Urine Of Animals Research Articles

Mixed Leptospira infections in domestic animals from a rural community with high leptospirosis endemicity.

Leptospirosis is one of the most common zoonoses in the world which is associated with a severe febrile disease in humans causing a variety of syndromes including meningitis, interstitial nephritis, hepatitis, and sometimes death. Leptospirosis is caused by different pathogenic Leptospira species divided into almost 30 serogroups and more than 300 serovars which are carried by some animal asymptomatic chronic infections. Humans can become infected through direct contact with animal urine or indirectly by coming into contact with fresh water or mud contaminated with urine. In this research, we looked for leptospiral DNA in urine samples from dogs living in a rural, low-income and highly endemic community in the coast of Ecuador. We used molecular biology and next-generation sequencing for the detection. Our results showed evidence of two Leptospira species, L interrogans and L. santarosai, genomes in three dogs. It has been widely known that animal carriers are typically infected with a single leptospiral strain. However, recent reports, including the present one, indicate that carrier animals may be coinfected with two or more leptospiral species.

Ketone body oxidation and susceptibility to ethyl acetoacetate in a novel hemolytic multidrug-resistant strain Leptospira interrogans KeTo originated from sewage water

Terrestrial and aquatic environments contaminated with animal urine may contribute to the transmission of Leptospira, a causative agent of leptospirosis in humans and wild/domesticated animals. Although enormous amounts of work have been done decoding the ecophysiology, the factors governing the cell growth and virulence in Leptospires derived from environmental samples still remain elusive. Here, we show oxidation of a wide array of organic acids including acetoacetate by a new strain of Leptospira interrogans designated as KeTo, isolated from a sewage sample originating from a wildlife enclosure located at Mangalore, India. We further demonstrate the susceptibility of KeTo to ethyl ester of acetoacetate (ethyl acetoacetate, EA). A 4.7 Mbp genome of KeTo shared the highest relatedness to pathogenic L. interrogans RGAT (99.3%), followed by L. kirschneri 3522CT (91.3%) and other related species of Leptospira (80.8‒74.3%), and harbored genes encoding acetoacetyl-CoA synthetase and acetoacetate decarboxylase respectively involved in the acetoacetate utilization and acetone formation. In line with this, strain KeTo oxidized acetoacetate when supplied as a sole carbon. Aqueous EA suppressed biofilm formation (p < 0.0001) of KeTo in basal Ellinghausen–McCullough–Johnson–Harris (EMJH) medium. Similarly, significant inhibition in the growth/biofilm of Leptospira was recorded in semisolid EMJH with/without blood supplementation when exposed to volatile EA. The extent of ketone body oxidation and susceptibility to EA was found to vary with strain as evident through the analysis of L. interrogans serogroup Australis sv. Australis strain Ballico and L. interrogans serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae sv. Lai Like strain AF61. In conclusion, our study demonstrated the ketone body metabolic ability and susceptibility to an esterified derivative of a major ketone body in the tested strains of L. interrogans. Molecular aspects governing EA-driven growth inhibition warrant further investigations to develop optimal therapeutics for leptospirosis.

Thiopurine S‑methyltransferase- and indolethylamine N‑methyltransferase-mediated formation of methylated tellurium compounds from tellurite.

Tellurium (Te) is a metalloid widely used in various industries. However, its toxicological impact on humans is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the role of two methyltransferases, thiopurine S‑methyltransferase (TPMT) and indolethylamine N‑methyltransferase (INMT), in the methylation of tellurite, an inorganic Te oxyanion. The products of the reaction of Te compounds catalyzed by recombinant human TPMT and/or INMT were analyzed by liquid chromatography hyphenated to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LC-ICP-MS) and gas chromatographymass spectrometry (GC-MS). We found that TPMT catalyzes the methylation of non-methylated Te and methanetellurol to generate dimethyltelluride. On the other hand, INMT catalyzes the methylation of methanetellurol and dimethyltelluride to produce trimethyltelluronium ion, a metabolite excreted into animal urine. We conclude that TPMT and INMT are cooperatively responsible for the detoxification of Te oxyanions through methylation to form trimethyltelluronium ions.

