Background: The tick Rhipicephalus microplus (Ixodida: Ixodidae, Canestrini, 1888) causes substantial economic and health losses in cattle production and is the main vector of Babesia bigemina (Piroplasmidae: Babesidae, Smith & Kilborne, 1893). Babesia bigemina is responsible for a tick-borne disease known as babesiosis that can cause hemolytic anemia, fever and death. In the study reported here, we investigated the relationship between the number of ticks per animal and the number of B. bigemina cytochrome b gene (cbisg) copies in the blood of Brangus and Nellore cattle reared without acaricidal treatment in the Brazilian Cerrado biome over a 1-year period. Methods: Ticks on 19 animals (9 Brangus and 10 Nellore cattle) were counted every 18 days, and blood was collected every 36 days for 12 months. Serological samples were analyzed with an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and genomic DNA was analyzed by conventional PCR and quantitative PCR. The PCR products were sequenced by the Sanger method. Results: The Brangus and Nellore breeds showed similar weight development and no clinical signs of babesiosis. Statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) between the breeds were observed for the number of ticks and the number of B. bigemina cbisg gene copies. Conclusions: No correlation between the number of ticks and the number of circulating copies of cbisg was observed, although Nellore cattle presented with fewer ticks than Brangus cattle and the number of cbisg copies was higher for Nellore cattle than for Brangus cattle.

Bovine tuberculosis (TB), caused primarily by Mycobacterium bovis, is a zoonotic infectious disease with significant economic impacts on the milk production chain due to the reduction in zootechnical indices. This study aimed to investigate and describe the epidemiological and pathological characteristics of tuberculosis in a Jersey cattle property in southeastern Rio Grande do Sul, focusing on transmission routes and clinical and histopathological findings. The outbreak, affecting 15% of the herd, suggested potential transmission routes, including human-mediated transmission, facility contamination, wild animal vectors, and undetected infection in founder animals. Both adult and young animals, including calves that were only a few days old, were affected, suggesting aerogenous and congenital transmission, respectively. Pathological examination of the affected calves showed granulomatous lesions, primarily in the respiratory tract, significant necrosis, and abundant acid-fast bacilli. These findings highlight the need for vigilant diagnostic practices and effective management strategies to control bovine tuberculosis, particularly in endemic regions. This study underscores the importance of considering tuberculosis as a differential diagnosis in cases of weight loss and respiratory symptoms in animals, including young animals.

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between chronic Anaplasma marginale and Babesia spp. infection and hematological parameters of pregnant and non-pregnant taurine heifers. Blood samples from 94 females were collected on the first day (D-10) of timed artificial insemination (TAI) protocol and on pregnancy diagnosis (D+34). Hematological parameters were determined and compared between pregnant (PG) and non-pregnant (NPG) heifers, and within group at different sampling days. Real-time PCR (qPCR) was used to determine A. marginale and Babesia bovis infection, and for absolute quantification of Babesia spp. between PG and NPG groups. Correlation analysis was performed between the number of gDNA copies (CN) of Babesia spp. and hematological parameters. On D-10, mean hemoglobin concentration was higher for NPG, and hematocrit and total plasma protein were higher on D+34 for both groups. There was no difference in Babesia spp. CN between groups. In the first qPCR, all heifers were positive for A. marginale and B. bovis. Significant correlations were found between hemoglobin and erythrocyte and between hemoglobin and hematocrit (r = 0.8082 and r = 0.3009, respectively). Low levels of A. marginale and Babesia spp. did not affect hematological parameters of chronically infected pregnant and non-pregnant taurine heifers.

The detection of specific DNA sequences by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) has been proven extremely valuable for genetic analysis and diagnosis of a variety of infectious disease pathogens in the veterinary sciences. Genomic techniques applied to veterinary medicine has become fundamental, whether for the detection of pathogens through the use of PCR and its variations or by other techniques that allow the creation and development of recombinant proteins and vaccines for veterinary use. PCR technology has become an indispensable tool in veterinary diagnosis. Other techniques, which play an important prophylactic role for several infectious diseases of veterinary interest, such as recombinant vaccines and sequencing, are important tools in the fight against the most pathogens. In this review, the details of PCR technology are explored, as well as some variations of the technique, such as real-time PCR, as well as other genomic techniques of veterinary interest.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi observar, por meio do acompanhamento do manejo pré-abate e de abate de suínos, os efeitos do tempo de jejum na granja (seis, oito, dez e doze horas) e do período de descanso dos suínos no frigorífico, como também o conteúdo estomacal, o peso médio de carcaças e o rendimento de carcaças quentes. A observação foi realizada em um frigorífico de grande porte do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, registrado no Serviço de Inspeção Federal (SIF), iniciando na propriedade de criação de suínos localizada próxima ao abatedouro, onde anterior ao dia de abate 320 fêmeas foram divididas em 4 lotes de 80 animais e cada lote recebeu a última refeição, seis, oito, dez e doze horas antes do horário previsto para o carregamento, ficando o restante do período em jejum na granja. Todas as etapas de manejo anterior ao abate foram acompanhadas a fim de mensurar os tempos realizados, como também o abate destes animais para a coleta do peso, rendimento e conteúdo estomacal, este último, sendo feito através da viragem do conteúdo de 35 unidades de estômagos por lote. Os resultados encontrados para o período de descanso e dieta hídrica de cada lote no abatedouro variou entre 07h:40min a 08h:40min, o tempo de jejum total variou de 21h:50 min a 16h:40 min, o peso do conteúdo sólido úmido total encontrado nos estômagos variou de 704,90 g à 1.273,30 g e peso mínimo das fêmeas foi de 92,10 kg e máximo de 96,85 kg e rendimento variando de 72,52% a 74,64%. Os resultados apresentados para os tempos de jejum dos suínos aplicados atendem o padrão de conteúdo estomacal tolerado pela indústria, sem ocorrer interferência no peso médio de carcaça, na condenação por contaminação na evisceração e no rendimento de carcaça quente.

Sporotrichosis , a subcutaneous mycosis caused by Sporothrix spp., has emerged as a major zoonotic disease in Brazil, primarily driven by Sporothrix brasiliensis . The southern state of Rio Grande do Sul exhibits distinctive ecological and climatic conditions that may shape the persistence and distribution of this pathogen in this region. This study conducted molecular and epidemiological surveillance of feline and canine sporotrichosis in southern Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. A total of 100 isolates from the culture collection of the Veterinary Mycology Laboratory at the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel) were analyzed by PCR targeting the calmodulin (CAL) gene for species identification. Fourteen representative isolates were sequenced and subjected to phylogenetic analysis using the Maximum Likelihood method, including reference sequences from Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. Epidemiological and clinical variables, including host species, sex, lesion site, and morphology, were evaluated to characterize the epidemiological and clinical profiles of sporotrichosis in the study region. S. brasiliensis and S. schenckii were identified in 97% and 3% of the isolates, respectively. The CAL-based phylogeny confirmed the monophyly of S. brasiliensis and revealed low intraspecific variability with regional clustering among southern Brazilian isolates. When interpreted within the Southern Cone context, the topology indicated a close genetic affinity between isolates from Rio Grande do Sul and reference sequences from Argentina and Paraguay. These findings confirm the territorial expansion of S. brasiliensis across southern Brazil and emphasize the importance of molecular surveillance for detecting and tracking the circulating lineages. Continuous regional monitoring is crucial for strengthening One Health strategies and mitigating the zoonotic spread of sporotrichosis in the Southern Cone.