Foram colhidas amostras de 100 carcaças em um frigorífico exportador, localizado no interior do estado de São Paulo, amostradas ao longo de um ano, por meio do método de esponjas, aplicado na região do peito do animal. As amostras foram colhidas em três pontos, denominados A, B e C, sendo cada carcaça amostrada nos três pontos, localizados nas etapas: pós-sangria (A); pós-esfola (B) e pós-lavagem (C). Foram realizadas pesquisas de Listeria sp., E. coli O157, Salmonella spp. e microrganismos indicadores (Petrifilms® AC, EC e EB). Não foram isolados Listeria ou E. coli O157 em nenhuma das 300 amostras. Salmonella spp. foi isolada em nove, sendo oito no ponto A e uma no ponto B. Para mesófilos, as contagens variaram de 0 a 6,8 log UFC/cm², para coliformes totais, de 0 a 4,57 log UFC/cm², e para E. coli, de 0 a 4,38 log UFC/cm². Diante dos resultados obtidos e em comparação com a literatura, conclui-se que o estabelecimento estudado apresenta qualidade, tanto sanitária (devido às baixas prevalências dos patógenos) quanto higiênica (devido à acentuada diminuição da carga microbiana de indicadores ao longo da linha).

Samples were collected from 100 carcasses in a slaughterhouse exporter, located within the State of São Paulo, sampled over a year through the sponge method, applied to the chest of the animal. Samples were taken at three points, denominated A, B and C, each carcass sampled at three points located in the following steps: after bleeding (A) after skinning (B) and after washing (C). Research was conducted for Listeria sp., E. coli O157, Salmonella spp. and Micro-organism (Petrifilms ® AC, EC and EB). Listeria or E. coli O157 were not isolated in any of the 300 samples. Salmonella spp. was isolated in nine, eight at point A and one at point B. For Mesophiles, scores ranged from 0 to 6.8 log UFC/cm²; for Total coliforms, 0 to 4.57 log UFC/cm² and E. coli from 0 to 4.38 log UFC/cm². With the results obtained and compared with the literature, it is concluded that the establishment in this study has both sanitary quality (due to the low prevalence of pathogens) and hygienic quality (due to the sharp decrease in the microbial load of indicators along the line.

The identification of pathogens of viral (Rotavirus, Coronavirus), parasitic (Toxocara spp.) and bacterial (Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Rhodococcus equi) origin shed in feces, and the virulence profile of R. equi and E. coli isolates were investigated in 200 samples of sand obtained from 40 parks, located in central region of state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, using different diagnostic methods. From 200 samples analyzed, 23 (11.5%) strains of R. equi were isolated. None of the R. equi isolates showed a virulent (vapA gene) or intermediately virulent (vapB gene) profiles. Sixty-three (31.5%) strains of E. coli were identified. The following genes encoding virulence factors were identified in E. coli: eae, bfp, saa, iucD, papGI, sfa and hly. Phylogenetic classification showed that 63 E. coli isolates belonged to groups B1 (52.4%), A (25.4%) and B2 (22.2%). No E. coli serotype O157:H7 was identified. Eggs of Toxocara sp. were found in three parks and genetic material of bovine Coronavirus was identified in one sample of one park. No Salmonella spp. and Rotavirus isolates were identified in the samples of sand. The presence of R. equi, Toxocara sp, bovine Coronavirus and virulent E. coli isolates in the environment of parks indicates that the sanitary conditions of the sand should be improved in order to reduce the risks of fecal transmission of pathogens of zoonotic potential to humans in these places.

Analisaram-se 464 amostras individuais de leite e 54 amostras de leite de latões, oriundos de leite dos mesmos animais, por meio do teste do anel do leite (TAL) visando à sua aplicação no diagnóstico individual e de rebanhos da brucelose bovina. Foram também avaliadas 464 amostras de soro sangüíneo por meio de provas do antígeno tamponado acidificado (ATA), soroaglutinação lenta em tubos (SAL) e 2-mercaptoetanol (2-ME), todas para brucelose. Cento e vinte e três amostras (26,5%) testadas pelo TAL apresentaram resultados positivos. Dessas, 30 resultaram positivas ao ATA, 28 ao ATA, à SAL e ao 2-ME e 18 à SAL. Das amostras positivas ao TAL, 95 pertenciam a animais sorologicamente negativos ao 2-ME, caracterizando 77,2% (95/123) das reações falso-positivas; dos resultados negativos ao TAL, 4 pertenciam a animais sorologicamente positivos, caracterizando 1,2% (4/341) de reações falso-negativas no TAL individual. Das 54 amostras de leite de latões analisadas pelo TAL, 17 foram consideradas positivas, das quais uma foi caracterizada como falso-positivo, pois todos os animais que a compunham foram negativos ao 2-ME. De 37 latões considerados negativos ao TAL, três continham leite de animais positivos ao 2-ME, caracterizando 8,1% de falso-negativos. O TAL individual demonstrou elevado percentual de resultados falso-positivos, enquanto o TAL em amostras de leite obtidas em latões detectou 84,2% de latões contaminados e 75% de rebanhos infectados.

The ring test (RT) was analyzed regarding its application for the individual and herd bovine brucellosis diagnoses. Individual samples of milk from 464 cows and 54 composite samples of milk bucket from these animals were evaluated. The results were analyzed considering the serological results obtained by the rose bengal (RBT), tube agglutination (TAT) and 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) tests. From the 464 individual milk samples analyzed by the RT, 123 (26.5%) presented positive results. From those, 30 were positive only to the RBT, 28 by the RBT/TAT/2-ME and 18 by the TAT. From the 123 positive samples by the RT, 95 came from the 2-ME seronegative animals, characterizing 77.2% of false-positive reactions and 4/341 negative reactions came from the seropositive animals, characterizing 1.2% of false-negative reactions in the individual RT. From the 54 samples of compositive milk analyzed by the RT, 17 were positive. From these positive samples, one was considered false positive since all the animals that composed it were negative by the 2-ME. Three of the composite milk samples that were negative to RT(3/37) were constituted by milk from positive animals, characterizing 8.1% of false-negative results by the RT. The individual RT showed high percentage of false-positive results, while the RT in samples from bucket detected 84.2% of the contaminated milk and 75% of the infected herds.