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Papanikolopoulou V, Lafi SQ, Papadopoulos E, Diakou A, Xiao L, Giadinis ND. Risk factors for Cryptosporidium infection in small ruminants in northern Greece. Vet Parasitol 2022; 309:109769. [PMID: 35907380 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2022.109769] [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: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
The knowledge of risk factors for Cryptosporidium spp. infection in small ruminants is based on limited data. Therefore, the current research aimed to describe the prevalence and risk factors associated with the occurrence of Cryptosporidium infection in sheep and goat herds in northern Greece. Hence, 530 fresh fecal samples from 59 sheep and goat farms were collected and examined for Cryptosporidium oocysts using microscopy of fecal smears stained by the modified Ziehl-Neelsen technique. The overall prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection for both host species was 34% (180/530; 95% confidence interval (CI): 29.9-38). Specifically, the prevalence for sheep and goats was 33.5% (112/334; 95% CI: 28.4-35.6) and 34.7% (68/196; 95% CI: 28-41.4), respectively. Additionally, standardized questionnaires were filled-in to collect data regarding animals' health status, feeding, and other management practices in each farm. In total 22 risk factors hypothesized to be associated with Cryptosporidium infection were investigated. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that farms with stagnant water were 11.78 (95% CI: 66-61.5) times more likely to be infected with Cryptosporidium than farms without stagnant water (p < 0.05). Furthermore, farms with more than 25% of their animals suffering from diarrhea were 17.39 (95% CI: 3.43-88.3) times more likely to be infected with Cryptosporidium than farms with ≤ 25% of the animals having diarrhea (p < 0.05). These results suggest that the animal health status and the prevailing environmental conditions play an important role in transmitting Cryptosporidium spp. infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasiliki Papanikolopoulou
- Clinic of Farm Animals, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; Laboratory of Animal Husbandry, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | - Shwakat Q Lafi
- Department of Pathology and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 3030, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Elias Papadopoulos
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Anastasia Diakou
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Lihua Xiao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Room 303, Administrative Building of Veterinary Medicine, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Nektarios D Giadinis
- Clinic of Farm Animals, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
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Delling C, Daugschies A. Literature Review: Coinfection in Young Ruminant Livestock- Cryptosporidium spp. and Its Companions. Pathogens 2022; 11:103. [PMID: 35056051 PMCID: PMC8777864 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11010103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The protozoan Cryptosporidium parvum is one of the major causative pathogens of diarrhoea in young ruminants; therefore, it causes economic losses and impairs animal welfare. Besides C. parvum, there are many other non-infectious and infectious factors, such as rotavirus, Escherichia coli, and Giardia duodenalis, which may lead to diarrhoeic disease in young livestock. Often, more than one infectious agent is detected in affected animals. Little is known about the interactions bet-ween simultaneously occurring pathogens and their potential effects on the course of disease. In this review, a brief overview about pathogens associated with diarrhoea in young ruminants is presented. Furthermore, information about coinfections involving Cryptosporidium is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cora Delling
- Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, An den Tierkliniken 35, 04103 Leipzig, Germany;
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Diarrhoea associated with gastrointestinal parasites in grazing sheep. Vet Parasitol 2020; 282:109139. [PMID: 32447149 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2020.109139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Diarrhoea is a common, widespread and frustrating reality for sheep enterprises in most sheep producing regions globally and of particular concern in Australia as the major risk factor for breech flystrike. Parasitic disease has long been recognised as an important factor in diarrhoea in sheep, particularly the gastrointestinal nematodes (Trichostrongylus and Teladorsagia species). This review focuses on the role of parasitic infections in causing diarrhoea in sheep, with emphasis on the epidemiology of diarrhoea outbreaks related to worms and opportunities to manage the risk of diarrhoea outbreaks in sheep related to parasitic infections. Parasitic nematodes damage the gastrointestinal tract via a complex relationship between direct impacts from worms, such as physical changes to the gut mucosa, and indirect effects largely associated with the host response. Diarrhoea associated with large worm burdens is most efficiently managed through integrated parasite management programs. Despite some limitations, measuring faecal worm egg counts remains a mainstay for assessing the contribution of worms to outbreaks of diarrhoea in sheep. Larval hypersensitivity scouring is emerging as a significant cause of worm-related diarrhoea in sheep without large adult worm burdens in some geographic locations. The syndrome describes a heightened inflammatory response to the ingestion of trichostrongylid infective larvae seen in the gut of sheep with diarrhoea, and is most effectively addressed through selecting sheep for low breech soiling ('dag scores'), as worm resistant sheep may show an increased propensity for diarrhoea, even with low rates of larval challenge. Importantly, dag should be considered as a separate trait to WEC in breeding indexes. Outbreaks of diarrhoea in young sheep are often multifactorial, and co-infections with nematodes and other infectious agents associated with diarrhoea are common. This presents challenges for the field investigation of diarrhoea in grazing sheep.
