BACKGROUND: Ensuring health quality of an agricultural or food product is of significance for consumers and could be a decisive factor in terms of attracting and maintaining the market for manufacturers.OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to determine the residues of florfenicol antimicrobial agent in the edible tissue (muscle) of rainbow trout reared in Sepidan County (Fars Province, Iran).METHODS: 50 fresh fish were purchased from 7 farms in Sepidan County. The samples from lateral muscle were taken and kept at -18 °C until the residues drug tests were performed. The florfenicol concentration was measured through the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).RESULTS: The mean of florfenicol residues in fish muscle reared in Sepidan County was significantly less than the drug products evaluation standard value (P<0.05). However, the concentration of this antibiotic sampled from one of the studied farms went beyond from standard value (1.12 µg.g-1). Of course, this difference was not significant (P>0.05).CONCLUSIONS: It seemed as though the residue levels of florfenicol in the purchased fish reached alarming levels. Meanwhile, it is possible that their average in an area would be within the range of food standards. Thus, it could be suggested that periodic monitoring be carried out continuously by the relevant institutions to ensure that consumer rights are more adequately met.

BACKGROUND: Antibacterial drug use in food producing animals, in addition to the very beneficial effects on the prevention, treatment, and control of infectious diseases, can lead to health risks including microbial resistance and drug residues. This survey was conducted due to the lack of information on the status of antibacterial drug use in dairy farms of Qom province. OBJECTIVES: To study the usage pattern of antibacterial drugs and compliance with public health- related measures in dairy cattle farms in Qom province. METHODS: In this study, 100 dairy herds were surveyed in three areas of Qom province including the southern part (Kahak), West (Jafar-abad and Khalajestan) and central part (Qom and the suburbs) using a questionnaire and direct interview. RESULTS: Injectable oxytetracycline, tylosin, penicillin + streptomycin were the most frequently used antibacterial products in dairy farms of Qom province (94%, 89% and 87%, respectively). A range of other antibacterial drugs showed high percentages of usage, as well. Among the 9 intramammary products, Tetranebalon®/Mastijet Forte® and Linconeocin MC® with 50% and 40% of frequency were the most commonly used products. Also, in a significant percentage of dairy farms, the milk collected from livestock treated with antibacterial drugs for mastitis (35%) or other illnesses (41%) was introduced into the milk reservoirs to be used in humans. CONCLUSIONS: In Qom province, there was an overuse of antibacterial drugs and high percentage of dairy farm units that did not follow the principles of rational drug therapy and the withdrawal times of milk and meat. This could be due to inadequate awareness of livestock workers regarding the public health implications of using these drugs and insufficient monitoring of veterinary authority in the province.

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.

Escherichia coli is present in the normal intestinal flora but some strains can cause intestinal and extraintestinal diseases, and research on its presence in food of animal origin is in the interests of public health. This study was designed to characterise E. coli strains according to their origin, their carriage of virulence genes specific for certain pathogroups, and phylogenetic group affiliation.

Helminths and protozoa are examples of endoparasites that, during their biological cycles, can alternate between free-life stages and parasitic stages in the environment. Pets, such as dogs and cats, live together with men and play an important role in the society; however, these animals may carry a large number of parasites which, besides showing direct pathogenicity to the host, represent risks to the human health, as is the case of parasitic zoonoses. Public areas like parks, gardens, squares and beaches may offer risks to human users since these environments may contain feces deposited by parasitized dogs. The present study  verified the occurrence of helminth eggs and/or protozoan cysts or oocysts in fecal samples collected from sand strips at the beaches Armação do Pântano do Sul, Campeche and Morro das Pedras, in the south of Florianópolis Island, Santa Catarina State (SC), during the summer period. Pet feces were collected in the 2016/2017 summer season, from December 2016 to February 2017. In the Laboratory of Animal Parasitology (CCA-UFSC), fecal samples were processed based on Willis-Mollay flotation technique and Hoffman sedimentation technique. Samples from all three analyzed beaches were positive for the presence of parasites and fecal material was found along the seashore, sites where people walk freely and barefoot. Of 104 fecal samples collected, 45 (43.27%) were positive for one or more parasites. The greatest prevalence was found in Campeche Beach, which had 72.22% positive samples. Ancylostomids were most prevalent, indicating that cutaneous larva migrans is likely to occur in humans. Other parasites such as Trichuris vulpis, Toxocara spp. and Giardia spp. were also detected in coproparasitological analyses. Based on the results, it was concluded that contamination of the beaches in Florianópolis Island, SC, constitutes a public health problem due to the possibility of zoonosis transmission. These results reinforce the importance of establishing health programs for parasite control and educational programs for elucidating the risks of transmission of these zoonoses to the population, as an attempt to reduce environmental contamination risks at beaches of seaside resorts.

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.

