This report describes a case of bovine enterotoxaemia in Morro da Garça, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Clostridium perfringens type D was isolated in pure culture and was characterized by biochemical reactions and PCR. By the mouse neutralization test, the presence of epsilon toxin from intestinal content was detected.

Empregaram-se os métodos cromatográficos de afinidade metálica e de imunoafinidade para purificação da toxina beta em sobrenadante de cultivo de Clostridium perfringens tipo C. Observaram-se, na eletroforese das primeiras frações eluidas nos dois métodos de purificação, uma banda de peso molecular aproximado de 38kDa, característica da forma monomérica de toxina beta de Clostridium perfringens tipo C, e bandas de peso moleculares superiores, referentes às suas formas oligoméricas. Maior rendimento foi obtido com a utilização do método de imunoafinidade.

Diarrhea in suckling piglets caused by Clostridium perfringens type A was diagnosed in industrial (technified) swine farms of the states of Minas Gerais and São Paulo (Brazil), based on isolation and identification of bacterium by biochemical tests, detection of alpha toxin in animal bioassays, and PCR. This seems to be the first report of clostridial enterotoxaemia in piglets by C. perfringens type A in Brazil and allowed specific procedures to control the disease.

Avaliou-se a eficiência de 13 vacinas comerciais contra clostridioses que continham em sua composição Clostridium novyi tipo B, pela titulação de antitoxina alfa em soro de coelhos e de bovinos vacinados e pelo teste de desafio direto em cobaias. As vacinas codificadas como T1 e T10 apresentaram, em coelhos, títulos de antitoxina alfa de 8 e 12UI/ml respectivamente, superiores ao nível mínimo de teste de 3,5UI/ml, recomendado para controle desse produto, e as vacinas T2 e T5, títulos de 2 e 3UI/ml, respectivamente. As vacinas T1, T2, T5 e T10 apresentaram níveis de antitoxina alfa detectáveis em bovinos, mas somente T1 e T10 induziram títulos compatíveis com o nível de teste. Pelo método de desafio direto em cobaias, as vacinas T1, T2, T5, T10 e T11 atenderam aos requisitos, protegendo todos os animais desafiados. Em sua maioria, as vacinas comercializadas no Brasil contra Clostridium novyi tipo B foram ineficientes em estimular títulos sorológicos compatíveis com os níveis de teste recomendado para controle desse produto.

The antibody response to the Clostridium novyi type B alfa toxin component of 13 commercial vaccines (T1 to T13) and a standard toxoid was evaluated by the serum neutralization test with rabbit and cattle sera and by direct challenge of vaccinated guinea pig. T1 and T10 induced titles of C. novyi type B alfa antitoxin in rabbits, superior to the recommended minimum title of 3.5 IU/ml, namely of 8 and 12 IU/ml, respectively. T2 and T5 induced titles of 2 and 3 IU/ml, respectively. These, plus T1 and T10, were also the only vaccines which produced detectable antitoxin in bovine sera. T1, T2, T5 and T10, plus T11, were able to protect all the vaccinated guinea pigs at the challenge. Most of C. novyi type B vaccines in Brazil was unable to induce the minimum antibody response recommended for approval of the product.

The results show that the milk production activity in the county of Ilhéus, Bahia state, Brazil, lacks of technologies that could improve milk productivity. General information about the farms were obtained through a survey. Thirty-seven (43.5%) farms were smaller or equal to 50ha and 65 (76.5%) farms produced 50l of milk per day, characterizing these farmers as small producers. In 46 (54.1%) farms no information concerning costs, level of production, reproduction efficiency or sanity of the herds were found. In 29 (34.2%) farms the information was registered in portable computer database, six (7.1%) farms used structured index cards and four (4.7%) farms had desktop computers. Forty-one (48.2%) farms had roofed and paved milk facilities, three (3.5%) farms had not roofed but paved, in 31 (36.5%) farms the corrals were not roofed and unpaved, and 10 (11.8%) farms had no constructions.

