Isaac De Gasperin-López

Information on Leptospira spp. exposure in Mexican equids remains limited. This cross-sectional study evaluated seropositivity and antigen-specific seroreactivity in 313 apparently healthy equids enrolled by convenience sampling in Los Tuxtlas (n = 119), Sotavento (n = 108), and Capital (n = 86), Veracruz, Mexico, from 2 October 2023 to 6 March 2024. Sera were examined by the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) against 13 antigens; titers ≥ 1:100 defined seropositivity. Overall seropositivity was 57.5% (180/313; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 52.0–62.9), with regional proportions of 49.6%, 65.7%, and 58.1%, respectively (unadjusted p = 0.048). Modified Poisson models with robust variance were fitted separately for region with species and region with sex. For Sotavento versus Los Tuxtlas, the adjusted prevalence ratio was 1.33 after adjustment for species (95% CI: 1.06–1.67) and 1.33 after adjustment for sex (95% CI: 1.06–1.66). Antigen-specific seroreactivity was most frequent for Australis (63/313; 20.1%), Bratislava (62/313; 19.8%), and Pyrogenes (57/313; 18.2%); these are overlapping antigen responses, not mutually exclusive serogroup estimates. Environmental and management exposures were not measured at the animal level. The findings support surveillance at the animal–human–environment interface but do not demonstrate active shedding or zoonotic transmission.

Mammary gland tumors in dogs are very common in clinical practice. Betulinic acid is currently a compound considered to have anticancer properties in human mammary tumors via nanoemulsions. In this study, betulinic acid nanoemulsions with a particle size of less than 300 nm were prepared. Biopsies were obtained from five female dogs with mammary tumors for histopathological analysis, confirming that two were tubular mammary carcinomas (MMTs, malignant) and three were complex mammary adenomas (BMTs, benign). The five female dogs were administered with a daily oral dose of nanoemulsion containing 5 mg/kg of betulinic acid for 30 days. Tumor size was measured every 7 days, and the response to treatment was assessed according to RECIST (Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors) standards. In one of the females with MMTs treated with the nanoemulsion, the tumor size was reduced by approximately 38%, while in the BMT female dogs, the nanoemulsion reduced the tumor size by 25.3%. It was concluded that oral administration of betulinic acid nanoemulsions reduced the size of canine mammary tumors. Experimental studies are still needed to further evaluate this preparation.

The use of omega fatty acids during pregnancy and lactation could be a beneficial strategy to improve health and production in ruminants. In this study, the effect of the dietary addition of c9, t11 and t10, c12 isomers of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in pure soybean oil (T1) was compared with pure soybean oil (T2) and soybean oil discarded after frying fish (Centropomus undecimalis, Pagrus pagrus, and Caranx crysos; T3) on the fatty acid profile in ewe milk and the tissues of their lambs. Forty-five multiparous ewes (East Friesian × Katahdin), 32 to 35 months old, 70 days pregnant, were randomly assigned to one of the three experimental diets. The fatty acid profile, total solids, fat, protein, and lactose in milk were determined 14 days postpartum. Fifteen lambs from each treatment were sacrificed at 70 days of age, and the fatty acid profiles in perirenal fat, muscle, and brain were determined. In milk, fat and total solids content were lower with T1. On the other hand, linoleic acid content, the sum of omega-6 and DHA were higher in T1 compared to other groups (p < 0.05). In the brain, stearic acid and linoleic acid concentration increased with T1; eicosapentaenoic acid decreased and omega-3s increased with T3, while DHA was lower in T2 (p < 0.05). The addition of CLA isomers or discarded soybean oil in ewe diet from pregnancy to lactation is advantageous for the ewe since less energy in the form of milk fat is lost. In addition, increasing the concentration of omega fatty acids in ewe diet to improve omega fatty acids in lamb’s brain could be a feed strategy to increase their productivity and health.