The forage grasses are explored for the phytoremediation of heavy metals from contaminated areas. The present study evaluates the tolerance of forages grasses to Pb and the availability of Pb for the Mehlich 1, DTPA, and USEPA 3051 and 3052 extraction methods. The forage grasses cultivars Panicum maximum cultivars Aruana and Tanzânia, Brachiaria decumbens cultivar Basilisk, Brachiaria brizantha cultivar Xaraés and Marandu were assessed. Each cultivar was grown in a greenhouse in Diamantina, Brazil, in Typic Hapludox (Oxisol). The Pb was applied to the soil at doses of 0, 45, 90 and 270 mg kg-1 soil in a randomized design with four replications. The experiment was conducted over a 90-day trial period. Increasing Pb doses in the soil caused a reduction of growth in all varieties studied, and the "Basilisk" forage was generally more tolerant to Pb, while the Xaraés forage was generally more susceptible to the addition of Pb. The lower transfer coefficient of the cultivar "Basilisk", due to the high Pb content and accumulation in its roots, makes it the most suitable for phytoremediation programs, with possible uses in pasture areas. None of the varieties can be considered a Pb hyperaccumulator. The Mehlich 1, DTPA, USEPA 3051 and USEPA 3052 extraction methods indicated different doses of Pb in the soil, and the Mehlich 1 method demonstrated the lowest level of metal extraction from the soil. No correlation was observed between the forage grasses growth and the measurement of Pb in soil by the studied extraction methods, especially for the Mehlich 1 and DTPA methods, suggesting the inefficiency of these techniques for determining the phytoavailability of Pb.

Blood samples from 1,072 domestic cats of nine administrative regions of Belo Horizonte, MG, were collected and tested using PCR nested for the occurrence of feline leukemia virus (FeLV). Overall occurrence was 47.5% (507/1072) being North (68.1%) and East (54.4%) the most prevalent areas. Epidemiological data showed that FeLV infection was very common among examined cats and breed neither gender nor were predisposing factors for FeLV. The results suggest that the agglomeration of a large number of cats in the same environment can be an important factor for the increase in the rate of transmission of this retrovirus among domestic cats in the studied city.

Duzentos camundongos suíços foram alojados em um biotério com instalações e condições de manejo adequadas para uma criação de animais convencionais sadios. Após 14 dias de alojamento, dois animais tiveram morte súbita, e em 74 animais (37%) foram observados sintomas clínicos como edema da face e das patas. Uma semana após foram observadas lesões generalizadas na pele ou somente no dorso, na face, no focinho e nas patas, nódulos na cauda, e em cinco animais conjuntivite. A necropsia de 10 camundongos indicou alterações como hepatomegalia, esplenomegalia e hiperplasia dos gânglios. Amostras do fígado, baço e de lesões da cauda foram inoculadas em membrana corioalantóide (MCA) de ovos embrionados de galinha. Após 72 horas foram detectadas lesões necróticas típicas denominadas "pocks". As MCAs foram maceradas e inoculadas em culturas de células Vero e detectado efeito citopático após 72 horas. O diagnóstico da varíola murina foi baseado nos sinais clínicos, lesões, cultivo e na identificação do vírus.

Two hundred Swiss mice were housed following the requirements to produce healthy laboratory animals. After 14 days two mice had an acute lethal infection and one week later 74 animals (37%) presented multiple skin lesions some of them associated with conjunctivitis. Necropsy of 10 mice with clinical signs (swelling of feet and facial area) revealed alterations in the spleen, liver and lymphonodes. Samples of hepatic and splenic tissues and of tail lesions were inoculated on chorioallantoic membrane (MCA) of embrionated chicken eggs and pocks lesions were detected. The MCAs were grinded and inoculated in Vero cell cultures and the cytophatic effect was detected after 72 hours. Diagnosis of mousepox was based on clinical signs, lesions and virus isolation and identification.