This study investigates the exposure of free-living jaguars from two federal protected areas in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso, Brazil, to a variety viral agents. These viral agents, particularly causing zoonotic diseases, were analyzed using serological and molecular methods. None of the jaguars was positive by RT-PCR for the molecular detection of avian influenza and West Nile Fever (WNF). Only one animal was serologically positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) by virus neutralization test in VERO cell cultures, representing the first reported case of jaguar exposure to EEE virus. However, all the animals were negative for Western Equine Encephalitis (WEE) virus and Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis (VEE) virus. Eleven jaguars were tested by two tests for the detection of antibodies against rabies virus (Simplified Fluorescent Inhibition Microtest – SFIMT and Rapid Fluorescent Focus Inhibition Test – RFFIT), resulting in five positive animals, two animals in each test and one in both serological tests. Furthermore, three out of 14 samples subjected to the neutralization test were positive for antibodies against canine distemper virus (CDV), and 15 out of 17 samples subjected to the hemagglutination-inhibition test (HI) were positive for antibodies against canine parvovirus (CPV). In view of the findings of this study, it is unlikely that the viruses examined here represent a threat to the jaguar populations in this region.

Serum samples from 83 free living wild pigs (Sus scrofa) from the Nhecolândia region, Pantanal do Mato Grosso, Brazil, were examined for the presence of antibodies against Neospora caninum by means of the indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT) with a cut off of 50. Antibodies were present in 10.8%, with titers of: 1:200 in one animal, 1:400 in four and 1:800 in four. Analysis using the χ2 test showed an association between sex and presence of antibodies, with females showing occurrence of 20.5% and males 2.3% (p = 0.017). No association was found between age and occurrences of antibodies against this parasite. This was the first observation of N. caninum antibodies in Brazilian wild pigs from Pantanal.

Mannheimia haemolytica (MH) é uma das principais causas da doença do complexo respiratório dos bovinos (DCRB) que causa grandes perdas econômicas. Até os dias atuais, não há relato de aves acometidas por tal bactéria. Relata-se um surto atípico de mannheimiose em emas em cativeiro (Rhea americana).

South American opossums are the definitive hosts of Sarcocystis neurona, Sarcocystis falcatula, Sarcocystis speeri and Sarcocystis lindsayi. The sporocysts of these species of Sarcocystis are morphologically similar and methods like infectivity and pathogenicity for intermediate hosts (immunodeficient mice and psittacine birds) and molecular tools are used for identification. Opossums are synanthropic wild animals, and widely distributed in Brazilian territory. Previous studies have shown high environmental contamination with S. neurona sporocysts in several Brazilian regions. This paper reviews information on Sarcocystis spp. shed by various opossum species and its occurrence in Brazil.

Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are obligatory hematophagous ectoparasites of a variety of vertebrate hosts and play an important role in the transmission and ecology of infectious pathogens causing diseases in humans and animals worldwide. Sixty-eight species of ticks exist in Brazil, and at least 23 are found parasitizing wild birds. This number is increasing with the advent of new studies highlighting the underestimated role of birds in the life cycle of these arthropods. In South America, many of these ticks are involved in epidemiology of the life-threatening spotted fever diseases caused by bacteria from the genus Rickettsia (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae). The aim of this paper is to present up-to-date knowledge about the bird-tick fauna of Brazil and their association with rickettsioses. The available literature concerning ticks on birds and tick-borne diseases related to these ticks in Brazil has been revised. It could be concluded that birds play a primary role in life cycles of various tick species, especially during immature stages (larvae and nymphs). The best known is a bird-tick fauna from the Atlantic Forest and from Brazilian savannah called Cerrado in southern and central Brazil, respectively. On the other hand, the knowledge about bird tick parasitism from other Brazilian biomes such as the Amazon, Caatinga, Pantanal and Pampas regions is very scarce and requires further study. Moreover, no studies about the role of birds as mobile hosts for spreading ticks to new areas exist, nor has their role in the natural life cycle of Rickettsia been thoroughly examined.

Equine influenza virus (EIV) (H3N8 and H7N7) is the causative agent of equine influenza, or equine flu. The H7N7 subtype has been considered to be extinct worldwide since 1980. Affected animals have respiratory symptoms that can be worsened by secondary bacterial respiratory infection, thereby leading to great economic losses in the horse-breeding industry. In Brazil, equine influenza outbreaks were first reported in 1963 and studies on hemagglutination antibodies against viral subtypes in Brazilian horses have been conducted since then. The objective of the present review was to present the history of the emergence of EIV around the world and in Brazil and the studies that have thus far been developed on EIV in Brazilian equines.

Streptococcus suis is an emerging zoonotic pathogen that causes septicemia, meningitis, arthritis, and pneumonia in swine and humans. The present study aimed to characterize the genetic diversity of S. suis serotype 2 isolated from pigs showing signs of illness in Brazil using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), single-enzyme amplified fragment length polymorphism (SE-AFLP), and profiling of virulence-associated markers. A total of 110 isolates were studied, 62.7% of which were isolated from the central nervous system and 19.1% from the respiratory tract. Eight genotypes were obtained from the combination of virulence genes, with 43.6% and 5.5% frequencies for the mrp (+) /epf (+) /sly (+) and mrp (-) /epf (-) /sly (-) genotypes, respectively. The presence of isolates with epf gene variation with higher molecular weight also appears to be a characteristic of Brazilian S. suis serotype 2. The PFGE and SE-AFLP were able to type all isolates and, although they presented a slight tendency to cluster according to state and year of isolation, it was also evident the grouping of different herds in the same PFGE subtype and the existence of isolates originated from the same herd classified into distinct subtypes. No further correlation between the isolation sites and mrp/epf/sly genotypes was observed.