Component population study of Acanthocephalus tumescens (Acanthocephala) in fishes from Lake Moreno,Argentina

Seasonal samples of all fish species from Lake Moreno were taken in order to determine the presence of paratenia, to evaluate the status of the hosts and to characterise the transmission of Acanthocephalus tumescens (von Linstow, 1896) at the component population level. Prevalence, mean abundance, mean intensity, numbers of gravid females, relative abundance of the different fish species, relative output of eggs and relative flow rates for each host species were computed. Acanthocephalus tumescens showed low host specificity, successfully parasitizing six out of eight fish species present in the lake. No paratenic infection was registered. If prevalence, mean abundance, and number of gravid females are considered, host species can be placed in a continuum from the most to least suitable as follows: Galaxias platei Steindachner, Diplomystes viedmensis (Mac Donagh), Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), Salvelinus fontinalis (Mitchill), Percichthys trucha (Cuvier et Valenciennes) and Galaxias maculatus (Jenyns). However, when parasite flow rates and egg output were calculated, including relative abundance of each fish species, the continuum was rearranged as follows: P. trucha, O. mykiss, G. platei / G. maculatus, S. fontinalis and D. viedmensis. The first four species would be the main contributors to the population of A. tumescens in this lake, P. trucha being the major one. Different regulatory and non-regulatory mechanisms are suggested.     

Occurrence of the temperature-sensitive hemagglutinin among avian Escherichia coli

In this study, we determined the occurrence of the tsh gene among 305 Escherichia coli isolates from chickens by means of the polymerase chain reaction and agglutination of chicken erythrocytes; 200 of those isolates were obtained from chickens with colisepticemia, 52 isolates were from lesions of cellulitis, and 53 were from feces of normal chickens. The tsh gene was found in 79 (39.5%) isolates from colisepticemia, in 10 (19%) cellulitis-derived E. coli isolates, and in two (3.8%) fecal isolates. Among the tsh+ strains, 68 (86%) isolates from colisepticemia and nine (90%) from cellulitis agglutinated chicken erythrocytes in the presence of mannose, after growing the strains on colonization factor antigen agar plates at 26 C, which confirms a correlation between mannose-resistant hemagglutination and expression of hemagglutinin Tsh. These results show, for the first time, the presence of the gene tsh in cellulitis-derived E. coli isolates; the high frequency of this gene among avian pathogenic E. coli isolates in Brazil indicates that its putative role as a virulence factor should be studied more thoroughly.     

Evaluation of 65% permethrin spot-on for prevention of canine visceral leishmaniasis: effect on disease prevalence and the vectors (Diptera: Psychodidae) in a hyperendemic area

A study was designed to examine the effect of 65% permethrin spot-on on the prevalence of canine visceral leishmaniasis and the abundance of sand flies in two neighborhoods in Corumbá, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil known to have a high prevalence of visceral leishmaniasis. An enrollment survey was conducted to determine the prevalence of visceral leishmaniasis. Area residents were provided with information about the project; the study area was defined, and all dogs (160 in Cristo Redentor and 230 in Popular Velha) identified in the study area were enrolled. Three 65% permethrin spot-on treatments (June 15-25, July 13-15, and August 10-12) were administered to 150, 110, and 99 dogs, respectively, in Popular Velha, according to label recommendations. Dogs in Cristo Redentor were untreated controls. Visceral leishmaniasis was diagnosed periodically by indirect immunofluorescence assay. A reduction in canine visceral leishmaniasis prevalence was observed at the Popular Velha site. The infection rate for treated dogs 1 month following the final treatment was approximately 50% reduced from that observed before treatment(19.3% vs 9.6%). Conversely, the infection rate at the control site was more than 80% higher at the September sampling than that observed pretreatment (4.1% vs 7.4%). Similar numbers of sand flies were captured and identified from both sites throughout the study. The results suggest that regular use of 65% permethrin during months of high risk for canine visceral leishmaniasis can be a useful strategy for reducing the prevalence of this disease in hyperendemic areas. It should be stressed, however, that the success of this strategy depends not only on the efficacy of the product itself but also on the adoption of other control measures and on economic variables, considering the low purchasing power of the populations living in higher-risk neighborhoods.     

