Campylobacteriosis is a worldwide distributed zoonosis. One of the main virulence factors related to Campylobacter spp. in animals and humans is the cytolethal distending toxin (CDT), encoded by three adjacent genes (cdtA, cdtB, cdtC). The occurrence of Campylobacter spp. in samples of vegetables has not been reported in Brazil yet, and has seldom been described in the international literature. The detection of CDT in these strains has not been reported, either. The objectives of the present study were to determine the occurrence of Campylobacter spp. strains carrying virulence factors in samples of poultry and vegetables (lettuce and spinach) from different points of sale, thus verifying if vegetables are as an important vehicle for potentially virulent Campylobacter spp. strains as poultry. Twenty four strains were identified as Campylobacter jejuni by phenotypic and genotypic methods: 22 from broiler carcasses and two from lettuce samples. Three strains were identified as Campylobacter coli: two from broiler carcasses and one from lettuce. The presence of the cdt genes were detected in 20/24 (83.3%) C. jejuni strains, and 3/3 (100%) C. coli strains. The isolation of Campylobacter spp. strains with the cdt gene cluster in lettuce samples points to a new possible source of contamination, which could have an impact in the vegetable production chain and risk to public health. Results show that potentially virulent C. jejuni and C. coli strains remain viable in samples of broiler carcasses and vegetables at the points of sale.

A persistência de anticorpos vacinais representa um dos entraves para o sorodiagnóstico da leptospirose. Raros estudos dimensionam prospectivamente esse efeito na espécie bubalina. O presente trabalho objetivou traçar o perfil de aglutininas séricas anti-Leptospira spp.em búfalas vacinadas contra leptospirose com dois tipos de vacina comercial : bacterina e de membrana externa purificada e avaliar a interferência temporal dos títulos vacinais no sorodiagnóstico. Três grupos de 11 fêmeas bubalinas adultas: G1- controle não vacinado, G2 -vacinado com bacterina contendo seis sorovares e G3- recebeu vacina com membrana externa purificada de cinco sorovares, receberam reforço 30 dias pós primo vacinação (dpv) e duas revacinações semestrais nos dias 210 e 390. Foram colhidas amostras sorológicas nos dias 0, 15, 30, 45, 60 e a cada 30 dias até 540 dpv e analisadas pela reação de Soroaglutinação Microscópica-SAM frente aos sorovares presentes nas vacinas. G1 manteve-se sempre negativo. Ambas vacinas induziram resposta sorológica na SAM aos 15º dpv para todos os sorovares e revelaram títulos máximos ao redor do 45º e 60º dpv.: Pomona: G2 (1600) e G3 (3200); Hardjo: G2 e G3 (1600); Wolffi: G2 (800) e G3 (1600), Icterohaemorrhagiae: G2 e G3 (800), Grippotyphosa: G2 e G3 (200) e Canicola: G2 (NR) e G3 (400). Apesar da vacina de membrana externa não possuir o sorovar Wolffi, G3 revelou resposta para este sorovar, provavelmente pelo sorovar Hardjo vacinal. Os perfis sorológicos representados graficamente pela média geométrica dos títulos de aglutininas foram semelhantes, porém em G3 mais precoces e mais elevados que G2. Na revacinação houve aumento do nível de aglutininas, porém de menor intensidade que o anterior; e ao final de seis meses da segunda revacinação (540 dpv) eram quase nulos, demonstrando curta duração da interferência ao diagnóstico.

The vaccinal antibodies interference represents one of the Microscopic Agglutination test - MAT limitation in the animal leptospirosis serum diagnosis. Prospective studies showing the dimensions of this effect are rare in buffaloes. This study aimed to determine the anti-Leptospira serum agglutinin profile in vaccinated female buffaloes using two types of commercial vaccines against leptospirosis: bacterin (whole bacterial cell) and purified outer membrane and to evaluate the vaccinal interference on serum diagnosis. Three groups of 11 adult buffalo females were established: G1-control, non-vaccinated, G2- vaccinated with bacterin vaccine with six serovars, G3- outer membrane purified vaccine with five serovars. A booster dose was administrated 30 days after the first vaccination (dpv) and two re-vaccinations six months a part (210 and 390 dpv). Serum samples were collected on days 0, 15, 40, 45, 60 and every 30 days until 540 dpv. G1, G2 and G3 serum samples were submitted to MAT with the serovars present in the vaccines. G1 remained always negative. Both vaccines induced serologic responses in MAT at 150 dpv against all serovars and they revealed maximum titers around 45 and 60dpv as follows: Pomona: G2 (1600) and G3 (3200); Hardjo: G2 and G3 (1600); Wolffi: G2 (800) and G3 (1600); Icterohaemorrhagiae: G2 and G3 (800); Grippotyphosa: G2 and G3 (200) and Canicola: G2 (NR) and G3 (400). Even though, the Wolffi serovar is not present in the purified outer membrane vaccine, G3 showed a response to that serovar, probably due to cross reaction to the serovar Hardjo. The G3 titers were higher and appeared earlier than in G2, but with similar serologic profiles. At the re-vaccination there was an increase on agglutinin levels, but of less intensity than those previously observed. After six months from the second revaccination (540 dfv), G2 and G3 were almost negative, which demonstrated the short diagnostic interference.