Canine chronic inflammatory enteropathy (CIE) is one of the most common chronic gastrointestinal diseases affecting dogs worldwide. Genetic and environmental factors, as well as intestinal microbiota and dysregulated host immune responses, participate in this multifactorial disease. Despite advances explaining the immunological and molecular mechanisms involved in CIE development, the exact pathogenesis is still unknown. This review compiles the latest reports and advances that describe the main molecular and cellular mechanisms of both the innate and adaptive immune responses involved in canine CIE pathogenesis. Future studies should focus research on the characterization of the immunopathogenesis of canine CIE in order to advance the establishment of biomarkers and molecular targets of diagnostic, prognostic, or therapeutic utility.

Canine brucellosis caused by Brucella canis is a zoonotic disease that causes reproductive alterations in dogs, such as infertility, abortion, and epididymitis. This pathogen is especially prevalent in South America, and due to the lack of official control programs and the growing trend of adopting dogs it constitutes a public health risk that must be addressed. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of B. canis infection in kennel, shelter, and household dogs and to characterize the genomic properties of circulating strains, including ure and virB operons and omp25/31 genes. Samples from 771 dogs were obtained, and the infection was detected by blood culture and/or serology in 7.0% of the animals. The complete ure and virB operons and the omp25/31 genes were detected. Interestingly, we found different single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in some of the analyzed genes, which could mean a change in the fitness or virulence of these strains. This study provides further evidence about dogs as a source of B. canis strains that can infect people. This also highlights the need to implement official control programs, including the mandatory testing of dogs, especially stray dogs, before adoption.

Mycotoxins, even so government regulates to control their levels in animal balance feeds, they could pose a problem to animal and human consumption health. Therefore, the aim was to determine the levels of total aflatoxins found in the finisher balanced feeds for broilers and pigs, produced by balanced feed factories (BFF) in Venezuela. Eleven BFFs were sampled and evaluated for the presence of aflatoxins: AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2, determined using the analytical chemical technique HPLC-FLD. Thirty three feed samples for broilers and 33 for pigs, a total of 66 samples were obtained from BFFs. The presence of aflatoxins was detected in 100 % of the finisher balanced feeds for poultry and pigs. The determined AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2 levels in finisher balanced feeds for broilers and pigs, rendered that the aflatoxin with the highest concentration was always AFB1. The averages of total aflatoxins detected from finisher feeds for broilers and pigs were within the maximum allowed limits (20 micrograms (μg) / kilograms (kg) of COVENIN standards (Venezuelan regulations). When compared each aflatoxin level (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2) eight out of eleven BFFs evaluated comply with the standard, but 3 (F1, F2 and F5) BFFs were outside (5 μg/kg). It is pertinent that the companies that produce final food for poultry and pigs carry out additional and frequent evaluations of other mycotoxins (Ocratoxins, fusarium mycotoxins and mycotoxins emerging) present in raw materials, in order to evaluate the risks in the agri-food chain, in the way to implement solutions before or after processesment to ensure public health quality.

Canine chronic enteropathy (CE) is a gastrointestinal disorder characterized by persistent or recurrent digestive symptoms lasting more than three weeks. It shares similarities with human inflammatory bowel disease but its immunopathogenesis remains poorly characterized in dogs. The aim of this study was to characterize the local and systemic immune profile of dogs with CE by assessing cytokine and chemokine expression in serum and intestinal tissue, as well as the mRNA expression of immune-related receptors such as integrins, chemokine receptors, and cytokines. Duodenal biopsies and blood samples were collected from five dogs diagnosed with a CE and five healthy controls. Serum concentrations of cytokines and chemokines were determined by multiplex ELISA, and mRNA expression in the intestinal mucosa was analyzed by quantitative PCR. Dogs with a CE showed increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α and IFN-γ, and increased concentrations of chemokines such as CXCL10 and CCL2 in both serum and tissue samples. Increased mRNA expression of the chemokine receptor CCR9 and the adhesion molecule MAdCAM-1 were also observed in intestinal samples. These findings provide new insights into the immune response involved in CE and may aid the development of future diagnostic biomarkers and targeted therapies for canine chronic enteropathies.