BACKGROUND: Leptospirosis is a common bacterial disease in humans and livestock, which leads to reduced production and reproductive disorders in ruminants and also causes major economic losses to villagers and farmers. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the seroprevalence of different Leptospira interrogans serovars in ruminants population of Lorestan province and assess the role of environmental and host factors on the severity of the serological infection. METHODS: For this purpose, referring to livestock and sheep and goat flocks in different cities of Lorestan province, 691 blood samples were collected including 258 sheep, 195 goats and 238 cows, and then, the point of infection with seven different serovars of Leptospira interogans was assessed using microscopic agglutination test. Hosting factors such as age, gender and also environmental factors including geographical area, rainfall, temperature, relative humidity and altitude of sampling area from the sea level were recorded, and their probable role in the seroprevalence was statistically analyzed. RESULTS: Results of this study showed that the overall prevalence of leptospirosis in cattle, sheep, and goats examined in the Lorestan province was 26.05 % (95 % CI: 19.7-31.23), 22.48 % (95 % CI: 16.95-25.16) and 14.87% (95 % CI: 9.37-20.36), respectively. There was no statistically significant (p < /em>>0.05) difference from the point of age groups and sexes. The most prevalent contaminant serovars for cows, sheep, and goats with seropositive reaction against leptospira were grippotyphosa (41.93%), canicola (32.76%) and canicola (48.27 %), respectively. The results showed environmental factors including relative humidity (p < /em>=0.02), annual rainfall (p < /em>=0.001) and altitude from the sea level of sampling location (p < /em>=0.03) have a significant effect but the annual temperature does not have a significant effect (p < /em><0.05) on the seroprevalence of Leptospira. Also, more positive reactive animals in the eastern and western areas of Lorestan province were found (p < /em>>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Leptospirosis is endemic in livestock population of Lorestan province and environmental factors play a significant role in the severity of infection, which increases the need for attention to the geographical areas at risk.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori is one of the most common bacterial infections in humans that is associated with Gastric and duodenal ulcers, gastritis and gastric cancer. Helicobacter pylori is transmitted through food and water and fecal-oral and oral-oral routes and colonized in the stomach and intestines of humans and several animal species including dogs and cats, and therefore the possibility of transmission of infection from animals to humans exists. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in humans, related and unrelated to dogs and cats in Ahvaz, as well as its relationship with host and environmental factors. METHODS: Serum samples were collected from 356 volunteers, including 147 related and 209 unrelated individuals with  dogs and cats and evaluated by ELISA. RESULTS: Apparent and real seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection were 58.4% (95% CI: 53.3 – 63.3 percent) and 44.53% (95% CI: 39.33 – 49.73 percent), respectively. The apparent prevalence in related and unrelated individuals with the dogs and cats were 72.1% (95% CI: 64.8-79.4 percent) and 48.8% (95% CI: 42-55.6 percent), respectively (p<0.001). The risk of infection in related individuals compared with unrelated was 2.71 (95% CI: 1.73 – 4.26) (p<0.001). This study showed that exposure to cats and dogs, education, history of gastric ulcers and gastrointestinal disorders and marital status are significantly correlated with infection. CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that contact with dogs and cats can be a risk factor for Helicobacter pylori infection in humans and preventive and control measures should be considered by health authorities.

Fasciolosis is caused by digenean trematodes of the genus Fasciola. The principal definitive hosts are cattle, sheep and goats. Humans are infected as accidental hosts. Fasciolosis is one of the major neglected tropical diseases and is considered an emerging zoonotic infection. This study was aimed at determining the prevalence of human and domestic animal fasciolosis in selected counties in Kenya. Stool samples for Fasciola diagnosis were collected from humans and domestic animals and transported to the laboratory at Egerton University and processed using sedimentation technique and examined for the presence of eggs. A total of 272 human samples collected were all negative for Fasciola eggs. A total of 582 domestic animals (cattle &#91;46.0%&#93;, sheep &#91;29.9%&#93; and goats &#91;24.1%&#93;) samples collected had overall prevalence of 30.9% for Fasciola infection. There was no significant differences (p > 0.05) between the prevalence of fasciolosis and origin of the animals, sex and season. There was a significant difference (p < 0.05) between the prevalence of fasciolosis and domestic animals, age and body condition. The prevalence of fasciolosis was high in two irrigation schemes which favour the breeding of intermediate host snail and grazing of animals along the irrigation canals where metacercaria of Fasciola parasites could be present on the vegetation. Although human fasciolosis was not detected in this study, the presence of animal fasciolosis can pose public health risk because of its zoonotic nature. Therefore, it is important to introduce measures which would help to reduce the exposure of animals to Fasciola infection.

Felines play a leading role in the epidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii infection, but there is scarce information about the epidemiology of Neospora caninum, particularly in feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)-infected cats. Cats seropositive to T. gondii do not usually show symptoms unless they are immunosuppressed, such as FIV-infected cats. The same relationship remains poorly known for N. caninum, although it has been associated with neurological disorders in HIV-infected people. Since FIV-infected cats are prone to develop encephalitis of unknown etiology, this study aimed to evaluate the presence of specific antibodies to T. gondii and N. caninum in a shelter for stray cats naturally infected with FIV. A total of 104 serum samples from cats living in a shelter, located in São Paulo city (Brazil), was assessed for T. gondii and N. caninum specific antibody by indirect fluorescent-antibody test (IFAT). Of the 104 cats, 25 (24%) were infected with FIV and, aside from these, 8 (32%) had antibodies against T. gondii (titers from 16 to 128). Only 1 (4%) of the FIV infected cats had antibodies against N. caninum, which was the first record of coinfection. Among the FIV-naïve cats, 11 (14%) were positive for T. gondii (titers from 16 to 256) and only 1 (1.2%) had antibodies against N. caninum. Serologically positive reactions to T. gondii and N. caninum were not correlated with age or sex (p>0.05), and there was no correlation between FIV and the occurrence of anti-T. gondii or anti-N. caninum antibodies (p>0.05). Further studies encompassing larger cat populations from different origins and locations are essential to clarify the prevalence of T. gondii and N. caninum antibodies in FIV-positive cats.

