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Detecção de parasitas do gênero Trypanosoma em pequenos ruminantes no norte maranhense, Brasil

2025-06-09T00:00:00Z

Título: Detecção de parasitas do gênero Trypanosoma em pequenos ruminantes no norte maranhense, Brasil Abstact: Animal trypanosomiasis represents a significant sanitary and economic challenge for tropical livestock production, causing severe anemia and systemic inflammation in ruminants. In Brazil, Trypanosoma vivax is the most clinically relevant species in goats and sheep, associated with high morbidity, mortality, and production losses, though infections may also occur asymptomatically. While T. evansi and T. theileri can infect small ruminants, their pathogenicity in these hosts is considered low. In Maranhão state, the complete absence of studies on trypanosomiasis in small ruminants represents a critical epidemiological gap, leaving herds vulnerable to undiagnosed outbreaks. This study aimed to detect Trypanosoma spp. in small ruminants across Maranhão using direct and indirect diagnostic methods. Blood samples were collected from 84 goats and 210 sheep across 14 farms in São Bento, Pinheiro, and Itapecuru-Mirim municipalities during both dry and rainy seasons. A structured questionnaire documented risk factors, and individual animal records included demographic and health data. Diagnostic approaches included direct microscopy of blood smears, indirect ELISA for anti-T. vivax antibodies, species-specific PCR targeting T. vivax, T. evansi, and T. theileri genomic fragments, sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of PCR-positive samples (BLAST against GenBank), and statistical analysis using Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests for risk factors. No trypanosomes were detected by microscopy. Seroprevalence reached 14.28% (42/294), with 30 (10.20%) goats and 12 (4.08%) sheep testing positive. Two samples (0.68%) were PCR-positive for T. vivax, showing 100% identity with Brazilian isolates from buffaloes, cattle, small ruminants, and donkeys in GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed homology with these T. vivax strains. All samples tested negative for T. evansi and T. theileri. Significant risk factors (p<0.05) included host species (higher in goats), recent animal acquisitions, veterinary care availability, farm infrastructure quality, and housing type. This study provides the first molecular evidence of T. vivax infection in Maranhão's small ruminants, highlighting the need for control measures. The findings expand understanding of animal trypanosomiasis in Brazil and underscore the vulnerability of small ruminant production systems to this neglected disease.

Ensino médico veterinário: percepção sobre o ensino de diagnóstico por imagem entre discentes e egressos de São Luís do Maranhão

2024-08-30T00:00:00Z

Título: Ensino médico veterinário: percepção sobre o ensino de diagnóstico por imagem entre discentes e egressos de São Luís do Maranhão Abstact: Veterinary medical education takes place in colleges, university centers and universities, in Brazil the mandatory registration of this diploma came in 1940, since then courses have been emerging, taking shape from the needs of the regions of implementation and thus many changes occur throughout the history of each veterinary medicine course. In Maranhão, changes occur in relation to the general workload, mandatory, elective, common and professional subjects, but they always occur with the intention of complying with the National Curricular Guidelines. After decades of its creation, the veterinary medicine course at the state university of Maranhão underwent an update of the course's pedagogical project, in 1995 the subjects of Methods and Techniques to Support Diagnosis I and II were created, with I being for the teaching clinical pathology and II for teaching imaging techniques that would assist the veterinarian's clinical routine, respectively with 90 and 60 hours, techniques to support diagnosis II became image diagnosis with 60 hours which remains with this load hourly to the present day after four updates to the course's pedagogical project, but with considerable changes in the wording of the syllabus and the direction of basic and complementary references. The effects of this form of teaching are observed in the questionnaires answered by students and graduates of the Veterinary Medicine course at the State University of Maranhão

Fundamentos técnico-científicos para elaboração de regulamento estadual de certificação do mel de abelhas sem ferrão do Maranhão

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Título: Fundamentos técnico-científicos para elaboração de regulamento estadual de certificação do mel de abelhas sem ferrão do Maranhão Abstact: Stingless bee honey has increasing socioeconomic and commercial relevance, especially in regions where meliponiculture is traditional, such as Maranhão. However, the lack of specific regulations for processing this product in the state compromises sanitary certification, quality standardization, and market competitiveness. With the aim of contributing to a draft state technical regulation on identity and quality for stingless bee honey, this study characterized the physicochemical, microbiological, and melissopalynological parameters of 15 samples from the five mesoregions of Maranhão and conducted a systematic review on the subject. The analyses included indicators of maturity, purity, deterioration, and microbiological quality, compared to limits established in regulatory standards of other Brazilian states. The results revealed conformity in the parameters of maturity and purity, with adequate levels of moisture, water activity, reducing sugars, diastase, ash, and insoluble solids, in addition to the consistent presence of pollen grains associated with regional flowerings. On the other hand, non- conformities were observed in the deterioration indicators, especially in the hydroxymethylfurfural values, in addition to punctual deviations in pH, free acidity, and mold and yeast counts, suggesting the influence of environmental conditions and processing practices. The findings provide a technical basis for establishing physicochemical and microbiological limits compatible with the productive reality of Maranhão. The proposed draft contributes to the standardization

Efeitos dos fungos micorrízicos arbusculares sobre os parâmetros fisiológicos e de crescimento do milho sob déficit hídrico

2024-03-26T00:00:00Z

Título: Efeitos dos fungos micorrízicos arbusculares sobre os parâmetros fisiológicos e de crescimento do milho sob déficit hídrico Abstact: the most significant for maize production, as it can cause physiological and growth changes in the plant. One strategy to mitigate the negative effects of WD is the use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), which provide greater acclimation capacity to WD conditions by enabling increased water and nutrient absorption, such as phosphorus and nitrogen. The aim of this study was to evaluate the responses of chlorophyll a fluorescence characteristics and growth in maize plants subjected to water deficit and inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at the Postgraduate Program in Agroecology of the State University of Maranhão, located in São Luís/MA, from September to November 2023. The soil used was collected from a preserved vegetation area at the University's School Farm. Hybrid maize seeds AG1051, with an early cycle, were used. For soil inoculation in the AMF treatments, the species identified as Rhizoglomus clarum, acquired from the Embrapa Agrobiologia germplasm bank (Seropédica, RJ), was used. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, with a factorial scheme of 4 (sterile soil; natural soil; sterile soil + R. clarum; natural soil + R. clarum) x 2 (irrigated and water deficit), and four replications, totaling 32 experimental plots. Each plot was represented by a 20 L capacity pot, with one plant per pot. The experiment lasted for 51 days, until the V5-V6 stage. Meteorological variables were monitored throughout the day, and soil moisture was maintained at 90% of field capacity (FC) until 46 days after planting, when water restriction occurred, and stressed treatments were maintained at 20% of FC. According to the results, water deficit significantly reduced plant height, stem diameter, leaf area, specific leaf mass, fresh leaf and stem mass, as well as dry leaf, stem, and root mass. Therefore, inoculation with Rhizoglomus clarum in natural soil mitigated some of these negative effects, resulting in higher growth values compared to sterile soil under water stress. Under irrigated conditions, inoculation with R. clarum and natural soil had higher biomass compared to the sterile treatment. Inoculation with AMF had a significant impact on chlorophyll a fluorescence. Additionally, higher levels of carotenoids were observed, both under water deficit and irrigated conditions, compared to the sterile treatment. These results indicate that the application of AMF had a synergistic effect on maize plants, influencing physiological and biochemical processes.