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Parasiticides: Weapons for Controlling Microbial Vector-Borne Diseases in Veterinary Medicine; The Potential of Ethnobotanic/Phytoparasiticides: An Asset to One Health. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:antibiotics12020341. [PMID: 36830252 PMCID: PMC9952419 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12020341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Some ectoparasites are vectors of illness-causing bacteria and viruses, and these are treated with antibiotic and antiviral drugs, which eventually contribute to the excessive use of antimicrobials. Therefore, the control of ectoparasites is crucial, and the challenge will be to manage them in a sustainable way. Data from a preliminary ethnobotanical survey was reanalyzed to obtain information on the use of various plant species in companion animals and livestock as ectoparasiticides. The survey responses were reviewed for traditional use of plants as ectoparasiticides, and cross-sectional bibliographic research was undertaken. The following plants were selected among the nine mentioned plants: Juglans regia, Daphne gnidium and Ruta graveolens, which have the most potential to be developed as veterinary ectoparasiticides. Moreover, the absence of published data for Plantago lanceolata and Cistus populifolius suggests that their traditional use as ectoparasiticides is noted here for the first time. In summary, these plants could give promising plant-derived veterinary ectoparasiticides that, ultimately, will help reduce and even avoid the excessive use of antimicrobials.
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Smith AEO, Ruston A, Doidge C, Lovatt F, Kaler J. Putting sheep scab in its place: A more relational approach. Prev Vet Med 2022; 206:105711. [PMID: 35841740 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2022.105711] [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: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Since the reintroduction of sheep scab within the UK, its prevalence has increased despite several industry-led initiatives to control and manage the disease. Some studies have suggested that initiatives or policies should instead focus on specific places, such as geographically high-risk areas for sheep scab, which could allow for a more targeted approach. However, this risk of sheep scab has been measured in set geographical areas, without the reference to the interplay of topography, host, pathogen and the way in which humans socially and culturally define risk and place, potentially limiting the effectiveness of preventative initiatives. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to understand how place influences sheep farmers' approaches to the identification and management of the risk of sheep scab in their flocks. Qualitative data was collected from 43 semi-structured interviews with sheep farmers from England, Scotland, and Wales and was analysed by using the constant comparative approach. The codes were grouped into four concepts that influenced farmers' decision-making strategies for sheep scab control: perception of place; risk identification; risk categorisation; and risk management. These concepts were used as an analytical framework to identify three different 'places': 'uncontrollable places', 'liminal places' and 'protective places'. Each place reflects a different sheep scab control strategy used by farmers and shaped by their perceptions of place and risk. The 'uncontrollable places' category represented farmers who were located in areas that were geographically high-risk for sheep scab and who experienced a high frequency of sheep scab infestations in their flocks. The risk posed by their local landscape and neighbouring farmers, who neglected to engage in preventative behaviours, led them to feel unable to engage in effective risk management. Thus, they viewed scab as uncontrollable. The farmers within the 'liminal places' category were characterised as farmers who were located in high-risk areas for sheep scab, but experienced low levels of sheep scab infestations. These farmers characterised the risks associated with sheep scab management in terms of needing to protect their reputation and felt more responsibility for controlling sheep scab, which influenced them to engage in more protective measures. The farmers within the 'protective places' category were characterised as farming within low-risk areas and thus experienced a low level of sheep scab infestations. These farmers also described their risk in terms of their reputation and the responsibility they held for protecting others. However, they sought to rely on their low geographical risk of sheep scab as a main source of protection and therefore did not always engage in protective measures. These results suggest that place-based effects have significant impacts on sheep farmers' beliefs and behaviours and thus should be considered by policymakers when developing future strategies for sheep scab control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice E O Smith
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington LE12 5RD, UK.
| | - Annmarie Ruston
- Faculty of Medicine Health and Social Care, Canterbury Christ Church University, North Holmes Road, Canterbury CT1 1QU, UK.
| | - Charlotte Doidge
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington LE12 5RD, UK.
| | - Fiona Lovatt
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington LE12 5RD, UK.
| | - Jasmeet Kaler
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington LE12 5RD, UK.
