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O objetivo do trabalho foi relatar a ocorrência de casos de cães com Leptospira spp. no Hospital Veterinário de Londrina. Foram avaliados 5.454 prontuários, durante os meses de janeiro a dezembro de 2016, e selecionados os que apresentaram solicitação de exame para Lepstopira por meio da técnica de campo escuro (CE). Nos positivos pela técnica CE dados sobre o sexo, sinais clínicos, endereço, data do atendimento e resultado na SAM foram coletados. A análise dos dados foi realizada pelo programa EpiInfo (7.2.3.1), dos 5.454 prontuários nos quais foi solicitado exame CE em 7,06% (385/5.454), e nestes, 13,76% (53/385) foi identificada a presença da espiroqueta. Dos animais positivos na técnica CE, 20,75% (11/53) foram reagentes na SAM. O sorovar Canicola foi o mais frequente em 90,91% (10/11) dos animais, apresentando títulos variados de 100 a 12.800. Para o sorovar Pomona 9,09% (1/11) dos animais apresentaram títulação de 100. Os sinais clínicos mais observados fora apatia em 58,49% (31/53), azotemia em 49,06% (26/53) e êmese em 49,06% (26/53) dos casos. Quanto ao sexo, os machos constituíram 71,70% dos casos e as fêmeas 28,30% (p=0,0015). Os resultados demonstraram a presença de Leptospira spp. entre os animais atendidos no hospital veterinário de Universidade Estadual de Londrina e reforçam a importância do sorovar Canicola entre os cães, visto que este foi o mais frequente entre os sorovares e que apresentou os maiores títulos.

Although leptospirosis has been considered a major concern in urban areas, no study to date has spatially and simultaneously compared both owner and dog serology in households of major cities. Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to assess the seroprevalence of Leptospira antibodies, evaluate associated risk factors and conduct spatial analyses in 565 randomly selected households, which included 597 dog owners and 729 dogs in Londrina, Southern Brazil. Seropositivity by MAT were detected in in 11/597 (1.84%) owners and in 155/729 (21.26%) dogs. The risk factors were evaluated with logistic regression analysis and spatial factors and case distribution were evaluated with kernel density analyses. The sera of 14/155 (9.03%) dogs reacted for more than one serovar with the same titer. Canicola was the most frequent serogroup, detected in 3/11 (27.27%) owners and 76/155 (49.03%) dogs. The highest titer among the owners was 1:3,200 and was detected in the same household with a titer of 1:800 in the dog. Simultaneous owner-dog seropositivity was found in 7/565 (1.23%) households, with three reacted against serogroup Canicola. Positive owners were detected in 4/565 (0.70%) households and positive dogs were detected in 141/565 (24.95%) households. The associated risks of infection for dogs were different from those associated with infection in owners. Risk analyses for Canicola also identified specific factors of infection. Regardless of owner and dog cases were not statistically clustered, the kernel map has shown dog positivity occurrence in the same hot locations and near positive owners. The dependent variable analysis and logit model suggested a greater likelihood of peri-domiciliary contact with Leptospira. In conclusion, exposure to Leptospira infection was significantly higher in dogs than in their owners and human cases spatially overlapped dog cases, implicating dogs as potential environmental sentinels for this disease. In addition, the associated risk may vary according to serogroup, and the observed simultaneous Canicola seropositivity of owner and dog has suggested intradomicile-transmitted infection.

Neospora caninum is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that infects domestic and wild animals. Canids are considered to be definitive hosts since they may shed oocysts into the environment through their feces. The disease is recognized as one of the major causes of bovine abortion worldwide, leading to important economic losses in the dairy and beef cattle industries. Previous studies have reported N. caninum infection in different species of birds; infection in birds has been associated with increased seroprevalence and reproductive problems in dairy cattle. Although the role of birds in the epidemiological cycle of neosporosis is unknown, birds are exposed to infection because they feed on the ground and could thus contribute to parasite dissemination. This review is focused on the current state of knowledge of neosporosis in birds.

Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular parasite that can infect all warm-blooded animals including humans. Recent studies showed that T. gondii strains from South America are genetically diverse. The present work aimed to determine T. gondii prevalence in free-ranging chicken in northwest Parana state in Brazil by two serological tests, to isolate the parasites from seropositive chickens and to genotype the isolates. Antibodies to T. gondii in 386 serum samples from 24 farms were investigated by immunofluorescence antibody assay (IFA) and modified agglutination test (MAT). Samples having titers ≥ 16 were considered positive for both tests. Among the 386 serum samples, 102 (26.4%) were positive for IFA, 64 (16.6%) were positive for MAT, 47 (12.2%) were positive in both tests, and 119 (30.8%) were positive in at least one of the two tests. Brain and pool of heart, lung, and liver from the 119 seropositive chickens were used for mouse bioassay to isolate the parasites. Thirty eight (31.9%) of these seropositive chickens were considered positives in mouse bioassay and 18 isolates were obtained. The isolates were characterized by 10 PCR-RFLP genetic markers including SAG1, SAG2 (5'-3'SAG2, alt.SAG2), SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1, and Apico. Results of genotyping were compared with the genotypes in ToxoDB database. It revealed ten genotypes, including ToxoDB PCR-RFLP genotypes #6 (n = 2), #19 (n = 1), #21 (n = 2), #111 (n = 2), #152 (n = 1), and #175 (n = 1) and four new types not described before. Our results confirmed a high genetic diversity of this parasite in southern Brazil and also showed that the use of two serological tests in combination can improve the chance of T. gondii isolation. More studies should be taken to determine the zoonotic potential of chickens in the transmission of T. gondii.

Neosporosis is an infectious disease caused by Neospora caninum, a protozoan parasite that has worldwide distribution and is responsible for enormous economic losses in cattle. Birds are considered a good bioindicator of environmental contamination, since they feed on the ground, being exposed to N. caninum oocysts. The aim of this study was to determine the occurrence of antibodies against N. caninum and to verify the presence of parasite DNA in brain from free-ranging eared doves (Zenaida auriculata) from Southern Brazil. For this purpose, blood and brain samples were collected from 249 doves for ELISA and PCR analysis respectively. The prevalence of N. caninum antibodies in doves was 31.72% (79/249) and detection of parasite DNA was not observed in none of birds. This is the first report of antibodies against N. caninum in doves Z. auriculata, what show us that these birds had previously contact with the parasite but since no N. caninum DNA was detected, more studies should be performed to elucidate the real importance of doves in the epidemiologic cycle of the N. caninum.

The present study aimed to isolate and genotype strains of T. gondii from pigs slaughtered for human consumption in South Brazil. Blood and tissues (heart, diaphragm, liver, tongue, and masseter) from 400 animals were collected at two slaughterhouses. Sera were obtained, and antibodies against T. gondii were detected by both indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT) and modified agglutination test (MAT). The tissues of animals that tested positive in MAT, IFAT, or both (cut-off ≥ 64) were bioassayed. Twenty-six (6.5%) of the 400 animals were positive by serology. A total of 18 (69.2%) out of those 26 were positive in the mouse bioassay. The isolates were characterized by using 10 PCR-RFLP genetic markers. Fourteen isolates were fully genotyped, and four isolates were genotyped using nine of the 10 markers. All isolates belonged to ToxoDB PCR-RFLP genotype #206. The present study reports on genotype #206 in pigs for the first time, and it confirms the atypical nature of the Brazilian T. gondii isolates. Additionally, even with low levels of antibodies detected in pig herds, pork presents a T. gondii infection risk for humans.

As enteroparasitoses causadas por helmintos e protozoários infectam humanos e animais no mundo todo, e sua prevalência está relacionada à falta de hábitos de higiene pessoal em consequência do seu ciclo oral-fecal. No Brasil, como não são doenças de notificação obrigatória, é possível que sua prevalência esteja subnotificada. Em Londrina, não existem dados sobre a prevalência dessas parasitoses na população urbana adulta, que ofereçam suporte para delinear programas de saúde preventiva na comunidade. Foram coletadas amostras de fezes de 187 humanos residentes na área urbana de Londrina para pesquisa de enteroparasitas. Dados epidemiológicos foram coletados por meio de um questionário epidemiológico aplicado a todos os participantes. As variáveis associadas ao risco foram analisadas conforme foram relatadas pelos indivíduos parasitados. Foram discutidos: gênero, idade, renda familiar mensal, lavagem das mãos antes da alimentação e após utilizar o banheiro, água de consumo, ocorrência de diarreia nos últimos sete dias, abastecimento de água e rede de esgoto. Foram detectados ovos ou cistos de parasitas em 8/187 (4,27%) amostras investigadas. A ocorrência do protozoário Giardia spp. foi verificada em 7/187 (3,74%) amostras e o helminto Enterobius vermiculares em 1/187 (0,53%). Devido ao ciclo destes parasitas envolver a saúde humana, animal e do ambiente, é sugerido que a ocorrência das enteroparasitoses reduza por meio da abordagem de Saúde Única na área urbana de Londrina, PR.