Determination of 3-Phenoxybenzoic Acid by an Improved Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) by the Immobilization of Nanobodies with Streptavidin and Biotin

Nanobodies (Nbs) are single domain antibodies that are frequently utilized in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). However, a major limitation of nanobodies is their low sensitivity in capture assays. To address this issue, the combination of streptavidin and biotin can be employed to immobilize the nanobodies on plates in an oriented manner, thereby exposing their binding sites. In this study, nanobodies specific to 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) were biotinylated at their C-termini and immobilized onto streptavidin-coated microplates. A direct competitive ELISA was developed for the determination of 3-phenoxybenzoic acid in ovine and bovine urine. Compared to directly coating the nanobodies, the streptavidin-bridged nanobody capture-based ELISA demonstrated improved sensitivity, with a 16.6% enhancement, and a half-maximum inhibition concentration (IC50) of 2.05 ng/mL. The developed assay provided a linear range from 0.27 to 20.2 ng/mL (IC20-IC80) and a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.1 ng/mL. The average recoveries of 3-phenoxybenzoic acid spiked in the urine ranged from 82.57% to 102.75% and were consistent with values obtained by liquid chromatography – mass spectrometry (LC-MS). These findings demonstrate that the streptavidin-bridged capture nanobody-based ELISA significantly enhanced the sensitivity for the determination of 3-phenoxybenzoic acid residues in animal urine.

Synthesis and application of magnetic graphene oxide covalent organic framework composite for extraction of anabolic androgenic steroids and β-agonists in animal urine and tissue samples

In this work, a magnetic graphene oxide covalent organic framework composite was synthesized and utilized as an effective sorbent for magnetic solid phase extraction. A comprehensive investigation was conducted to optimize the extraction conditions, including sample pH, sample volume, adsorbent amount, adsorption time, choice of elution solution, elution volume, elution time, and ionic strength. Subsequently, the developed extraction method was combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the detection of 7 anabolic androgenic steroids and 4 β-agonists. Under the optimized condition, the limits of detection for the 7 anabolic androgenic steroids and 4 β-agonists ranged from 0.5 to 2 ng L−1, with relative standard deviations varying from 4.18 % to 12.4 % at a concentration of 0.025 μg L−1. Calibration curves were established using the peak area of analytes at concentrations spanning 5–500 ng L−1, resulting in correlation coefficients within the range of 0.9949–0.9989. The enrichment factors achieved through magnetic solid phase extraction were found to be 91.4–97.3. The proposed method was successfully applied for the determination of target analytes in hog urine, bovine urine, beef, mutton, pig liver and pork powder samples. Ractopamine and clenbuterol were identified in the pork powder (quality control sample) at concentrations of 21.0 μg kg−1 and 42.6 μg kg−1, respectively. The proposed method is a sensitive, reliable, and convenient analytical method for anabolic androgenic steroids and β-agonists monitoring in animal urine and tissues.

Biodetection of an odor signature in white-tailed deer associated with infection by chronic wasting disease prions.

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has become a major concern among those involved in managing wild and captive cervid populations. CWD is a fatal, highly transmissible spongiform encephalopathy caused by an abnormally folded protein, called a prion. Prions are present in a number of tissues, including feces and urine in CWD infected animals, suggesting multiple modes of transmission, including animal-to-animal, environmental, and by fomite. CWD management is complicated by the lack of practical, non-invasive, live-animal screening tests. Recently, there has been a focus on how the volatile odors of feces and urine can be used to discriminate between infected and noninfected animals in several different species. Such a tool may prove useful in identifying potentially infected live animals, carcasses, urine, feces, and contaminated environments. Toward this goal, dogs were trained to detect and discriminate CWD infected individuals from non-infected deer in a laboratory setting. Dogs were tested with novel panels of fecal samples demonstrating the dogs' ability to generalize a learned odor profile to novel odor samples based on infection status. Additionally, dogs were transitioned from alerting to fecal samples to an odor profile that consisted of CWD infection status with a different odor background using different sections of gastrointestinal tracts. These results indicated that canine biodetectors can discriminate the specific odors emitted from the feces of non-infected versus CWD infected white-tailed deer as well as generalizing the learned response to other tissues collected from infected individuals. These findings suggest that the health status of wild and farmed cervids can be evaluated non-invasively for CWD infection via monitoring of volatile metabolites thereby providing an effective tool for rapid CWD surveillance.