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Avendaño C, Patarroyo MA. Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification as Point-of-Care Diagnosis for Neglected Parasitic Infections. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21217981. [PMID: 33126446 PMCID: PMC7662217 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21217981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has placed twenty diseases into a group known as neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), twelve of them being parasitic diseases: Chagas’ disease, cysticercosis/taeniasis, echinococcosis, food-borne trematodiasis, human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), leishmaniasis, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis (river blindness), schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis (ascariasis, hookworm, trichuriasis), guinea-worm and scabies. Such diseases affect millions of people in developing countries where one of the main problems concerning the control of these diseases is diagnosis-based due to the most affected areas usually being far from laboratories having suitable infrastructure and/or being equipped with sophisticated equipment. Advances have been made during the last two decades regarding standardising and introducing techniques enabling diagnoses to be made in remote places, i.e., the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technique. This technique’s advantages include being able to perform it using simple equipment, diagnosis made directly in the field, low cost of each test and the technique’s high specificity. Using this technique could thus contribute toward neglected parasite infection (NPI) control and eradication programmes. This review describes the advances made to date regarding LAMP tests, as it has been found that even though several studies have been conducted concerning most NPI, information is scarce for others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catalina Avendaño
- Animal Science Faculty, Universidad de Ciencias Aplicadas y Ambientales (U.D.C.A.), Bogotá 111166, Colombia;
| | - Manuel Alfonso Patarroyo
- Molecular Biology and Immunology Department, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Bogotá 111321, Colombia
- Basic Sciences Department, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá 112111, Colombia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +57-1-3244672
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Burgess STG, Nunn F, Bartley K, Frew D, McLean K, Inglis NF, McGeachy K, Taliansky ME, Love AJ, Nisbet AJ. Psoroptes ovis-Early Immunoreactive Protein (Pso-EIP-1) a novel diagnostic antigen for sheep scab. Parasite Immunol 2020; 42:e12788. [PMID: 32854149 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12788] [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: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Serodiagnosis of sheep scab is an established diagnostic method and has become popular in recent years. However, the current diagnostic antigen, Pso o 2, has shown promise as a component of a recombinant vaccine for scab, making it incompatible with discriminating between infected and vaccinated animals (DIVA). Here, we describe the discovery and characterization of a novel Psoroptes ovis immunodiagnostic antigen, P. ovis-Early Immunoreactive Protein-1 (Pso-EIP-1). METHODS AND RESULTS Pso-EIP-1 is a highly abundant member of a six-gene family with no known homologs, indicating its potential uniqueness to P. ovis. Expression of recombinant Pso-EIP-1 (rPso-EIP-1) required a C-terminal fusion protein for stability and specific IgG immunoreactivity against rPso-EIP-1 was observed in sheep serum from 1 to 2 weeks post-infestation, indicating its highly immunogenic nature. Two of the three in silico-predicted B-cell epitopes of Pso-EIP-1 were confirmed by in vitro epitope mapping and, in a direct comparison by ELISA, Pso-EIP-1 performed to the same levels as Pso o 2 in terms of sensitivity, specificity and ability to diagnose P. ovis on sheep within 2 weeks of infestation. CONCLUSION Pso-EIP-1 represents a novel diagnostic antigen for sheep scab with comparable levels of sensitivity and specificity to the existing Pso o 2 antigen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stewart T G Burgess
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Francesca Nunn
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Kath Bartley
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Edinburgh, UK
| | - David Frew
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Kevin McLean
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Neil F Inglis
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Michael E Taliansky
- The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, UK.,Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Andrew J Nisbet
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Edinburgh, UK
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Haas C, Origgi FC, Rossi S, López-Olvera JR, Rossi L, Castillo-Contreras R, Malmsten A, Dalin AM, Orusa R, Robetto S, Pignata L, Lavín S, Ryser-Degiorgis MP. Serological survey in wild boar (Sus scrofa) in Switzerland and other European countries: Sarcoptes scabiei may be more widely distributed than previously thought. BMC Vet Res 2018; 14:117. [PMID: 29587849 PMCID: PMC5872548 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-018-1430-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Sarcoptic mange has recently emerged in wild boar in Switzerland, raising the question of the origin of the infection. The main aim of this study was to assess the extent of exposure of the wild boar populations to Sarcoptes scabiei in Switzerland, prior to and after the detection of mange cases, to determine whether the mite has been recently introduced into the populations concerned. We performed a serological survey using a commercially available ELISA and 1056 archived blood samples of free-ranging wild boar from Switzerland. To facilitate the interpretation of the obtained data, we additionally estimated seroprevalence in wild boar populations of four other European countries (1060 samples), both from areas with confirmed clinical cases of mange and from areas without reported cases in wild boar. Lastly, we revised the evaluation of the commercial ELISA when used with wild boar sera. Results Seropositive reactions were observed for samples from all five countries and from 15 of the 16 study areas. The obtained apparent seroprevalences ranged from 0.0% (0/82; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.0–4.4) to 17.4% (8/46; 95% CI: 7.8–31.4). Wild boar from study areas with known clinical cases and those ≤60 kg were four times more likely to be seropositive than wild boar from areas without reported cases and > 60 kg, respectively. Optical density values did not differ between the two types of study areas among seropositive samples but were significantly lower among seronegative samples from areas without than from areas with clinical cases. No difference was observed between the two sampling periods in Switzerland. The revised ELISA specificity was 96.8% (984/1017; 95% CI: 95.5–97.7) when wild boar from areas without history of mange were considered truly negative. Conclusions Seropositivity to S. scabiei is more frequent and occurs over a larger geographic range than expected. Data suggest that the parasite is endemic within the wild boar populations of Switzerland and other European countries but that its presence is not necessarily associated with disease occurrence. Extrinsic factors which trigger disease emergence in infected populations remain to be investigated. The applied ELISA represents a promising tool for future studies. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12917-018-1430-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Haas
- Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Länggass-Str. 122, Postfach, 3001, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Francesco C Origgi
- Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Länggass-Str. 122, Postfach, 3001, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Sophie Rossi
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, Unité Sanitaire de la Faune, Micropolis, la Bérardie, Belle Aureille, 05000, Gap, France
| | - Jorge R López-Olvera
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WildEH) and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193-Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Luca Rossi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università di Torino, Largo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Torino, Italy
| | - Raquel Castillo-Contreras
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WildEH) and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193-Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Malmsten
- Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet, Institution för kliniska vetenskaper, Avdelning för reproduktion, Box 7054, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anne-Marie Dalin
- Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet, Institution för kliniska vetenskaper, Avdelning för reproduktion, Box 7054, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Riccardo Orusa
- National Reference Centre for Wildlife Diseases (CeRMAS), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, 7/G, Regione Amerique, 11020 Quart, Aosta, Italy
| | - Serena Robetto
- National Reference Centre for Wildlife Diseases (CeRMAS), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, 7/G, Regione Amerique, 11020 Quart, Aosta, Italy
| | - Luciano Pignata
- Azienda Sanitaria Locale Torino 3 di Collegno e Pinerolo, Via Martiri XXX Aprile, 30, 10093 Collegno, Torino, Italy
| | - Santiago Lavín
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WildEH) and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193-Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marie-Pierre Ryser-Degiorgis
- Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Länggass-Str. 122, Postfach, 3001, Bern, Switzerland.
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Amer S, Abd El Wahab T, El Naby Metwaly A, Feng Y, Xiao L. Morphologic and Genotypic Characterization of Psoroptes Mites from Water Buffaloes in Egypt. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0141554. [PMID: 26517834 PMCID: PMC4627845 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2015] [Accepted: 10/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Species delimitation of Psoroptes spp. and identity of the parasite in water buffaloes remain poorly defined. In this study, Psoroptes infestation on three water buffalo farms in Egypt was examined based on morphometric characteristics, especially the opisthosomal setae of adult male mites. Clinical investigations showed that 28% (196/700) of the sampled animals had mange infestation. Microscopic examinations of 80 skin scrapings indicated the occurrence of Psoroptes mites in 17 (21.3%) samples, Sarcoptes mites in 27 (33.7%) samples, and the concurrence of both in 36 (45.0%) samples. Morphologically, the Psoroptes parasite was identified as Psoroptes natalensis. DNA sequence analysis of the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) in 11 representative samples confirmed the diagnosis and suggested the presence of a distinct variety of Psoroptes natalensis in Egypt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Said Amer
- Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Kafr El sheikh University, Kafr El Sheikh, Egypt
| | - Taher Abd El Wahab
- Animal Health Research Institute, Kafr El Sheikh Provisional Laboratory, Kafr El Sheikh, Egypt
| | - Abd El Naby Metwaly
- Animal Health Research Institute, Kafr El Sheikh Provisional Laboratory, Kafr El Sheikh, Egypt
| | - Yaoyu Feng
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Process, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
- * E-mail: (YF); (LX)
| | - Lihua Xiao
- Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- * E-mail: (YF); (LX)
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Gene dynamics of toll-like receptor 4 through a population bottleneck in an insular population of water voles (Arvicola amphibius). CONSERV GENET 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-015-0731-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Fischer K, Walton S. Parasitic mites of medical and veterinary importance--is there a common research agenda? Int J Parasitol 2014; 44:955-67. [PMID: 25218570 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2014.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2014] [Revised: 08/22/2014] [Accepted: 08/23/2014] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
There are an estimated 0.5-1 million mite species on earth. Among the many mites that are known to affect humans and animals, only a subset are parasitic but these can cause significant disease. We aim here to provide an overview of the most recent work in this field in order to identify common biological features of these parasites and to inform common strategies for future research. There is a critical need for diagnostic tools to allow for better surveillance and for drugs tailored specifically to the respective parasites. Multi-'omics' approaches represent a logical and timely strategy to identify the appropriate mite molecules. Recent advances in sequencing technology enable us to generate de novo genome sequence data, even from limited DNA resources. Consequently, the field of mite genomics has recently emerged and will now rapidly expand, which is a particular advantage for parasitic mites that cannot be cultured in vitro. Investigations of the microbiota associated with mites will elucidate the link between parasites and pathogens, and define the role of the mite in transmission and pathogenesis. The databases generated will provide the crucial knowledge essential to design novel diagnostic tools, control measures, prophylaxes, drugs and immunotherapies against the mites and associated secondary infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Fischer
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Infectious Diseases Program, Biology Department, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Shelley Walton
- Inflammation and Healing Research Cluster, School of Health and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia.
