núm. 11 (2006)

A diagnose of periodontal diseases was performed in 12 species of carnivores at Jaime Duque Zoo. 23 animals were sampled under different general anesthesia protocols. A protocol of the oral cavity examination was designed and implemented, making emphasis in the periodontal anomalies. 16 of the 23 individuals presented periodontal disease. A microbiological culture was performed from the oral cavity of 9 individuals, this results indicated mostly normal bacterial flora.

Dermatopathology is one of the most valuable diagnoses in skin disease in all animal species. Pattern analysis method in histopathology reading has revolutionized dermatohistopathology and has permitted a better approach to the final diagnosis of dermathopaties. There are nine basic histological patterns: superficial perivascular dermatitis, superficial and deep perivascular dermatitis, nodular and diffuse dermatitis, intraepidermal vesicular and pustule dermatitis, subepidermal vesicular and pustule dermatitis, perifolliculitis, folicullitis and furunculosis, fibrosing dermatitis, vasculitis and panniculitis. These patterns create a list of differential diagnosis, which easily lead to the final diagnosis. It is important that clinicians and pathologists know and work together in the use of these patterns.

The zoonotic diseases, represents a constant risk for humans and animals, during years it had been studied the epidemiology behaviour of this kind of agents that produce fatal epidemics in the whole world, is important to maintain current information that direct people about the behaviour of diseases to let them act properly during the presentations of a zoonotic event. In Colombia was made a work that reflects the behaviour of some zoonosis until 1997, from this date it has been development independent studies that notify the conduct of some diseases, over all those that had represent an important risk for public health. Whit this work are compile the most number of facts about zoonotic cases in Colombia since 1997 to 2003, where is done a retrospective epidemiology analysis to know the behaviour of this agents during the last years and try to predict for each one of them. In general there is control over the viral diseases thanks to the vaccination programs, the Colombian geography, is an environment colonize by bacteria, that depends on men and animals and they health level, whit this attitude keep a regularity that is reflected in the journals of the health centres. The parasites and fungus are opportunist invading that had been development in a big screen, because they are in a suitable environment according to the sanitary costumes of human been, besides they are help by the primary agents that benefice the habitats. In the country is important that population know about this kind of diseases in a deeper way, because they are permanents hosts in this ambient and the clinic expression of zoonosis are the weapon to fight against situation that involves the whole society.

In order to answer the problem of what could be the most appropriate innovative didactic to improve the learning process of equine encephalon anatomy in the School of Veterinary Medicine of La Salle University, this project began to design, apply and evaluate a didactic prototype Computerized Educative Media CEM in macroscopic anatomy of equine encephalon, to improve the «significant learning» in this subject. The project was developed in three phases regarding the Galviz software engineering, as well as the selected environment for learning, within the framework of the conceptual Novak maps, the significant learning of Ausubel, and the test of usability adapted and applied to the anatomy students, as a MEC evaluation.

This paper describes the standardization of a reverse transcription (RT) polymerize chain reaction (PCR) in order to be used as a tool to detect the bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV). The primers employed amplified a sector of 280 bp that is in the 5’ UTR region of the viral genome. The VDVB NADL and Osloss strainswere used as positive controls for the standardization process.. In order to evaluate crossreaction a strain of border disease (BD) was utilized. The cDNA was obtained using the random primers method. The RT-PCR detected cytophatic as well as non-cytophatic byotipes of BVDV. The standardized protocol showed a good performance in vitro and it is the bases for evaluation and validation essays of this diagnostic test.

