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This study aims to report the presence of Neorickettsia risticii DNA in blood samples from naturally infected horses in Rio de Janeiro, provide clinicopathological findings related to the infection, and report the phylogenetic diversity of the 16S rDNA of N. risticii in order to evaluate its heterogeneity. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was performed to investigate the presence of N. risticii in samples collected from horses (n = 187). Five positive samples were found in the molecular screening. Hypoalbuminemia and high levels of creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase were the predominant findings in the biochemical analysis. The sequences were similar to those of N. risticii . Phylogenetic analysis revealed genotype segregation based on the geographical distribution in the N. risticii sequence clade. Dendrograms constructed with five hypervariable regions revealed that V4 distinguished Neorickettsia at the species level and produced a phylogeny that best represented the phylogeny obtained with the complete 16S rDNA sequence. This is the first report of N. risticii DNA in the blood of Brazilian horses based on sequences deposited in GenBank. Further studies are necessary to clarify the epidemiological chain of this vector-borne parasite in order to determine and establish appropriate preventive measures in the equine trading market.

Avian haemosporidian parasites are protozoans transmitted by vectors, belonging to the genera Plasmodium , Haemoproteus , and Leucocytozoon , capable of infecting various bird species. The prevalence of these parasites varies depending on factors such as the habitat and geographical location of the host and vector, as well as across different bird groups. Seabirds typically exhibit low infection rates due to the absence of vectors in marine environments. This study aimed to identify and characterize the molecular diversity of Haemosporida parasites in a population of Brown Boobies ( Sula leucogaster ) ( n  = 37) from the Santana Archipelago in Macaé, Rio de Janeiro state. We utilized PCR-based detection methods to confirm the presence of haemosporidian parasites and sequencing (ctyb gene) to delineate the lineages. The results uncovered a notable prevalence (48.6%) of haemosporidian parasites ( Plasmodium and Haemoproteus ), comprising 12 novel lineages and four previously documented lineages (establishing new host records). Our findings suggest that transmission and infection by these hemoparasites can occur both on and off the island. Overall, this study yields valuable insights into the genetic diversity of haemosporidian parasites in Brown Boobies, enriching our understanding of the ecology and epidemiology of these parasites in seabirds.

The growing proximity of wildlife to large urban niches arouses greater interest in understanding wild reservoirs in the epidemiology of diseases of importance to animal and human health. The aim of the present study was to investigate the presence of piroplasmids in opossums rescued from the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. Blood and bone marrow samples were collected from 15 Didelphis aurita and subjected to DNA extraction and PCR using primers for the 18S rRNA, cox1 , cox3 , and hsp70 genes of piroplasmids. Clinical and hematological evaluation of the animals was also performed. Five (33.3%) of the 15 opossums tested positive for piroplasms in the nested PCR based on the 18S rRNA, and in two animals, it was possible to observe intra-erythrocytic structures compatible with merozoites. One of the positive animals showed clinical signs of infection such as jaundice, fever, and apathy. Anemia, low level of plasma protein, leukocytosis, and regenerative erythrocyte signs were observed in positive animals. Phylogenetic analysis based on both 18S rRNA and cox-3 genes demonstrated that the piroplasmids detected in D. aurita formed a unique sub-clade, albeit related to piroplasmids previously detected in Didelphis albiventris and associated ticks from Brazil. This study proposes the novel Piroplasmida Clade, namely “South American Marsupialia Group,” and reinforces the need for new clinical-epidemiological surveys to understand the dynamics of these infections in didelphids in Brazil.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Feline cytauxzoonosis is a disease caused by Cytauxzoon felis, a protozoan that infects the red blood cells and macrophages. It is responsible for an acute and often fatal disease in domestic cats. The purpose of this study was to investigate the occurrence of C. felis infections in healthy cats. Piroplasm forms were seen in the erythrocytes of 2 cats, and C. felis DNA was identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in one of them. The results demonstrate that erythrocytic piroplasmids associated with tick-borne parasitic protozoa may be found circulating in the blood of healthy cats in Rio de Janeiro. These can be differentiated from the morphologically similar forms of species such as Babesia by analysis of DNA, thereby demonstrating the potential for further studies of feline populations in Brazil.