The occurrence of Malassezia pachydermatis in the ears of dogs with otitis externa, comparing both direct exam and growth on culture method was evaluated. Auditory cerumen/exsudate specimens of 50 dogs with otitis externa were analized for M.pachydermatis. Stained by Giemsa, were prepared and microscopically analysed for budding yeasts. Each sample was cultured on modified Sabouraud glucose agar incubated at 28°C (82.4 F) for detection of M. pachydermatis. The frequency of M. pachydermatis from auditory meatus of otitic dogs was 79% (direct microscopy) and 88% (growth on modified Sabouraud glucose agar), and no difference between the results provided by both methods used in the fungus detection was observed.

Aiming to determining the prevalence of tuberculosis and brucellosis in Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil, 916 cows aged 24 months or above and allocated in 85 farms were tested. The compared cervical intradermic tuberculosis and serological buffered acidified antigen (BAA), slow tube serum agglutination (STSA) and 2-mercapto ethanol (2-ME) tests were used. The prevalence of tuberculosis and brucellosis was 2.8 and 1.9%, respectively. The distribution of positive farms (10.6%) is in agreement with the notion that these diseases are widespread in the country.

Com o objetivo de avaliar o perfil sorológico de três amostras de Clostridium botulinum tipo C e três do tipo D utilizadas para produção de imunógenos no Brasil, determinou-se o índice de eficiência e o grau de homologia sorológica dentro de cada tipo. O índice de eficiência mostrou a mesma tendência para os dois tipos. Os consumos relativos de antitoxinas foram proporcionais nos níveis de 20, 200 e 1000 DL50, verificados através de curvas de neutralização que apresentaram inclinações semelhantes. A quantificação da variação do consumo de antitoxinas expresso em grau de homologia sorológica reflete uma similaridade relativa entre as amostras, sendo neutralizados 80 a 91,5% de determinantes antigênicos para o tipo C e 85 a 95% para o tipo D. Pelos resultados apresentados, as amostras analisadas comportaram-se como variantes sorológicas nos níveis de testes de 20, 200 e 1000 DL50.

Aiming to the serological evaluation of three strains of C type and three strains of D type Clostridium botulinum used for the production of vaccines in Brazil, the neutralization effectiveness and serological homology in each type were determined. The rate of effectiveness showed the same tendency for both types. The relative antitoxin consumptions were proportional at levels of 20, 200 and 1000 LD50 , verified through neutralization curves which presented similar profiles. The quantification of the antitoxin consumption and variation, which was an expression of serological homology degree, reflect a relative similarity between the strains, and resulted in 80 to 91.5% cross-neutralization of the antigenic structure for the samples of C type and 85 to 95% for the samples of D type. The results showed that the strains behaved as serological variants at the test levels of 20, 200 and 1000 DL50.

Comparou-se o teste de imunodifusão dupla em ágar gel (IDGA) pelo emprego do polissacarídeo "O" como antígeno com os testes de soroaglutinação rápida, soroaglutinação lenta, 2-mercaptoetanol, reação de fixação de complemento e antígeno tamponado acidificado no diagnóstico da brucelose, em bovinos infectados, não infectados e recém-vacinados com a amostra B-19, visando à diferenciação de anticorpos vacinais daqueles associados à infecção natural pela Brucella abortus. Nenhum dos testes realizados permitiu diferenciar precisamente anticorpos vacinais daqueles induzidos pela infecção brucélica e, nas condições do presente trabalho, a utilização do IDGA com este objetivo poderia levar à retenção de animais infectados no rebanho.

Agar gel immunodiffusion test (AGID) using the O-polysaccharide was compared with serologic tests used in brucellosis diagnosis in non-infected, infected and early vaccinated cattle with strain B-19, in order to differentiate vaccinal antibodies from those resulting of natural infection by Brucella abortus. None of the techniques can differentiate with absolute reliability the vaccinal antibodies from antibodies associated with natural infection to Brucella abortus. Moreover, the use of AGID with this objective would cause maintenance of infected animals in the herd.