Considering the importance of leptospirosis in both equine husbandry and public health, as well as the relevance of knowledge of current serogroup and the small number of studies addressing this disease in equines in Northeastern Brazil, the present study performed a serological survey of Leptospira spp. in a serum bank of 1,267 equines originating from 177 municipalities, located in four states in Northeastern Brazil: Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba and Pernambuco. The microscopic agglutination test (MAT) was used for diagnosis of leptospirosis using 24 serovars as antigens. The frequency of reagent equines was 29.7% (376/1,267), and 68.9% (122/177) of municipalities had at least one positive reaction. The serogroups reagent were Australis (37.2%), Icterohaemorrhagiae (29.3%), Tarassovi (9.6%), Sejroe (5.8%), Pomona (5.3%), Grippotyphosa (4.5%), Pyrogenes (2.4%), Bataviae (1.9%), Ballum and Hebdomadis (1.3%), Mini (0.5%), Celledoni, Shermani, and Javanica (0.3% each). There were significant statistical differences regarding sex and age, with a higher frequency in females (P= 0.014), and in animals ≥ 6 years (P=0.001). We concluded that seropositivity to Leptospira spp. is high in equines in Northeastern Brazil, with a predominance of serologic reactions to the Australis serogroup in the border areas between the states, and the Icterohaemorrhagiae serogroup in coastal areas or their vicinity. The high degree of seropositivity found points to the need to implement prophylactic strategies, both intraspecies infection prophylaxis and rodent control. We also recommended avoiding animal crowding and separating animals according to sex and age group during handling.

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) are important etiologic agents of immunosuppressive diseases in felines. The objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence of these retroviruses in domestic cats in Fortaleza, Ceará and the epidemiological factors associated with these infections. Between 2015 and 2016, 138 blood samples were collected and tested for FIV and FeLV by the enzyme immunoadsorption assay (ELISA). Parameters such as breed, gender, age, reproductive status, multi-cat environment, outdoor access and clinical manifestations were evaluated. The results showed that 12.32% were positive for FIV, 5.80% for FeLV and 1.45% for co-infection (FIV/FeLV). FIV+ animals were mostly mixed breed, neutered male adult cats, with indoor lifestyle and living in a multi-cat household. The most common clinical manifestation observed was disorders of the oral cavity. Factors found to increase the risk for FeLV seropositivity include mixed breed, young, spayed female cats, indoor lifestyle living in a multi-cat household were the most common epidemiological factors observed. The most common clinical manifestation was anorexia and apathy. The prevalence of these viruses were relatively high, compared with other region of Brazil. This study demonstrated that mixed breed, castrated, multi-cat environment and indoor lifestyle animals are of greater relevance for FIV and FeLV infection diseases. Factors related to cat demographics and health such as age, sex and type of household are important predictors for seropositive status to FeLV or FIV in Fortaleza. High prevalence of FeLV or FIV observed in our study is of concern, in view of the immunosuppressive potential of the two pathogens.

Improvements in veterinary medicine have resulted in a significant benefit in the life of pets in the last 20 years, and increased pet life expectancy led to an increased prevalence of canine neoplasia. Cancer epidemiology and spatial analysis tools, although well developed for human oncology research, is just beginning to be explored in veterinary oncology. São Paulo city, capital of the state of São Paulo, Brazil, is divided into five regions: North, South, East, West and downtown. The Veterinary Hospital of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo (HOVET-SVMAS-USP), is located in the West region of São Paulo, Brazil, and admits cases of small and large animals. Canine mammary tumors are so numerous that they are not routinely treated at the HOVET. The aim of this work was to perform a cartographic study to describe the spatial distribution of prevalent cases of neoplasms in dogs from the HOVET. Of the 3,620 cases seen in 2002 and 2003, 380 cases (10.5%) were of dogs affected with benign and malignant neoplasms. No statistical difference was found for the 380 addresses distributed among the five regions of the city. These results showed that the HOVET receives canine patients from all regions of São Paulo and there is a homogeneous spatial distribution of neoplasms. Authors encourage additional broader studies, involving several veterinary hospitals, clinics or laboratories in order to obtain more accurate data on distribution of canine neoplasms in São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

