Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

This work performed a descriptive analysis of the quality of shampoos for use in dogs that are marketed in Mexico City. Up to now, there is a lack of information in this regard, which is important to facilitate the selection and recommendation of these products by veterinary professionals. Products of 20 commercial brands were studied, to which physicochemical, sensory and performance tests were carried out, in addition to evaluating the content of their labels. The pH of the shampoos varied between 5.6 and 8.4; the viscosity, between 1 131 and 3 102 m Pa-s; the relative density, between 1.002 and 1.099 g/mL and the foam rate between 2.9 and 4.0 min. 95 % of the shampoos formed a closed foam, between 10 and 35 % of the brands presented deficiencies in the labeling. Generally, the physical-chemical and sensory properties of the shampoos brands under study are within the acceptable limits for the line of use in humans. However, the lack of consistency in labeling suggests that it is necessary to improve the supervision of applicable regulations to protect animals and public health.

Distemper is a contagious, highly lethal, and almost incurable viral disease in dogs and other terrestrial carnivores. This study evaluated a new distemper treatment for dogs. Two healthy male dogs of mixed breed were prepared. A 1 000-dose vial of Newcastle disease vaccine was then diluted with 6 mL normal saline and 3 mL of it was injected into the cephalic vein of each dog, collecting 20 % of the blood volume 11 h later. Blood sera were separated and used as anti-Newcastle disease vaccine serum (ANDVS) to treat dogs suspected of having canine distemper. Dogs with confirmed distemper were grouped into the following seven treatment groups: 1- ANDVS; 2- ANDVS + Cotrimoxazole; 3- ANDVS + Penicillin-Gentamicin; 4- ANDVS + Cefazolin-Amikacin; 5- Cotrimoxazole; 6- Penicillin-Gentamycin; 7- Cefazolin-Amikacin. Then the fatality rate of dogs, association between distemper and sex, breed, age, and effects of distemper on hematological factors and vital signs were evaluated. The recovery rates in the ANDVS+ Cotrimoxazole and the ANDVS+ Cefazolin-Amikacin groups were higher than those in the ANDVS group (P < 0.05). Fatality rate was significantly different in distemper-positive and distemper-negative dogs. It is concluded that although ANDVS alone has no effect on the treatment of distemper, it can increase the recovery rate when combined with cotrimoxazole or cefazolin + amikacin as compared with the sole use of these antibiotics.

Bruises threaten the welfare of cattle because they cause pain, suffering, and stress during the pre-slaughter stage. Thus, we used meta-analyses to estimate the prevalence of carcass bruising in cattle from the American continent, determined the characteristics of the bruises, and calculated the odds ratio (OR) of risk factor categories associated with bruising. We searched electronic databases to retrieve primary studies conducted in the American continent, which reported cattle carcass bruising, analyzed the size, location, shape, and age of the bruises, and assessed risk factors for bruising. We included 46 studies from nine countries comprising 928 447 cattle carcasses with an overall prevalence of 59.5 % (95 % CI: 51.9 – 66-9) and 2.9 (range 3.4 – 7.4) bruises per carcass in average. The prevalence doubled from 30.7 % during 1991 – 2000 to 64.2 % during 2011 – 2020. Fresh, small-sized bruises of the lowest severity and located mainly in the hindquarter were highly prevalent (37.5 – 66.4 %). The removed meat due to bruising ranged 0.11 – 1.12 kg/carcass with an accumulated weight of condemned meat between 15.6 – 647 kg. Among intrinsic factors, older cattle, dairy cattle, and female cattle had greater odds of bruising (OR=1.57 – 1.98). For extrinsic factors, the odds for bruising increased 1.4 – 2.2 in cattle sourced from auction markets and exposed to poor handling, suboptimal transportation conditions, and deficient facilities. In cattle from America, bruises are a concern because their prevalence is growing and 60 % of cattle assessed in the studies suffered a bruise. Improving facilities and transportation conditions together with proper training of the personnel during the handling and transportation of the cattle will reduce bruising incidence.

