Despite its high frequency and clinical relevance, the pathogenesis of canine pyometra remains poorly understood. The most accepted hypothesis is that bacteria involved ascend from the intestinal tract, causing the uterine infection. Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) is the most frequent pathogen in canine pyometra, accounting for 57–100% of cases. The aim of the present study was to determine the frequency of phylogenetic groups and virulence factors in E. coli strains isolated from the uterine and rectal swabs of bitches with pyometra (n = 72) and from rectal swabs from healthy bitches fed commercial dry feed (n = 53) or a raw meat-based diet (RMBD; n = 38). A total of 512 strains of E. coli were isolated and divided into five categories according to the origin of the sample: 120 isolates from the uterine content of dogs with E. coli pyometra, 102 from the feces of bitches with E. coli pyometra, 75 from the feces of bitches without E. coli pyometra, 130 feces samples from healthy dogs fed commercial feed, and 85 feces samples from healthy dogs fed a raw meat-based diet. E. coli strains belonging to the B2 phylogroup and positive for virulence factor genes associated with adhesion (fimbriae type P [papC]) and production of toxins (α-hemolysin [hlyA] and uropathogenic specific protein [usp]) predominated in the uterine content and rectal swabs of bitches with E. coli pyometra. Interestingly, a lower growth rate of E. coli from the B2 phylogroup was observed in dogs fed a RMBD than in those fed commercial dry feed. The present study suggests that intestinal colonization by certain types of E. coli could be a risk factor for the occurrence of E. coli pyometra in bitches and that diet can influence intestinal colonization by such strains.

Rabies is a viral zoonosis affecting mammal species and causes large economic losses. Included among the neglected diseases, it is still insufficiently addressed by governments and the international community, despite formal surveillance and control programs. This study used a dataset of 10,112 rabies diagnoses in animals provided by the Brazilian passive surveillance system from 2001 to 2012. The positivity rate of the tested samples was 26.4%, and a reduction in the total samples sent during the last six years was observed. The kernel density map indicated case concentration in the south region and a decrease in density of rabies cases in the second period studied (2007 to 2012). The directional trend of positive rabies diagnoses remained in the south region, as shown by the standard deviational ellipse. The spatial scan statistic identified three large clusters of positive diagnoses, one in the first period (2001-2006) and two in the second period (2007-2012), indicating an expansion of risk areas. The decrease in rabies cases from 2006 to 2012 does not necessarily reflect lower viral circulation or improvement in actions by epidemiological surveillance; this decrease could indicate a deficiency in epidemiological surveillance during the observation period due to the increase in the silent areas. Surveillance should maintain an increasing or constant number of tests during the years in addition to a reduction in the number of outbreaks of rabies, which would indicate a lower positivity rate. The findings in this study indicate deterioration in the effectiveness of the passive surveillance for rabies. The number of rabies cases, total number of tests performed and positivity rate are good indicators for evaluating passive surveillance. This paper can function as a guide for the assessment and improvement of the actions in passive surveillance of rabies. The approach proposed in this study can provide a valuable contribution to strengthen the efforts to reduce rabies incidence, a relevant public health problem worldwide. In Brazil during the period from 2001–2012, 129 human cases of rabies were notified, with 128 deaths. It is imperative to decrease rabies virus circulation both in domestic and wildlife species, which has been reinforced by many studies demonstrating that rabies incidence is often much higher than the official reports. This study used a dataset of 10,112 rabies diagnoses in animals provided by the Brazilian passive surveillance and applied spatial analysis in addition to many indicators to highlight high positivity rate areas and accurately identify silent areas and regions where underreporting occurs. This type of approach is vital to establish priorities for epidemiologic surveillance strategically and to precisely focus actions in the required regions. These spatial analysis techniques combined with other sources of information can also be used to evaluate the effectiveness of passive surveillance for rabies and improve the strategies already adopted by government programs to control and prevent the disease. We consider our results an important achievement in envisioning effectiveness in the process to eliminate rabies worldwide.

Because of the relevance of Salmonella spp. in poultry, in 2016, the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply updated its regulation for the control and monitoring of Salmonella in the poultry meat production chain. We herein present the results of the official monitoring of sampling cycles of carcasses performed by the Brazilian official veterinary inspection service (SIF) and the Center for Epidemiology, Statistics, and Public Health of the Veterinary School of the Federal University of Minas Gerais. Samples were collected in March–September 2017, during which 140 slaughterhouses slaughtered over three billion chickens. The establishments were classified according to the number of animals slaughtered per day, and cycles varied according to the size of the establishment. Sample weights were defined to increase the external validity of the data. Chicken carcasses were randomly sampled after chilling and dripping. A total of 1434 samples were analyzed in official laboratories using Vidas SLM and SPT systems, for positive samples were used the ISO 6579:2014. The estimated prevalence of Salmonella spp. in chicken carcasses was 17.88% (95% CI 14.34–22.05). Considering the representativeness of Brazilian chicken meat in the global market, constant evaluation and review of the program is necessary to reduce the prevalence of Salmonella.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the seroprevalence of leptospirosis in the dairy herds from Minas Gerais, Brazil, during the years 2009 and 2010. A total of 2,915 serum samples were collected from the lactating cows of 151 properties in eleven municipalities located in the Sete Lagoas region. The Microscopic Agglutination Test was used to detect antileptospiral agglutinins. An individual animal prevalence of 20.7% (95% CI = 17.1% - 24.3%) and a herd prevalence of 80.8% (95% CI = 73.8% = 87.7%) were determined. The most prevalent serovars were hardjoprajitno at 19.4%; hardjoprajitno strain Norma at 17.4%; and hardjo-bovis at 17.4%. These results show the significance of the hardjo serovar in bovine leptospirosis cases in Minas Gerais.