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Amer S, Wahab TAE, Metwaly AEN, Ye J, Roellig D, Feng Y, Xiao L. Preliminary molecular characterizations of Sarcoptes scaibiei (Acari: Sarcoptidae) from farm animals in Egypt. PLoS One 2014; 9:e94705. [PMID: 24728386 PMCID: PMC3984207 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2014] [Accepted: 03/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is known about the genetic diversity of Sarcoptes scabiei mites in farm animals in Egypt. In this study, we characterized S. scabiei in 25 skin scrapes from water buffalo, cattle, sheep, and rabbits at the nuclear marker ITS2 and mitochondrial markers COX1 and 16S rRNA. Sequences of the ITS2 showed no host segregation or geographical isolation, whereas those of the mitochondrial COX1 and 16S rRNA genes indicated the presence of both host-adapted and geographically segregated populations of S. scabiei. Host adaptation may limit inter-species transmission of. S. scabiei, thus restrict gene flow among S. scabiei from different hosts. This is the first report on the molecular characterization of sarcoptic mites in Egypt. Further genetic studies involving larger numbers of specimens, especially those from humans and companion animals, are needed to understand the molecular epidemiology of sarcoptic mange in Egypt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Said Amer
- Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Department of Zoology, Kafr El Sheikh University, Kafr El Sheikh, Egypt
| | - Taher Abd El Wahab
- Animal Health Research Institute, Kafr El Sheikh Provincial Laboratory, Kafr El Sheikh, Egypt
| | - Abd El Naby Metwaly
- Animal Health Research Institute, Kafr El Sheikh Provincial Laboratory, Kafr El Sheikh, Egypt
| | - Jianbin Ye
- Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Process, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Dawn Roellig
- Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Yaoyu Feng
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Process, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- * E-mail: (YF); (LX)
| | - Lihua Xiao
- Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- * E-mail: (YF); (LX)
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Characterization of the ovine complement 4 binding protein-beta (C4BPB) chain as a serum biomarker for enhanced diagnosis of sheep scab. Mol Cell Probes 2013; 27:158-63. [PMID: 23542335 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcp.2013.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2013] [Revised: 03/18/2013] [Accepted: 03/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Sheep scab, caused by the highly contagious mite Psoroptes ovis, is endemic in a number of sheep-producing countries worldwide, and is a major animal welfare and economic concern. Recent developments in the diagnosis of sheep scab include a highly sensitive and specific serum antibody-based assay which can be used to indicate exposure to the parasite but not necessarily current disease status. Here, a transcriptomic and bioinformatics analysis of the circulating leukocytes of sheep with active P. ovis infestation indicated that the transcription levels of complement 4 binding protein beta (C4BPB) increased by 12 fold from pre-infestation to 6 weeks post-infestation. Semi-quantitative studies confirmed increased serum C4BPB protein levels in sheep infested with P. ovis. To quantify this serum protein response and characterize ovine C4BPB as a biomarker for active P. ovis infestation, the ovine C4BPB gene was sequenced, a recombinant protein expressed, antibodies against this protein were raised in rabbits and a sandwich ELISA developed. The results from this assay indicated that serum C4BPB protein levels increased 4-fold from pre-infestation to 6 weeks post-infestation, which demonstrated the potential of the assay to quantify C4BPB in sheep sera and indicated the potential of C4BPB as a biomarker of current disease status in sheep post-infestation and post-treatment.
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