ANTIBODIES AGAINST Leptospira spp. IN DAIRY CATTLE IN A FAMILY AGRICULTURE SYSTEM

Leptospirosis is an endemic zoonosis in Brazil responsible for numerous reproductive and economic losses to the dairy industry. Brazil ranks fifth in the world's production of cow's milk and around 23 million cows are milked every day. The northwest region of the state of São Paulo has a considerable number of family farming settlements, with dairy farming being predominant. This article reports a seroepidemiological study to detect agglutinins against Leptospira spp. in 1,004 dairy cattle kept on 64 family farms producing milk in the northwest region of São Paulo. Management and environmental data for situation diagnosis were obtained with a questionnaire. Antibodies against Leptospira spp. were investigated by the microscopic seroagglutination test (SAM) and milk and urine samples were obtained from seroreactive animals with titer ? 400. These samples were submitted to molecular tests. Of the 64 properties studied, 63 (98%) had seroreactive animals. Of the 1,004 animals, 523 (52%) were reactive. According to the molecular tests, the presence of Leptospira spp. in the urine and milk of the seroreactive animals was negative. Wetlands, presence of rodents, occurrence of abortion, presence of dogs, presence of cats and presence of horses were variables associated with the risk of infection by Leptospira spp. In addition to its importance in animal health, leptospirosis poses a risk to human health, a situation that indicates the need for improvement of sanitary conditions in rural properties.

Mathematical Analysis and Numerical Simulation on Free-Living Leptospira: A Mathematical Modeling Perspective

A bacterial disease called leptospirosis is very typical in both tropical and subtropical regions. It is a well-known animal-borne illness that is brought on by spiral-shaped bacteria (Leptospira spp.). Both directly and indirectly, the disease can spread to humans through the urine of sick animals or polluted water, soil, or food. Two phases might appear in leptospirosis symptoms. The patient will have symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, vomiting, or diarrhea during the first phase, which is known as the Septicemic phase. In the meantime, the Immune phase, the second, is more severe. Meningitis, liver failure, renal failure, or both could be fatal for the patient. This study aimed to create a mathematical model of leptospirosis disease using free-living bacteria. In the model, interactions occur between people, free-living Leptospira, animal hosts, and animal vectors. The population's characteristics are used to build the model, and the actual issue is used to identify the disease's transmission paths. While the endemic equilibrium is investigated numerically, the disease-free equilibrium is analyzed theoretically. The paper demonstrates that for the established mathematical model with an epidemic threshold $R_0$, analytical and numerical solutions produced the same outcome.

Ultrasound probe enhanced enzymatic hydrolysis for rapid separation of β2-adrenergic agonists from animal urine and livestock wastewater: Applicability to biomonitoring investigation

BackgroundAn increasing number of β2-adrenergic agonists are illicitly used for growth promoting and lean meat increasing in animal husbandry in recent years, but the development of analytical methods has lagged behind these emerging drugs. ResultsHere, we designed and developed an ultrasound probe enhanced enzymatic hydrolysis reactor for quick separation and simultaneously quantification of 22 β2-adrenergic agonists in animal urine and livestock wastewater. Owing to the enhancement of the conventional enzymatic digestion through the ultrasound acoustic probe power, only 2 min was required for the comprehensively separation of β2-adrenergic agonists from the sample matrices, making it a much more desirable alternative tool for high-throughput investigation. The swine, bovine and sheep urines (n = 287), and livestock wastewater (n = 15) samples, collected from both the north and south China, were examined to demonstrate the feasibility and capability of the proposed approach. Six kinds of β2-adrenergic agonists (clenbuterol, salbutamol, ractopamine, terbutaline, clorprenaline and cimaterol) were found in animal urines, with concentrations ranged between 0.056 μg/L (terbutaline) and 5.79 μg/L (clenbuterol). Up to nine β2-adrenergic agonists were detected in wastewater samples, of which four were found in swine farms and nine in cattle/sheep farms, with concentration levels from 0.069 μg/L (tulobuterol) to 2470 μg/L (clenbuterol). SignificanceInterestingly, since β2-adrenergic agonists are usually considered to be abused mainly in the pig farms, our data indicate that both the detection frequencies and concentrations of these agonists in the ruminant farms were higher than the pig farms. Furthermore, the findings of this work indicated that there is a widespread occurrence of β2-adrenergic agonists in livestock farms, especially for clenbuterol and salbutamol, which may pose both food safety and potential ecological risks. We recommend that stricter controls should be adopted to prevent the illegally usage of these β2-adrenergic agonists in agricultural animals, especially ruminants, and they should also be removed before discharging to the environment.

