1
|
Di Cataldo S, Cevidanes A, Sepúlveda-García P, Alvarado-Rybak M, Lia RP, Otranto D, Terio K, Müller A, Millán J. Spirocerca lupi in the stomach of two Andean foxes (Lycalopex culpaeus) from Chile. Parasitol Res 2023; 122:1261-1269. [PMID: 37014474 PMCID: PMC10172281 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-07825-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
The genus Spirocerca includes nematodes that parasitize the stomach and the oesophagus of carnivores, chiefly canids. Herein, we provide new data about the morphological, histopathological, and molecular characterization of Spirocerca sp. in Andean foxes (Lycalopex culpaeus) in Chile. Intact immature worms, identified as Spirocerca sp., were recovered in the lumen of the stomach from two foxes. Histologically, worms morphologically consistent with spirurid nematodes were present within the wall of the stomach and surrounded by nodular areas of inflammation with central necrotic debris. Molecular analysis of the cox1 gene yielded 19 sequences and 5 nucleotide sequence types with 99.95 to 99.98% similarity, being shared between both foxes. Nucleotide similarity ranged from 93.1 (with genotype 2 of S. lupi and S. vulpis) to 95.8% (with genotype 1 of S. lupi), a higher similarity than noted from sequences of S. lupi from an Andean fox from Peru (91.0 to 93.3%). However, the Poisson Tree Processes for species delineation did not support the existence of a new species Spirocerca. Phylogenetic and nucleotide analyses suggest that these specimens belong to a new variant or genotype of S. lupi or to a cryptic species. Whether the presence of the worms in the stomach has to do with genotypic differences in parasites or host or some combination is uncertain. Spirocerca lupi has never been found in Chilean dogs and must be investigated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Di Cataldo
- Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo (IMBECU), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Mendoza, Argentina.
| | - Aitor Cevidanes
- Department of Animal Health, NEIKER-Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Bizkaia, P812, 48160, Derio, Spain
| | - Paulina Sepúlveda-García
- Instituto de Ciencias Clínicas Veterinarias, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Mario Alvarado-Rybak
- Núcleo de Ciencias Aplicadas en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Agronomía, Universidad de las Américas, Echaurren, 140, Santiago, Chile
| | - Riccardo Paolo Lia
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, 70010, Bari, Italy
| | - Domenico Otranto
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, 70010, Bari, Italy
- Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
| | - Karen Terio
- Zoological Pathology Program, University of Illinois, Brookfield, IL, USA
| | - Ananda Müller
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
| | - Javier Millán
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, República, 440, Santiago, Chile.
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA), Miguel Servet 177, 50013, Zaragoza, Spain.
- Fundación ARAID, Avda. de Ranillas, 50018, Zaragoza, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
CHARACTERIZATION OF LESIONS INDUCED BY SPIROCERCA VULPIS (SPIRURIDAE: SPIROCERCIDAE) IN RED FOXES (VULPES VULPES). J Wildl Dis 2021; 58:137-147. [PMID: 34788835 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-20-00162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Spirocerca lupi infection in dogs (Canis domesticus) is associated with esophageal lesions that may evolve to a neoplastic stage in the form of esophageal sarcoma. In the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) infected with the closely related Spirocerca vulpis, similar lesions may occur in the stomach, but neoplastic forms have not been reported. We characterize Spirocerca vulpis-induced lesions in the fox, using pathology and immunohistochemical (IHC) techniques. Seventy-one out of 163 Spirocerca vulpis-positive red foxes were selected and subjected to histopathological study. Lesions were classified as patchy or diffuse. Ten patchy and 10 diffuse lesion samples were studied using three IHC markers (CD68, CD3, and CD79α for macrophages, T lymphocytes, and B lymphocytes, respectively) and H&E stain for neutrophils and eosinophils. Intensity of necrosis, hemorrhages, and the presence of collagen was also analyzed. Of the S. vulpis-positive red foxes, 96.9% had S. vulpis nodules localized in the gastric area (wall and/or omentum), and 3.1% had nodules in the small intestine. All the samples had a moderate to severe lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate. Mild eosinophil infiltration was observed in both types of lesions, while neutrophil infiltration was significatively higher in the patchy than in the diffuse lesions. Fibrosis with mature collagen fibers was also predominant in the patchy lesions along with the presence of T lymphocytes and macrophages. Both the patchy and diffuse patterns had very few B lymphocytes. These findings suggest that the diffuse form is an earlier stage of the lesion, which eventually evolves into patchy forms. Neoplastic forms were not seen. Although more studies are necessary, this study describes the lesions, characterizes the inflammatory infiltrates, and establishes a possible evolution of the different pathological forms of S. vulpis infection in the red fox.
Collapse
|
3
|
Gama A, Rojas A, Pires I, Coutinho T, Seixas F, Silva F, Lopes AP, Cardoso L, Baneth G. First report of Spirocerca vulpis in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Portugal. Parasitol Res 2020; 119:3109-3112. [PMID: 32643084 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-020-06794-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies have described Spirocerca lupi-like nematodes in the stomach of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Europe. A phylogenetic analysis of those specimens using mitochondrial DNA and their morphological reexamination allowed their characterization as a different species, Spirocerca vulpis. Between the years of 2010 and 2017, roundworms were collected from seven red foxes of northeastern Portugal found at necropsy with nodular lesions on their stomach wall. Histopathological analysis of four foxes revealed granulomatous lesions of the gastric nodules. On morphological assessment, by light microscopy, nematodes revealed the presence of six triangular teeth-like buccal capsule structures, which are absent in S. lupi. Polymerase chain reaction was run to amplify a 551 bp partial fragment of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene. Sequences were 99% similar to S. vulpis (85% coverage) of red foxes from Spain and Bosnia and Herzegovina, 99% similar (99% coverage) to sequences of Spirocerca sp. of red foxes from Denmark and 93% similar (99% coverage) to S. lupi from South Africa. This is the first report of S. vulpis in foxes or any other host from Portugal.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adelina Gama
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Alicia Rojas
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Isabel Pires
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Teresa Coutinho
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Fernanda Seixas
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Filipe Silva
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Ana Patrícia Lopes
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Luís Cardoso
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal.
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal.
| | - Gad Baneth
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Rojas A, Deplazes P, Baneth G. Unravelling Spirocerca vulpis from red foxes from Switzerland: a 20-year-old record. Parasitol Res 2020; 119:3105-3108. [PMID: 32627080 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-020-06791-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Spirocerca vulpis is a parasitic nematode of red foxes associated with gastric nodule formation. Since its description in 2018, this species has been reported in red foxes from Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, and Portugal. We present here the analysis of uncharacterized nematodes obtained from gastric nodules of a red fox from Switzerland in 1999. The specimens were identified as S. vulpis based on the observation of teeth-like structures in the buccal capsule and a 99.4% sequence identity to S. vulpis DNA from Spain. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated the clustering of the Swiss sequences in a different group from specimens of other geographical locations. Altogether, this study constitutes the first report of S. vulpis in Switzerland and a report of the oldest specimen of this species in the world. Our findings highlight the widespread distribution of S. vulpis in Europe which may be facilitated by the free-roaming nature of red foxes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Rojas
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel. .,Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Microbiology, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica.
| | - Peter Deplazes
- Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gad Baneth
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| |
Collapse
|