estratégico, concentrando e regularizando os nascimentos em diferentes épocas do ano, o que permite suprir a demanda do mercado. Diferentes protocolos hormonais estão disponíveis no mercado, porém, seus efeitos e resultados ainda não são totalmente claros. Objetivou-se avaliar protocolos de sincronização de estro de curta duração com o uso de hormônio folículo estimulante (FSH) e gonadotrofina coriônica equina (eCG) como indutores de ovulação em borregas mestiças Dorper na contra-estação. As borregas receberam um dispositivo intravaginal contendo 0,36g de progesterona (D0) e após seis dias, o dispositivo foi removido e assim efetuou-se os seguintes tratamentos: T-FSH recebeu aplicação intramuscular de 10mg de dinoprost e 10 mg de FSH (D6); T-eCG recebeu aplicação intramuscular de 10mg de dinoprost e 300UI de eCG (D6). As ovelhas foram submetidas à monta natural. A detecção de estro se deu através da marcação de fêmeas em cio com a deposição da tinta no peitoral do reprodutor. O diagnóstico de gestação foi realizado trinta dias após o último dia de exposição aos reprodutores com ultrassom. O do uso de dispositivo de progesterona por curto período de tempo foi eficiente. Não houve diferença para taxa de estro (100% T-eCG vs. 100% T-FSH). Um maior número de animais do T-eCG obteve manifestação estral mais precocemente (57,6 ± 16,33 para T-eCG vs. 61,2 ± 16,47 para T-FSH), embora não apresentem diferença estatística (P-valor 0,8723). A taxa de prenhez foi similar em ambos os grupos, sendo 60% (12/20) no T-FSH e 45% (9/20) no T-eCG, não havendo diferença estatística (P-valor=0.35). Conclui-se que tanto a aplicação de FSH, quanto de eCG foram efetivos em protocolo de curta duração para sincronização de estro ovino. Palavras-chave: Gonadotrofina. Borregas. Primer Ovino. Ovulação. Biotecnologia Reprodutiva. Abstract The estrus synchronization is a useful tool that provides a strategic planning to the sheep breeder, concentrating and regularizing births at different times of the year, which allows to supply the market demand. Different hormonal protocols are available on the market; however, their effects and results are still not entirely clear. The objective was to evaluate short-term protocols for estrus synchronization using follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) as ovulation inducers in cross-breed Dorper lambs in the counter-season. The lambs received an intravaginal device containing 0.36 g of progesterone (D0) and after six days, the device was removed and the following treatments were performed: T-FSH received intramuscular application of 10 mg of dinoprost and 10 mg of FSH (D6); T-eCG received intramuscular application of 10mg of dinoprost and 300UI of eCG (D6). The sheep were submitted to natural breeding. The detection of estrus occurred through the marking of females in heat with the deposition of ink on the pectoral of the hams. The diagnosis of pregnancy was made thirty days after the last day of exposure to hams with ultrasound. The use of a progesterone device for a short period of time was efficient. There was no difference in estrus rate (100% T-eCG vs. 100% T-FSH). A higher number of animals from T-eCG had earlier estrous manifestation (57.6 ± 16.33 for T-eCG vs. 61.2 ± 16.47 for T-FSH), although without statistical difference (P-valor 0,8723). The pregnancy rate was similar in both groups, with 60% (12/20) in T-FSH and 45% (9/20) in T-eCG, with no statistical difference (P-value = 0.35). It is concluded that both FSH and eCG applications were effective in a short duration protocol for synchronization of ovine estrus. Keywords: Gonadotropin. Lambs. Ovine Primer. Ovulation. Reproductive Biotechnology.

Dependendo de sua extensão, as lesões dificultam o movimento do animal afetado, limitando seu acesso ao alimento e à água, resultando na redução do bem-estar, produção e rentabilidade. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar se os sistemas de confinamento free-stall e semiconfinamento influenciam na ocorrência de afecções podais e no grau de claudicação de vacas lactantes da raça Jersey. Entre os animais examinados, todos apresentaram algum tipo de lesão, sendo visualizadas lesões múltiplas na maioria deles. Contudo, 86,33% dos animais no sistema free-stall e 84,78% no semiconfinamento não apresentaram claudicação. Os resultados demonstram que a média das lesões por vaca foi de 19,8 no sistema free-stall e de 15,67 no sistema de semiconfinamento. Em ambos os sistemas, a maior distribuição das lesões se encontrava no membro pélvico. Conclui-se que os sistemas de produção nas duas propriedades não diferiram entre si na ocorrência de afecções podais em vacas lactantes da raça Jersey. Além disto, a existência de lesões podais não foi correlacionada diretamente com claudicação.