Quantum dots as a fluorescent labeling tool for live-cell imaging of Leptospira.

Leptospirosis is a global public health problem caused by Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria belonging to the genus Leptospira. The disease is transmitted through the urine of infected animals, which contaminates water and soil, leading to the infection of other animals and humans. Currently, several approaches exist to detect these bacteria; however, a new sensitive method for the live-cell imaging of Leptospira is required. In this study, we report the green synthesis of cadmium telluride quantum dots (CdTe QDs) which are unique fluorescent nanocrystals with a high fluorescence quantum yield capable of modifying cell surfaces and are biocompatible with cells. The fabrication of QDs with concanavalin A (ConA), a carbohydrate-binding lectin and known biological probe for Gram-negative bacteria, produced ConA-QDs which can effectively bind on Leptospira and exhibit strong fluorescence under simple fluorescence microscopy, allowing the live-cell imaging of the bacteria. Overall, we performed the simple synthesis of ConA-QDs and demonstrated their potential use as versatile fluorescent probes for the live-cell imaging of Leptospira. This technique could be further applied to track leptospiral cells and study the infection mechanism, contributing to a more thorough understanding of leptospirosis and how to control it in the future.

Human Case of Leptospirosis During a Canine Disease Outbreak - Wyoming, 2023.

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic bacterial disease spread through the urine of infected animals; the typical incubation period is 5-14 days. In approximately 90% of human cases, illness is asymptomatic or mild, characterized by fever, chills, myalgia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, calf pain, and conjunctival suffusion, but severe illness can progress to multiorgan dysfunction and death. Although Wyoming is considered a low-risk area for leptospirosis because of its cold and semiarid climate, the Wyoming Department of Health was notified of a probable human case in August 2023, the first reported in the state since 1983. The patient had occupational exposure to dogs but did not report other risk factors. The same week that the human patient's illness began, public health authorities received notification of an increase in canine leptospirosis cases. Public health authorities investigated to determine potential sources of infection, identify additional cases, and recommend control measures. After public health outreach activities were implemented, canine vaccination practices changed substantially in the affected city: a survey conducted after the outbreak revealed that all responding veterinary clinics in the affected city were recommending the vaccine more frequently to dog owners and reporting higher levels of owner compliance with vaccination recommendations. Increased vaccination coverage offers protection from leptospirosis for both dogs and persons exposed to them. Leptospirosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of persons with occupational exposure to animals and clinically compatible signs and symptoms, including fever, chills, myalgia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, calf pain, and conjunctival suffusion, irrespective of geographic location.

BIAŁKOMOCZ PSÓW I KOTÓW – WYBRANE ZAGADNIENIA Z FIZJOLOGII I PATOFIZJOLOGII NEREK

Protein in the urine of healthy dogs and cats is present in trace amounts. It can occur in larger quantities in the urine of sick animals, as well as during certain physiological conditions. Routinely, proteinuria is assessed using the urine protein to creatinine ratio (UPC), which is a widely recognized prognostic indicator. Under normal conditions, its value is &lt;0.2. Values ranging from 0.2 to 0.4 in cats and from 0.2 to 0.5 in dogs are considered upper limit of normal, whereas UPC values &gt;0.4 in cats and &gt;0.5 in dogs are indicative of proteinuria. When diagnosing the causes of proteinuria in dogs and cats, it is important to consider damage to the glomeruli, renal tubules, interstitial tissue, and progressive loss of nephrons. Protein fractions present in urine, which vary in molecular weight, are sensitive diagnostic indicators of kidney dysfunction. Increased excretion of high molecular weight proteins may indicate damage to the renal glomeruli, while loss of low molecular weight proteins may suggest dysfunction of the renal tubules. If proteinuria persists and/or does not resolve after treating the underlying disease, it is necessary to initiate treatment aimed at reducing proteinuria by &gt;90% in cats and &gt;50% in dogs. The most effective treatment method for reducing proteinuria, while also having nephroprotective and cardioprotective benefits, is the blockade of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (at its different levels). It is also essential to implement a proper diet, particularly by restricting protein and sodium intake.