Today, there still exists a controversial issue, as to the high incidence of early embryonic death in mares, mated on the first post partum oestrus. The purpose of this study was first, to determine the post partum period of uterine involution in fine pace Colombian mares using endometrial cytology and ultra sonograph. Secondly, to determine the relation between the neutrophil percentages found in cytology and the echogenicity of accumulated intrauterine fluid during the first 30 post partum days. Twenty (n=20) mares were examined beginning on the 6th post partum day and on alternate days, up to the 30th day. All subjects were grazing Kikuyo grass (Pennisetum clandestinum) at la Sabana de Bogotá, 2.600 meters over sea level, 4 º north latitude and with an average temperature of 13 º C. From the 3rd postpartum day, all 20 mares were exposed to 2 healthy stallions, to establish their heat behaviour. Ten of them, following complete randomization, were inseminated on the first postpartum heat, while the others were inseminated on the second post partum heat. Genital examination was carried out by a technician, who did not know the reproductive history of any of the experimental mares. Examinations included rectal palpation, ultra sonograph (Pie Medical 48 linear array, 5 MHz), vaginal swabs and endometrial cytology. Uterine dimension was recorded by rectal palpation and ultra sonograph, it was included the uterine horn dimensions (tip, middle, and corporo-cornual junction) of previously gravid and non gravid uterus. Intrauterine fluid detection was performed by the use of an echogenicity scale. Ovaric structures were recorded (preovulatory follicles and ovulation). Pregnancy diagnosis was performed on day 15 post ovulation and then confirmed on day 40. Endometrial cytology samples were taken from uterus after the perineal area was disinfected using non covered isopos with a Pollanski speculum. Smears specimens were fixed with metil alcohol for 15 minutes and stained with Giemsa for 20 minutes. Anatomic uterine involution (means decreased size of pregravid horn) was completed on day 24 (range 12-30 days). Intrauterine fluid was seen by ultrasonography between day 6 and 18 post partum. Neutrophils and endometrial cells necrotic or not, constituted 80 % of the cell population. Neutrophils and cellular necrosis had a linear decrease beginning on day 9 post partum, in opposition, on this day the endometrial cell type pattern had a linear increase. The percentage of lymphocytes and eosinophils remained low and constant during the period of the study. A positive and significant correlation (r=0.83, P<01) was found between the accumulated uterine fluid observed by ultra sonograph and neutrophil cells analyzed in endometrial cytology. Based on this finding, it is suggested that the cellular component of the fluid encountered alters the echo pattern on uterine examination. Mares that did not show much intrauterine fluid accumulation and had low percentage of neutrophil counts (4 % or less) during first postpartum heat, had a better conception rate than mares with high neitrophils percentage. Foal heat was observed on day 7 ± 2.8 (S.D.), second post partum heat was detected on day 24 ± 2.8 (S.D). Conception rate was 30 % and 50% respectively, on first and second post partum heat. It is concluded that endometrial cytology and ultra sonograph are helpful diagnostic methods to study uterine involution in post partum mares. These techniques help the reproductive technician to establish a valid criterion regarding when to mate a mare that has a calf.

The objective of this paper was to understand the histology of bovine teguments with normal and low cupper levels by Common Optical Microscope (COM) and Scanning Electronic Microscope (SEM) observations. It is worthwhile noting that new scientific findings about the importance of trace elements are reported not only for bovines but also for other species. Forty Hereford steers, average live weight 230 kg from two fields of the Buenos Aires Province with low levels of cupper were used. The animals were distributed in two groups A and B with the same number of animals: group A with Cu deficiency, group B with optimal Cu levels. For the histological study, samples of teguments of the auricular pavilion from the two groups of animals were fixed with buffered formol 10%, pH 7.4. The samples for MOC and SEM observation were cutted in 20 and 40 micrometers. Blood samples were extracted from the jugular for Cu determination by Spectrophometer of atomic absorption. Results: group A showed mean values lower than 50mcg/dl (hypocupremia). Group B mean values of 70mcg/dl (normocupremic). We concluded that it is possible to compare and make correlations of the morphological alterations observed by the MOC and SEM. Both techniques and microscopes were useful to distinguish the normal structures from those with cupper deficiencies.

This research was held from January to December 2004 at La Suiza; a buffalo ranch located in the Middle Magdalena River, Colombia. This work was part of a macro research project on the buffalo species, which also included physiological constants determination, hematology parameters evaluation, and eggs per gram elimination curves for gastrointestinal parasites. From a total of 4200 buffalos, 150 animals were randomly selected and divided into three age groups ( <12 months, 2-36 months and >36 months). A fecal sample from each animal was taken once per month for a period of 12 months, making the following parasitological tests; sediment-flotation, Baermann, Dennis and coprocultive. These procedures made it possible to determine the lack of presence of Dictiocaulus spp and Fasciola spp; and the presence of parasites like: nematodirus spp, cooperia spp, ostertagia spp, trichuris spp, oesofagostomum spp, bunostomum spp, trichostrongylus spp, strongyloides spp, eimeria spp, moniezia spp, toxacara spp and haemonchus spp in the buffalo population in La Suiza Ranch..