Cases of salmonellosis in humans have been associated with consumption of eggs contaminated with this bacterial pathogen due to insufficient heat treatment. The most prevalent serotypes of Salmonella in Brazil include serotypes Enteritidis, Typhimurium, and Heidelberg. The first two serotypes are major causes for eggs to be withheld from sale and for recalls over Salmonella contamination concerns in both domestic and foreign markets. Eggs may be contaminated through transovarian infection (transovarial transmission) due to the presence of the microorganism in the hen’s oviduct and bacterial penetration of the eggshell. There is little data in the literature on the susceptibility of egg contamination and eggshell penetration by Brazilian serotypes of Salmonella. The present study aimed to evaluate the ability of S. Heidelberg and S. Typhimurium serotypes to penetrate through the eggshell and detect these bacteria in the albumen and yolk according to the thickness of the eggshell. SPF (specific-pathogen-free) eggs were artificially contaminated by contact with moist cotton containing Salmonella (15 x 108 CFU/ml). Eggs were divided into the following groups: negative control (not contaminated), S. Heidelberg, and S. Typhimurium. Subsequently, these eggs were incubated at 37°C, and their contents analyzed after 4 h and 24 h of incubation. The evaluation (assessment) of the contamination was performed by traditional bacteriology and confirmed by biochemical and serological tests. Treatments were compared with Fisher’s test using a SAS statistical software. For S. Heidelberg, the percentage of positivity (positive cases) was lower in both albumen and yolk at 4 h and 24 h intervals (33.33% and 3.7%, and 3.7% and 3.7%, respectively) compared to S. Typhimurium (26.63% and 7.41%, and 33.33% and 33.33%, respectively). These findings suggest that the former strain (S. Heidelberg) was unable to survive in the hostile environment of the albumen. In contrast, eggshell thickness had no significant correlation with the number of positive samples. In conclusion, the results obtained in the egg infection model show that the Salmonella strains tested were able to penetrate the eggshell and multiply in both the albumen and yolk and that S. Typhimurium proved to be the most efficient to grow within these portions of the egg.

Passerines such as canaries or finches are the most unlawfully captured species that are sent to wildlife centers in São Paulo, Brazil. Captured birds may have infection by opportunistic bacteria in stressful situations. This fact becomes relevant when seized passerine are reintroduced. The aim of this study was to evaluate the health state of finches from illegal wildlife trade using microbiological approaches. Microbiological samples were collected by cloacal and tracheal swabs of 100 birds, captured during 2012 and 2013. The results indicate high frequency of gram-negative bacteria in feces and oropharynx, especially from the Enterobacteriaceae family (97.5%). The most frequent genera were Escherichia coli (46.5%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (10.4%). Enterobacter cloacae, Serratia liquefaciens, Serratia spp. Klebsiella oxytoca and Citrobacter freundii were isolated with lower frequency from asymptomatic birds. The presence of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) and Shiga toxin-producing strain (STEC) confirm the zoonotic risks and public health concern.

In Brazil, dogs and cats have free access in public areas in some cities, such as squares, parks and beaches, despite restrictive laws for their permanence in these places. Animals infected with intestinal parasites contaminate the environment through their feces. The present study aimed to verify the occurrence of helminth eggs, oocysts and protozoan cysts in stool samples from three beaches in Greater Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil, from March 2017 to April 2018. Stool samples were processed by the Willis-Mollay flotation technique and the Hoffman sedimentation technique. The percentage of 47.65% of positive samples for helminths or protozoa was found on the southern beaches of Florianópolis island, with an occurrence of 52.78% at Morro das Pedras Beach and 42.86% at Campeche Beach. At Pinheira beach, in Palhoça, 56.66% of the samples were contaminated with one or more zoonotic parasites. In this study, the most prevalent parasites on the three beaches analyzed were hookworms and Trichuris vulpis, followed by Giardia spp. and Cystoisospora spp. Samples containing Toxocara spp. eggs were collected at Pinheira beach. It is concluded that the contamination of the beaches in the present study constitutes a public health problem, considering the possibility of zoonoses transmission. The importance of implementing sanitary programs for the control of parasites in dogs and cats is emphasized, as well as awareness and education programs, in order to reduce environmental contamination in public places.

A number of 50 Ardeola ibis ibis birds were found harboring six nematodes species; Tetrameres species, Microtteramere species, Synhimantus invaginatus, Synhimantus equispeculatus, Ascaridia species, Paracamallanus species,and five species of trematodes; Euclinostomum heterostomum, Nephrostomum ramosum, Apharyngostrigea ibis, Apatemon gracilis and Centrocestus armatus. The most common infection by nematodes was (46%) in which highest infection rate Synhimantus invaginatus recorded (30 %) while the trematode infection was (24 %) and Apatemon gracilis was the most prevalent (16 %). Experimental infection of buff backed heron by encysted metacercaria (EMC) and exysted metacercaria (ExMC) of Clinostomum complanatum from freshwater fish Tilapia nilotica, resulted in adult worms formed after 6 days. Where the infection by EMC recorded higher worm burden (14-18 worm) and hatching percent (78%) while the infection by ExMC gave lower worm burden (7-10 worm / bird ) and hatching (48 %). In the present study, it is worthy to mention that buff backed heron act as final host model for Clinostomum complanatum and this will be helpful in further biological and immunological studies for this trematode to decrease its economic losses in fish intermediate host.Fifty random samples of Kareish cheese were collected from different localities in Bani-suef Governorate. All samples were examined chemically for acidity, salt and moisture percent and bacteriologicaly for the presence of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococci, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, Yersinia enterocolitica, Salmonella and Shigella species. The obtained results revealed that the mean values of acidity, salt and moisture % were 1.63 ± 0.095,3.55 ± 0.299 and 58.54 ± 0.599 in the examined kareish cheese samples, respectively.Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococci, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens were recovered from 16 (32%), 12(24%), 46 (92%), 25 (50 %) and 3 (6%) with a mean value of 4.86x102 ±4.21x10 2, 4.84x 10 5 ± 2.91x10 5, 3.74x10 6±1.55x10 6, 7.08x10 4±2.61x10 4 and 9.5x10 1 ± 7.37x10 1 of the examined samples , respectively. Yersinia enterocolitica could be isolated from 12% of the examined samples. Salmonella and Shigella species could not be detected in any of the examined samples. The isolated Escherichia coli were examined for serological identification, Enterotoxigenicity and the susceptibility of the isolated serovars to various chemotherapeutic agents. The public health significance and economical importance of the isolated organisms and the recommendations to be followed in the processing, handling and storage of such dairy product were discussed