Multidrug-Resistant Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis Isolated from Dogs and Cats in Southern Brazil

Enterococcus spp. are isolated from infections of domestic animals and can present resistance to different antimicrobials. This study aimed to identify the main species of Enterococcus and determine the phenotypic resistance to antimicrobials of isolates of this bacterial genus obtained from dogs and cats admitted to a veterinary hospital in southern Brazil. A total of 57 Enterococcus spp. were isolated from different clinical samples (urine, feces, ears and skin) in domestic animals admitted to the hospital over a period of three years (2016 to 2019). MALDI-TOF results demonstrated the occurrence of Enterococcus faecium (39; 68.4%), Enterococcus faecalis (17; 29.8%) and Enterococcus avium (1; 1.8%). In an overall analysis, resistance was observed to the antimicrobials rifampicin (46; 80.7%), tetracycline and streptomycin (42; 73.7%), ampicillin and imipenem (41; 71.9%), erythromycin (39; 68.4%), gentamicin (38; 66.7%), ciprofloxacin (36; 63.2%), norfloxacin (32; 56.1%), nitrofurantoin (10; 17.5%) and chloramphenicol (9; 15.7%). None of the Enterococcus spp. showed resistance to vancomycin and linezolid. Multidrug resistance (MDR) was detected in 45 (78.9%) isolates. In conclusion, E. faecium and E. faecalis with MDR are frequent in infections of hospitalized dogs and cats from southern Brazil.

The Antimicrobial Effect of Cornus mas L. and Sorbus aucuparia L. Fruit Extracts against Resistant Uropathogens in Correlation with the Prevalence of Urinary Tract Infections in Companion Animals.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a widespread condition in pets, with many antibiotics being prescribed, contributing to the rise in antimicrobial resistance, which is a worldwide threat. This study's main objective was to analyze the in vitro antimicrobial activity of Cornus mas and Sorbus aucuparia fruit hydro-ethanolic extracts towards bacteria identified in the urine of companion animals experiencing UTIs. Urine samples were collected from dogs and cats (n = 83; 47 negative, 36 positive); several bacterial strains were identified (n = 49) belonging to the Escherichia, Enterococcus, Staphylococcus, Proteus, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Leclercia, and Kocuria genera. Bacterial susceptibility was tested using the disk diffusion method, with the majority being resistant to several beta-lactams, quinolones, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, and nitrofurantoin. Subsequently, 13 resistant isolates were selected to evaluate the fruits extracts' antimicrobial potential using the agar well diffusion and broth microdilution methods. Cornus mas exhibited the greatest activity against Gram-negatives (primarily Pseudomonas luteola), while Sorbus aucuparia showed maximum effects towards Gram-positives (particularly Enterococcus faecalis). The MIC was 0.01 μg/μL for both extracts; the MBC was 0.08 μg/μL for Cornus mas and 0.05 μg/μL for Sorbus aucuparia. However, Cornus mas showed a stronger bactericidal effect. This is the first study to investigate these fruit extracts in UTI isolates of companion animals, and these extracts might be used as substitutes or adjuvants for antibiotics, thus contributing to a reduction in antimicrobial resistance.

Identification of EA-3167, a Structural Analogue of the BZ Incapacitant, in Objects Delivered from the Zone of a Special Military Operation and Detection of Its Metabolites in Urine during Exposure of Rats

Earlier, we found that two alcohol-containing samples delivered from the zone of special military operation contain a rare psychoactive substance EA-3167, which is a structural analogue of the well-known incapacitant BZ, included in the Schedule 1 of the Chemical Weapons Convention. In addition to EA-3167, additives of methadone, α-pyrrolidinovalerophenone and tetrahydrocannabinol were found in liquids.The aim of the work is to establish the analytical characteristics of EA-3167, as well as its metabolites in rat urine. Research methods. Structural identification of the detected substance by nuclear magnetic resonance, gas and liquid chromatomass spectrometry of delivered objects and rat urine obtained by exposing laboratory animals to the detected substance.The results of the study. Concentrations of EA-3167 in liquids were found to be 910 and 3.9 μg/mL, respectively. It has been established that EA-3167 is subject to intensive metabolism in rats. More than 30 metabolites, representing products of mono- and dihydroxylation of aliphatic moieties of the molecule, ketone formation, and hydrolysis, have been tentatively identified in the urine of laboratory animals. Conclusion. The most convenient markers for confirming poisoning of EA-3167 by gas and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry were the parent substance, the products of its monohydroxylation and the formation of carbonyl group on the cyclopentyl moiety.