Development of a differential multiplex PCR assay for equine herpesvirus 1 and 4 as a diagnostic tool

In this study, a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) procedure was developed for differentiation of strains and field isolates of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) and type 4 (EHV-4). Specific oli-gonucleotide primers were combined to amplify the thymidine kinase (TK) gene region of EHV-1 and EHV-4, which would yield fragments of different lengths for each virus in the same amplification reaction. The specificity of the largest PCR amplicon for EHV-4 was confirmed by restriction digestion with HindIII. The multiplex PCR proved to be a fast and sensitive method for typing EHV-1 and EHV-4 isolates and for detection and differentiation of both viruses in field samples in which infectious virus is no longer available. The sensitivity was improved by combining cycling optimization and visualization of PCR products in ethidium bromide and silver-stained acrylamide gels.     

Alternative low doses and routes of administering a prostaglandin F2�� analogue to induce luteolysis in Nelore cows

The present study was conducted in order to verify the efficacy of lower doses and alternative routes of a prostaglandin F2α analogue, luprostiol (PGF), for the induction of luteolysis and the precipitation of estrus in nonlactating Nelore cows (Bos taurus indicus). A conventional dose (15 mg) of PGF was compared to doses lower than the conventional dose, which ranges from 10 to 50%, that were administered intramuscularly (IM), intravulvosubmucosally (IVSM), or in the Bai-hui acupuncture site located within the lumbosacral area. The cows were administered PGF 8 day after estrus in the presence of a corpus luteum, and randomly assigned to the following groups: G1 (positive control), 15 mg, IM (n = 23); G2, 7.5 mg, IM (n = 23); G3, 3.75 mg, IM (n = 24); G4, 7.5 mg, IVSM (n = 25); G5, 3.75 mg, Bai-hui acupoint (n = 24); and G6, 1.5 mg, Bai-hui acupoint (n = 25). The results indicated that 50% of a conventional dose of PGF (7.5 mg) resulted in a complete luteal regression (plasma progesterone <1 ng/ml) at Hour 48, and hastened estrus, regardless of whether or not PGF was administered IM or IVSM. Comparatively, 10 or 25% of the conventional dose, even when administered to the Bai-hui acupoint, resulted in an initial reduction in the concentration of progesterone at Hour 24, followed by an increase observed at Hour 48. In conclusion, 25% of a conventional PGF dose administered via the Bai-hui acupoint proved inadequate to induce a complete luteal regression, whereas 50% of a conventional dose administered IM or IVSM was found to be the minimal dose required to induce effectively a complete luteal regression, and to precipitate the onset of estrus in nonlactating Nelore cows.     

Effects of deficit irrigation strategies on cluster microclimate for improving fruit composition of Moscatel field-grown grapevines

The grapevine plays a very important role in the economic, social and cultural sectors of many regions; however vineyards are often grown in regions under stressful conditions and thus they are vulnerable to climate change. The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of partial root-zone drying (PRD) irrigation on vine water relations, vegetative growth, plant microclimate, berry composition and yield components, compared to conventional deficit irrigation (DI, 50% ETc), full irrigation (FI, 100% of ETc) and non-irrigated vines (NI). The study was undertaken in mature ‘Moscatel’ grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.) grown in Pegões, South of Portugal. Compared to the other irrigated treatments, PRD vines showed a better microclimate at the cluster zone with higher incident photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD). Within the more open canopies of NI and PRD treatments, berry temperatures were higher than those of denser ones (DI and FI). Compared to the conventional irrigation technique the better microclimate observed in PRD vines was a consequence of a reduction in vine growth, where lower values of leaf layer number, leaf area, canopy wideness, water shoots and shoot weight were observed. In PRD vines we observed a tendency to a development of a deeper root system, while DI and FI showed a more homogeneous root distribution throughout the different soil layers. PRD showed an improvement in berry quality with higher values of flavour precursors, and total phenols concentration without any significant yield reduction compared to DI and FI.     