Heat stress induces failures in the physiological mechanisms that regulate the body temperature of farm animals and causes a loss in their productive and reproductive potential. Thus, we performed a scoping review to systematically map, describe, and classify primary research that assessed the effect of heat stress on the reproductive, physiological, and productive parameters of livestock. Electronic databases were searched to retrieve full-text, peer-reviewed experimental or cohort studies published from 1980 to August 2018. We included in vivo and in vitro studies exposing animals or cells to heat stress conditions and used a control group. Studies were evaluated based on title and abstract and then selected for final inclusion based on full text. We performed data charting to describe and visualize the evidence. In total, we included 466 studies, among which bovines and porcines were the most frequent species studied. Reproductive and physiological parameters were the main groups of outcomes assessed, and studies using adult females predominated. Seventy percent of the studies were experimental, and almost half of the studies used natural environmental conditions to assess the effect of heat stress in animals. Most of the studies were performed in the Americas and Asia, and three journals provided one-third of the publications. The systematic evidence synthesis presented herein outlines the trends of research performed to assess the effect of heat stress on livestock and allowed us to define future secondary studies to extend our knowledge about the negative impact of heat stress on the productivity of farm animals.

We evaluated whether Arthrospira maxima, known as spirulina (Sp) counteracts the teratogenic effects induced by cyclophosphamide (Cp) in mice. Ninety pregnant CD-1 mice were divided into 6 groups: control, Cp 20 mg/kg, Sp 400 mg/kg and three with Sp at 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg with Cp. Sp was administered intragastrically from day of gestation (DG) 6 to 16 and Cp, intraperitoneally to DG 10. Females did not differ in weight, except for DG 10. In gravid parameters, Cp and Sp alone or in association did not show significant effects, except for umbilical cord length, placental diameter, weight and size of fetuses. At DG 17 the females were sacrificed to obtain pregnancy parameters. In the fetuses, macroscopic malformations such as anasarca, exencephaly, hydrocephalus, open eye, cleft palate, absence and deformations of upper and lower extremities and tail were evaluated, in skeletal anomalies absences, deformations, supernumerary bones and a delay in mineralization were observed, antioxidant enzymes were determined in the livers, as well as markers of damage due to oxidative stress. Sp 400 along with Cp counteracted the malformations significantly. Sp protects against Cp teratogenicity in mice by decreasing reactive oxygen species and increasing concentrations of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, although not catalase.

In this study, we tested whether early luteal phase  treatment with a previously used progesterone-releasing intravaginal device (DIV) increased conception rate (CR) in dairy cows. Two experiments were performed; in the first, progesterone concentrations were determined in cows treated with a reused DIV. Seven cows received PGF2a and a reused DIV was inserted for seven days. Blood samples were collected daily for progesterone determination. Progesterone increased from 0.42 ± 0.17 ng/mL (mean ±  standard deviation) at DIV insertion to 1.99 ± 0.52 ng/mL at  24 h and 2.11 ± 0.40 ng/mL at 48 h after; during the  treatment period, progesterone showed an average  concentration of 1.4 ± 0.55 ng/mL. In the second  experiment, 383 cows were randomly divided on day 4 post-insemination, into two treatment groups: DIV (n = 188), received a reused DIV, which was removed on day 14;  control (n = 195), did not receive DIV. Progesterone  concentrations were determined in seven cows from each group. The CR was not affected by treatment [DIV (33.5 %)  vs. Control (37.4 %); P > 0.05]. No interaction was observed between treatment and service number, parity, the type of postpartum (normal or pathological), body condition, or  days in milk (P > 0.05). Progesterone concentrations were similar between treatments (P > 0.05). We conclude that the insertion of a reused DIV at early diestrus did not increase serum progesterone concentrations or conception rate in dairy cows.