The objective of this study was to detect the presence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in serum samples from 100 sparrows (Passer domesticus Linnaeus, 1758) that were caught in an urban area in southern Brazil. The modified agglutination test (MAT) was used to investigate anti-T. gondii antibodies and samples with a cut-off dilution > 5 were considered positive. Among the 100 serum samples analyzed, 80 (80%) were reactive. These results demonstrate that P. domesticus may play an important role in the epidemiological chain of T. gondii, since it is widely distributed throughout Brazil, and it may act as a source of infection to domestic, semi-domestic cats and to free-living wild felids.

The occurrence of leptospirosis is significantly higher in the tropical climate than in temperate regions, especially in periods with high rainfall levels. In horses, leptospirosis can range from subclinical to asymptomatic but maintains an important role in the transmission of leptospirosis by eliminating the agent in the environment. Regarding horses, the Amazonas herd increased by 30% between 2004 and 2013. Thus, the study aimed to determine the serological prevalence of leptospirosis in horses in Manaus and metropolitan regions, in the State of Amazonas, Brazil as well as to assess the main serogroups involved in the infections of these animals. For this purpose, from August 2018 to July 2019, serum from 198 horses was evaluated through the microscopic agglutination test with a panel of 10 serogroups. As a result, 92 horses (44.46%) were found to be positive for one or more Leptospira serovars, with the highest prevalence of serogroups Icterohaemorrhagiae and Pyrogenes. Therefore, with the increase in the equine herd in the region and, consequently, greater interaction between breeders and animals, the identification of reagents to at least one serovar of Leptospira spp. signals the possible existence of reservoirs of pathogenic strains for other animals and man.

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with Leptospira sp. in dogs attended at veterinary clinics in the city of João Pessoa, State of Paraíba, Northeast Brazil.  A total of 384 blood samples from dogs from 34 veterinary clinics were used from April 2015 to May 2016. The diagnosis of Leptospira sp. was carried out through Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT), using a collection of 20 pathogenic antigens and adopting a 1: 100 dilution as cutoff point. An epidemiological questionnaire was applied to the owners of the animals to obtain data to be used in the analysis of risk factors. The prevalence of seropositive animals was 11.7% (45/384), with reactions for serogroups Icterohaemorrhagiae (62.3%), Grippotyphosa (22.2%), Canicola (13.3%), Djasiman 2%) and Pomona (2.2%). The following risk factors were identified: age from 49 to 72 months (odds ratio = 2.74), Age > 72 months (odds ratio = 3.22), and monthly cleaning of the environment where the animals are kept (odds ratio = 10,70). It is concluded that dogs attended at veterinary clinics in João Pessoa are exposed to infection by Leptospira sp., with predominance of serogroups kept by wild animals, and it is suggested that the periodic cleaning of the environment where the animals are kept.

Leptospirosis is a systemic disease caused by the species of bacteria Leptospira spp., which affects human beings, domestic and wild animals. The present study searched the presence of antibodies against Leptospira spp. in the canine population of the city Teresina, Piauí, and the most common serovars. Blood samples from 425 stray dogs were collected in the local zoonosis center in Teresina from July 2010 to January 2012 and submitted to the Microscopic Seroagglutination Test (MAT). This study found an average infection rate of 17.41% (IC 95%; 13,8 – 21,0) by 11 different serovars; the four most frequent were Canicola (18.9%), Autumnalis (16.2%), Icterohaemorrhagiae (12.1%), and Butembo (12.1%). The questions raised in this study indicated the occurrence of Leptospira spp infection in dogs of Terezina- Piaui, Brazil.