Ecological Studies and Epidemiological Aspects of Leptospirosis in the Northeast Region of Brazil

Introduction: Leptospirosis, a globally prevalent zoonotic infection, affects approximately one million people annually. Originating from the bacterium Leptospira, it is transmitted through contact with the urine of reservoir animals, such as rodents. In Brazil, it is endemic, especially in the Northeast region, where poor sanitary conditions contribute to its dissemination. The objective of this study is to analyze the main determining factors for the increase in leptospirosis cases in the Northeast region of Brazil, with an emphasis on rainfall patterns and deficiencies in basic sanitation. Methodology: The methodology consisted of a qualitative exploratory-descriptive bibliographic review of articles published between 2014 and 2024 in Portuguese, English, and Spanish. Inclusion criteria were relevance to the topic, while exclusion criteria involved duplicated articles or those that did not highlight the content of interest. The search was conducted in databases such as LILACS, SciELO, and PubMed, using specific descriptors. The analysis involved careful selection and exhaustive reading for the categorization of results. Results and Discussion: Leptospirosis impacts urban and poor areas, with over one million annual cases globally. Factors such as precipitation and disordered urbanization contribute to its spread, especially in tropical regions. Low-income populations are vulnerable due to the lack of basic sanitation. The unequal distribution reflects socio-economic disparities, with densely populated urban areas being more affected. Conclusion: Leptospirosis poses a challenge to public health, especially in regions with poor sanitary conditions. Effective control requires a comprehensive approach, including improvements in sanitation infrastructure, health education, and rodent control.

Leptospira borgptersenii and Leptospira interrogans identified in wild mammals in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Leptospira spp. are bacteria responsible for leptospirosis, a zoonotic disease with considerable impacts on the economy, animal health, and public health. This disease has a global distribution and is particularly prevalent in Brazil. Both rural and urban environments are habitats for Leptospira spp., which are primarily transmitted through contact with the urine of infected animals. Consequently, domestic and wild species can harbor these prokaryotes and serve as infection sources for other hosts. In the context of wild animals, there is a dearth of molecular studies elucidating the roles of various animal and bacterial species in the epidemiology of leptospirosis. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the presence of Leptospira spp. DNA in different species of free-living and captive wild animals and to assess the phylogenetic relationships of the identified microorganisms in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The samples were evaluated for the presence of the gene lipL32 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing of the amplified fragment after which phylogenetic analyzes were carried out. DNA from Leptospira spp. was extracted from kidney tissue from wild animals (Mammalia class). Pathogenic Leptospira spp. DNA was detected in 9.6% (11/114) of the samples, originating from nine species of wild animals, including the white-eared opossum (Didelphis albiventris), skunk (Conepatus chinga), geoffroy's cat (Leopardus geoffroyi), margay (Leopardus wiedii), pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus), capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), neotropical river otter (Lontra longicaudis), and european hare (Lepus europaeus). Phylogenetic analysis revealed the presence of Leptospira borgpetersenii and Leptospira interrogans in these animals. This research is the first study contributing to the epidemiology of leptospirosis by identifying L. borgpetersenii and L. interrogans in free-living and captive wild animals in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, potentially acting as bacterial reservoirs. Additionally, our findings can inform sanitary measures for controlling and preventing the disease, thereby safeguarding public health.

Diuretic and Anti-Hypertensive Activity of Clerodendrum Chinense (OSBECK) MABB. Aqueous Extract in 8% Salt Diet-Induced Hypertensive Rats

Diuresis refers to an increase in the rate of urine flow and sodium excretion from the system via the urine. It is a necessary excretory process that may prove difficult for some disease systems e.g. enlarged prostates. Hypertension occurs as a result of systolic blood pressure higher than 140 mmHg or a diastolic blood pressure higher than 90 mmHg. It is one of the most common chronic diseases affecting more than a billion people worldwide. A high dietary sodium intake is one of the factors associated with the development of hypertension. Clerodendrum chinensis is used by local communities in West Africa for its diuretic and anti-hypertensive properties. We analyze the phytochemical properties of the mixed leaf, root, and stem aqueous extract of the plant and investigate its anti-hypertensive and diuretic activity in Sodium chloride diet-induced hypertensive rats. The anti-hypertensive effect of extract at different concentrations (100, 200, and 300 mg/kg) was studied and compared with a known drug compound; Furosemide. Treated animal urine was analyzed for urinary excretion and diuretic action. The anti-hypertensive effect was statistically significant when compared with the control p &lt; 0.001. The extract at 100mg/kg demonstrated the best systolic and diastolic blood pressure lowering potential as compared to other concentrations. The diuretic action of the plant extract at the lowest dose (100 mg/kg) was high and quantitatively similar to the standard drug. The combined powdered leaf, stem and roots aqueous extract of C. chinense possesses anti-hypertensive and diuretic potential in salt-loaded hypertensive rats.