Research worldwide describes different prevalences of leptospirosis in domestic cats. The aims of this study were: to perform a systematic review to determine epidemiologic characteristics of published observational studies on leptospirosis, and to obtain pooled measures of the global prevalence of the disease with a meta-analysis for studies using indirect diagnostic tests (M1) and direct diagnostic tests (M2). A bibliographic search to find observational epidemiological studies reporting the prevalence of leptospirosis in cats was performed. The geographic location and decade of publication of the studies, serovars, serogroups and factors associated with Leptospira infection were summarized through a systematic review. Meta-analyses were achieved to obtain the pooled global prevalence (M1 and M2), prevalences according to the continent and origin of the sampled cats. 139 articles were found, and 93 were selected. In 16 articles, Leptospira serogroups were recorded and seropositivity was more frequent for Icterohaemorragiae, Australis, Autumnalis, Pomona. In 59 articles, the serovars were reported, being the most common reactions for Pomona, Grippotyphosa and Canicola. The M1 included 83 articles; the pooled prevalence was 11.09 % (95 % CI = 8.68–13.73). The M2 comprised 23 studies and the pooled prevalence was 9.22 % (95 % CI = 4.30–15.41). A subgroup analysis revealed higher pooled prevalences in Oceania and Europe, shelter, rural and outdoor cats in studies using indirect diagnostic tests and in Asia, stray cats and veterinary hospital patients in studies with direct tests.

The pregnancy rate (PR) is nowadays the most informative reproductive parameter, as it encompasses the proportion of cows that become pregnant from the total number of cows eligible for insemination in each estrous cycle. In the international scientific literature, there are several analyses concerning PR change effects on the profitability of dairy herds. In this study, the economic consequences of PR changes in a dairy herd under intensive management was calculated. We developed a mathematical model, based on the Monte Carlo simulation model, to estimate herd performance and economic utility using different pregnancy rates (between 15 and 30). The simulation was done using a fixed conception percentage of 30, so the increment in pregnancy rate only depended on the efficiency of estrus detection (EED) increase. In the generated model scenarios, PR increase had a positive effect on the annual cow income per year; however, the extra income had a quadratic trend with a revenue decline, when PR reached 20 %. So for every percentage point, where PR was increased from 15 to 20 %, an additional cow income of USD 40.46 per year was generated. Furthermore, the additional income for every percentage point, when the PR was increased from 20 to 25 % was USD 21; and USD 6.88, when the increase was from 25 to 30 %. We can conclude that any changes in herd management to increase the EED and thereby the PR should have lower costs compared

Escherichia coli is one of the most important bacteria associated with the consumption of meat products causing human disease, with bovines as the main reservoir for this organism. Microbiological quality of raw meat sampled at slaughterhouses was evaluated by measuring the presence of Escherichia coli serogroups that produce the Shiga toxin (referred to as STEC), including both O157:H7 and non-O157 strains can cause Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). The purpose of this study was to detect STEC O157 and non-O157 in meat products from Federal Inspection Type (FIT, n=52) and non-FIT (n=88) slaughterhouses, as well as butcheries (n=50), in southern Sonora, Mexico. To achieve this aim, selective media were employed to obtain putative O157:H7 colonies (TS-SMAC agar and Rainbow® agar O157), followed by multiplex PCR for the stx1, stx2, eaeA, and rfB genes, using the O157:H7 serotype as a control. No STEC O157 was found in beef products, but some non-O157 isolates were found containing the stx2 pathogenicity gene (1.40%, 3/224) and/or the fliCH4 flagellar antigen (1.78%, 4/224). This work also confirmed the susceptibility of strains with the stx2 and/or fliCH4 genes to several antibiotics and multi-resistance of all or some of these strains to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline, clarithromycin, penicillin G, oxacillin, ampicillin and cefazolin. This study comprises the first report of STEC non-O157 in Sonora and will be useful to establish their association with foodborne outbreaks originating from beef and pork consumption in the future.