Objective: We aimed to assess the expression and localization of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) receptors in lung tissue and the plasma concentration of related peptides in IPF patients. Materials and Methods: This case–control study involved 19 patients from southern Brazil undergoing lung resection or transplantation. Plasma levels of Angiotensin I, II, A, 1-7, Alamandine were measured via liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Lung tissue expression and localization of angiotensin type 1 (AT1), Mas, and Mas-related G-protein-coupled receptor D (MrgD) receptors were evaluated using Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Clinical data and the 6-min walk test were analyzed to correlate receptor expression with lung function and oxygen dependence. Results: IPF patients showed reduced forced vital capacity (FVC) at 49 ± 13% and forced expiratory volume (FEV1) at 51 ± 14%, with a 60% increase in oxygen dependence. Plasma peptide concentrations were similar between the groups, except for Angiotensin I, which was significantly higher in the control group. In IPF lungs, AT1 and Mas receptors were expressed 2.31 and 2.13 times more, respectively, while MrgD expression was lower. Mas receptors were mostly found in bronchiole areas, whereas MrgD was predominant in the lung parenchyma. Conclusions: This study indicates that the RAS operates independently within tissue, in addition to its systemic functions, highlighting distinct differences between tissue and plasma RAS activities. The distinct roles of MrgD and Mas receptors in lung structure and function could be pivotal for new therapies, potentially leading to more effective IPF treatments.

To compare the use of inhalation versus intravenous anaesthesia for adults undergoing on-pump or off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. A systematic review. A hospital-affiliated university. The following databases were searched: the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL 2016, Issue 10), MEDLINE, EMBASE, and LILACS (from inception to October 2016). We used the GRADE approach to rate overall certainty of the evidence. In total we included 58 studies with a total of 6105 participants. The methodological quality was difficult to assess as it was poorly reported in 35 included studies (three or more domains were rated as unclear risk of bias). Two trials of sevoflurane showed a statistically significant reduction in death within 180 to 365days of surgery (on-pump) (RR 4.10, 95% CI 1.42 to 11.79; p=0.009; I2=not applicable; high quality of evidence). There was also a statistically significant difference favouring sevoflurane compared to propofol on both inotropic (RR 2.11, 95% CI 1.53 to 2.90; p<0.00001; I2=0%) and vasoconstrictor support needed (RR 1.51, 95% CI 1.04 to 2.22; p=0.03; I2=0%) after coronary artery bypass grafting on-pump. Two trials of sevoflurane (MD −0.22, 95% CI −0.41 to −0.03; p=0.02; I2=0%) and two further trials of desflurane (MD −0.33, 95% CI −0.45 to −0.20; p<0.00001; I2=82%) showed a statistically significant difference on cardiac index during and after coronary artery bypass grafting on-pump, respectively. There is high quality evidence that sevoflurane reduces death within 180 to 365days of surgery and, inotropic and vasoconstrictor support compared to propofol for patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. There is also some evidence showing that the cardiac index is minimally influenced by administration of sevoflurane and desflurane compared to propofol. •Inhalation anaesthetics have been shown to depress myocardial contractility in animal and human studies.•High quality evidence suggested a reduction in death within 180 to 365days of surgery with sevoflurane.•Results also suggested a significantly reduction in both inotropic and vasoconstrictor support needed with sevoflurane.

Background Previous studies that assessed risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE) in COVID-19 patients have shown inconsistent results. Our aim was to investigate VTE predictors by both logistic regression (LR) and machine learning (ML) approaches, due to their potential complementarity. Methods This substudy of a large Brazilian COVID-19 Registry included COVID-19 adult patients from 16 hospitals. Symptomatic VTE was confirmed by objective imaging. LR analysis, tree-based boosting and bagging were used to investigate the association of variables upon hospital presentation with VTE. Results Among 4,120 patients (55·5% men, 39·3% critical patients), VTE was confirmed in 6·7%. In multivariate LR analysis, obesity (OR 1·50, 95%CI 1·11-2·02); being an ex-smoker (OR 1·44, 95%CI 1·03-2·01); surgery ≤ 90 days (OR 2·20, 95%CI 1·14-4·23); axillary temperature (OR 1·41, 95%CI 1·22-1·63); D-dimer ≥  4 times above the upper limit of reference value (OR 2·16, 95%CI 1·26-3·67), lactate (OR 1·10, 95%CI 1·02-1·19), C-reactive protein levels (CRP, OR 1·09, 95% CI 1·01-1·18); and neutrophil count (OR 1·04, 95%CI 1·005-1·075) were independent predictors of VTE. Atrial fibrillation, peripheral oxygen saturation/inspired oxygen fraction (SF) ratio and prophylactic use of anticoagulants were protective. Temperature at admission, SF ratio, neutrophil count, D-dimer, CRP and lactate levels were also identified as predictors by ML methods. Conclusion By using ML and LR analyse, we showed that D-dimer, axillary temperature, neutrophil count, CRP and lactate levels are risk factors for VTE in COVID-19 patients.