Comparative analysis of etiological factors of infectious urocystitis of dogs and cats

Worldwide, urocystitis is the most common disease of the urinary system. Urocystitis is a generalized name, since the disease has a varied etiology and can be complicated by bacterial microflora, passing from a non-infectious pathological process to an infectious one. Often, during the course of urocystitis, bacteria play the role of a complicating factor or are the primary cause of infectious urocystitis in dogs and cats. It should be noted that various pets can suffer from urocystitis, regardless of their age and sex. Therefore, the study of the causes of the disease among domestic animals, its etiology and degree of spread plays an important role in veterinary science. Identification of pathogens that most often provoke infectious urocystitis with the determination of their sensitivity to antibacterial agents is the key to successful treatment of this disease. Postmortem examination of small animals suffering from bacterial urocystitis showed that the pathological process was present in the urethra and bladder. Pathomorphological changes were characterized by purulent-catarrhal inflammation of the bladder with hemorrhages on its mucous membrane. The wall of the urethra was thickened, the mucous membrane was soaked with diffuse hemorrhages, and urethra was filled with hemorrhagic exudate. In order to find out the percentage ratio of infectious and non-infectious urocystitis, to identify microbial cells, to determine the species composition of the microflora and its sensitivity to antibiotics of different groups, aseptic urine samples were taken from animals with urocystitis. The study was conducted on 82 sick cats and dogs. The percentage of animals studied: 67% were dogs and 33% were cats. Urine collected by cystocentesis was subjected to microscopy and it was sown on nutrient media. Microscopy results showed the presence of bacteria of different shapes and concentrations in the urine of the sick animals. Of all the studied samples, 70.7% had no growth on nutrient media, which indicates the sterility of the studied urine while 29.3% showed bacterial growth when cultured on dense nutrient media (MPA, MPB and blood agar). In the process of microbiological research, the growth of six cultures of microorganisms was revealed, including: Enterococcus spp. (33.3%), Escherichia coli (29.2%), Corynebacterium urealyticum (12.5%), Staphylococcus spp. (12.5%), Proteus spp. (8.3%), Staphylococcus haemolyticus (4.2%). The obtained pure cultures were cultured on the selective Muller-Hinton medium in order to determine their antibiotic resistance. It was established that bacterial agents show the greatest sensitivity to fluoroquinolone antibiotics (enrofloxacin, ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin), cephalosporins (cefazalin, cephalexin, and ceftriaxone) and nitrofuran derivatives (furomag, furagin) on the Muller-Hinton medium.

Pojavnost tiouracila u svinjećim i goveđim urinima prikupljenih na hrvatskim farmama

Thyrostats are a group of forbidden substances in food producing animals that increase water absorption in muscle tissue and the gastrointestinal tract of animals. These substances can be abused as illegal growth promoters as oral drugs on farms before slaughtering. The consequences of their illegal use on farm animals include higher yield though inferior meat quality, while these substances also pose a potential risk to human health, and so their application is banned in European Union Member States. Thiouracil (2-thiouracil) (TU) is the representative, and belongs to the group of thyrostats but also can be naturally present in the urine of farm animals fed with feed containing Brassicaceae species. The aim of this study was to monitor TU concentrations in pig and bovine urine in the period from 2015 to 2023. For this purpose, 391 urine samples were collected as a part of the National Residue Control Plan (NRCP) and TU concentrations were determined by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. TU was detected in 89 of 391 samples, or 22.76%. TU concentration ranged from 1.66 to 28.30 μg/L, and a statistically significant difference (P &amp;lt; 0.05) was determined in urine TU concentrations between pigs and bovines. Mean concentrations of TU varied by year, and ranged from 1.66 to 8.06 μg/L in pig urine and from 5.92 to 13.68 μg/L in bovine urine. None of the analysed urine samples contained TU concentration in excess of 30 μg/L, which is the cut-off value to distinguish potentially natural origin resulting from a cruciferous diet (Brassicaceae species). The results exclude the possibility of abuse of this substances in the livestock industry in the Republic of Croatia.