Salmonellosis is a foodborne disease (FBD) that affects public health and can cause death in people. Many outbreaks of Salmonellosis have been reported due to the contamination of raw milk and dairy products with the pathogen. To determine the prevalence of Salmonella spp. in milk samples from four dairy herds in the Sabana of Bogotá in 2017, 112 milk samples were taken directly from the mammary gland during milking. All milk samples were cultured and tested to isolate and identify Salmonella spp. using microbiological and molecular methods. Salmonella spp. prevalence of milk samples was found to be 20.5% (n=23). The main Salmonella serovars isolated were S. Newport (60.87%), S. Typhimurium (17.4%), S. Virchow, S. Bredeney, and S. Anatum (4.3% each one of the serovars). However, it was not possible to determine the Salmonella serotype in two isolates. The prevalence of Salmonella spp. in milk has not been studied extensively in Colombia. The 20.5% in the prevalence might be due to fact that the sample was taken directly from the mammary gland allowing a better chance of isolation by avoiding the dilutional effect of mixed milk from different cows in the buckets. This also suggests that the infection of the udder could have occurred by hematogenous dissemination or by milking machine contamination. This study highlights the need to implement measures to prevent contamination and reduce the problem in the herds, which will result in milk and dairy products with high standards of innocuity and quality and decrease the risk of foodborne illness.

About 800 donkeys that were confined in a restrictive area used in a manner comparable to a warehouse for receiving donkeys for slaughter were abandoned. After receiving reports of mistreatment, civilians acted to save the animals. A task force was organized that planned veterinary and zootechnical actions and activities for daily health management, feeding, and clinical care to attend to the abandoned donkeys. Positive cases were diagnosed for glanders, equine infectious anemia, equine herpesvirus, and equine babesiosis. The objective of this communication is to bring to the attention of the scientific community the interventions in the area of animal health and welfare, to address the episode of northeast donkeys that were victims of international trade. It is fundamental to change the approach related to the management of donkeys in Brazil, and appeal to the necessity to identify ethical and sustainable ways to incorporate donkeys in Brazil in the 21st century.

Sporotrichosis is a dermatozoonosis, caused by dimorphic pathogenic fungi of the genus Sporothrix. Although Sporothrix brasiliensis is the most frequent and pathogenic species identified from the Brazilian sporotrichosis hyperendemic, to the best of our knowledge this is the first report of its molecular diagnosis from a cat with ocular lesions. A 3-month old female, domestic feline presented an ocular manifestation with granuloma in the lower-left palpebral conjunctiva, in addition to mucocutaneous lesions in varied locations throughout the body. Samples were collected for subsequent cytopathology, fungal culture, serology, and molecular genotyping. Itraconazole was prescribed for the treatment of sporotrichosis and the animal was considered clinically cured at the end of 5 months of treatment and discharged. S. brasiliensis cat interactions can manifest with a multitude of clinical forms that resemble either infectious or noninfectious diseases. Both the need for meticulous cat physical evaluation by a veterinarian followed by accurate laboratory diagnosis are key Public Health measures in the Brazilian sporotrichosis hyperendemic area.

Toxoplasmosis is a protozoonosis caused by an obligate intracellular parasite named Toxoplasma gondii, which can infect humans and a large number of homeothermic animal species with worldwide distribution. The present study aimed to detect anti T. gondii antibodies from serological samples of free living wild animals from the northwest region of São Paulo state, Brazil. Thirty-two samples (eight from birds and 24 from mammals) were analyzed by the modified agglutination test (MAT) using 5 cut-off points for birds and 25 for mammals. Seropositivity was observed in 25% (2/8) of birds, including the species Rupornis magnirostris (roadside hawk) and Caracara plancus (southern caracara), and 29.2% (7/24) animals were seropositive among mammals, including one hoary fox (Lycalopex vetulus), two maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus), one black howler monkey (Alouatta caraya), two crab-eating foxes (Cerdocyon thous) and one gray brocket deer (Mazama gouazoubira). The results obtained with the present study indicate the exposure to T. gondii of free-living wild animals from the northwest region of São Paulo state and, therefore, that they probably play a role in the transmission and maintenance of T. gondii in the environment they inhabit. Thus, identification of the infection in several animal species in the region indicates the environmental contamination of the area. Studies of this nature may help to understand the importance of the prevention and control of this disease in Brazil.

Q fever in dairy cattle has been investigated in Latvia since 2012. In 2015, 10.7% of farms tested positive for the DNA of C. burnetii, its aetiological agent, in bulk tank milk. The presence of C. burnetii DNA and infectious bacteria in dairy products has been assessed in several countries, and because Latvian milk may contain them, parallel assessment in this country is recommended. Accordingly, the present study tested shop and farm retail dairy products from Latvia and included foreign products for comparison.

Introduction: Recently in Europe an increase in the population of red deer (Cervus elaphus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), and fallow deer (Dama dama) has been observed. Research on the prevalence of Leptospira infections in Polish cervids has been performed for the first time.