Improvements in somatic embryogenesis protocol in Feijoa (Acca sellowiana (Berg) Burret): Induction,conversion and synthetic seeds

Pineapple guava (Acca sellowiana) syn. Feijoa sellowiana, a Brazilian indigenous Myrtaceae is under domestication in South Brazil. Previous works showed that this species is responsive to somatic embryogenesis and recalcitrant to conventional methods of clonal propagation. In the present work it was evaluated the role of components of culture medium in the induction and development of somatic embryos. The technology of synthetic seeds was also evaluated. Zygotic embryos were inoculated in LPm medium supplemented with 8 mM glutamic acid and 8 mM l-glutamine, 2,4-dichlophenoxiacetic acid (20 μM) and myo-inositol. For conversion of somatic embryos and synthetic seeds it was tested the effect of 6-benzylaminopurine and gibberellic acid combined or not with activated charcoal. The highest values for embryogenetic induction (100%) and number of somatic embryos/explant (113) were observed in the LPm medium supplemented with Glu (8 mM), and 2,4-D. The culture medium supplemented with BA (0.5 μM) and GA₃ (1 μM) and activated charcoal (1.5 g L⁻¹) enhanced the conversion of somatic embryos to plantlets. Pre-germinated somatic embryos encapsulated in sodium alginate with BA (0.5 μM) and GA₃ (1 μM) developed radicles. The use of synthetic seed was a requisite for the survival of plantlets.     

Ineffectiveness of pruning to control citrus huanglongbing caused by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Candidatus</Emphasis> Liberibacter americanus

The huanglongbing (HLB) disease of citrus trees, caused by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus and Ca. Liberibacter americanus, was first reported in Brazil in March, 2004. The presence of the disease has caused serious concerns among growers. Pruning experiments were conducted to determine if removal of symptomatic branches or the entire canopy (decapitation) would eliminate infected tissues and save HLB-affected trees. Pruning was done in five blocks on a total of 592 3- to 16 year-old ‘Valência’, ‘Hamlin’ or ‘Pêra’ sweet orange trees showing no symptoms or with two levels of symptom severity. Ten decapitated trees per block were caged and all trees were treated with insecticides to control the psyllid vector, Diaphorina citri. Mottled leaves reappeared on most symptomatic (69.2%) as well on some asymptomatic (7.6%) pruned trees, regardless of age, variety, and pruning procedure. Presence of the pathogen (Ca. Liberibacter americanus) in all symptomatic trees was confirmed by PCR. In general, the greater the symptom severity before pruning the lower the percentage of trees that remained asymptomatic after pruning.     

Density and Organic Matter Influence on Egg‐laying and Hatching of Branchiura sowerbyi (Oligochaeta)

This study aimed to assess the combined effects of density of adults of Branchiura sowerbyi and the source of organic matter on the production of eggs and young species. The experimental units used were 250‐mL beakers with 100 mL of fine sand (0.074–0.210 mm) and 150 mL of chlorine‐free water with constant aeration at the temperature 25 C. The experiment was conducted based on a two‐factor model with six treatments and three repetitions, applied in a completely random design. The densities 5 individuals/38.5cm² (D5; 1298/m²) and 8 individuals/38.5cm² (D8; 2078/m²) were assessed with commercial fish feed (FF), commercial poultry feed (PF), and turkey manure (TM) as sources of organic matter. A total of 1223 cocoons and 2138 eggs were produced, with average hatching of 40.0 ± 15.1%. The highest number of cocoons and eggs was found with the use of PF, D8 having produced the highest number of cocoons and eggs. The hatching rate was not influenced by the source of organic matter or density and no influence was registered from the density of adults on the survival. The PF provided the highest growth of adults, and generally the use of TM provided the worst performance.