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Jacobson C, Yang R, Williams A, Gardner GE, Carmichael I, Campbell AJD, Ryan U. Faecal shedding of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica determined by qPCR for yst virulence gene is associated with reduced live weight but not diarrhoea in prime lambs. Prev Vet Med 2018; 152:56-64. [PMID: 29559106 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2018.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Revised: 01/27/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Associations between faecal shedding of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica (based on the yst virulence gene) with growth, carcass weight and diarrhoea were investigated using an observational longitudinal study of 1200 crossbred prime (meat) lambs on eight Australian farms. Live weight, breech faecal soiling score (scale 1-5) and faecal consistency score (FCS; scale 1-5) were recorded, and faecal samples collected from each lamb on three sampling occasions; weaning (≈12 weeks of age), post-weaning (≈19 weeks) and pre-slaughter (≈29 weeks). Hot standard carcass weight was measured at slaughter. Faecal samples were screened for presence and concentration of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica using quantitative PCR. Associations of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica detection and shedding intensity with lamb health and production were assessed using general linear models (carcass weight), linear mixed effects models (live weight, FCS and breech soiling score) and non-parametric tests (FCS and breech soiling score). Prevalence for non-pelleted faeces (FCS ≥ 3.0) and diarrhoea (FCS ≥ 4.0) were compared with the two-tailed z-test, odds ratios and relative risk. Lambs shedding pathogenic Y. enterocolitica were 3.78 kg lighter post-weaning (P < 0.001) and 2.61 kg lighter pre-slaughter (P = 0.035) compared to lambs in which pathogenic Y. enterocolitica was not detected. Higher faecal concentration of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica was associated with lower live weight (P < 0.001). There was no association between pathogenic Y. enterocolitica detection and carcass weight. Overall, there was no evidence of association between pathogenic Y. enterocolitica detection and diarrhoea (higher FCS, higher risk for non-pelleted faeces or diarrhoea, or higher breech soiling score). Only one flock had increased relative risk for non-pelleted faeces associated with pathogenic Y. enterocolitica detection, and one other flock had increased relative risk for diarrhoea associated with pathogenic Y. enterocolitica detection. This is the first report of an association between reduced sheep live weight and pathogenic Y. enterocolitica based on the presence of the yst gene for heat stable enterotoxin determined by qPCR in sheep. Notably, impacts on live weight were observed in the absence of diarrhoea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Jacobson
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia.
| | - Rongchang Yang
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia
| | - Andrew Williams
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia
| | - Graham E Gardner
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia
| | - Ian Carmichael
- South Australian Research and Development Institute, Glenside, South Australia, Australia
| | - Angus J D Campbell
- Mackinnon Project, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Melbourne, Werribee, Victoria, Australia
| | - Una Ryan
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia
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Diseases of the Alimentary Tract. Vet Med (Auckl) 2017. [PMCID: PMC7167529 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-7020-5246-0.00007-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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Llonch P, King EM, Clarke KA, Downes JM, Green LE. A systematic review of animal based indicators of sheep welfare on farm, at market and during transport, and qualitative appraisal of their validity and feasibility for use in UK abattoirs. Vet J 2015; 206:289-97. [PMID: 26598787 DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2015.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2014] [Revised: 09/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/05/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
In the UK, it has been suggested that abattoirs are ideal locations to assess the welfare of sheep as most are slaughtered at abattoirs either as finished lambs or cull ewes. Data from abattoirs could provide benchmarks for welfare indicators at a national level, as well as demonstrating how these change over time. Additionally, feedback could be provided to farmers and regulatory authorities to help improve welfare and identify high or low standards for quality assurance or risk-based inspections. A systematic review of the scientific literature was conducted, which identified 48 animal-based indicators of sheep welfare that were categorised by the Five Freedoms. Their validity as measures of welfare and feasibility for use in abattoirs were evaluated as potential measures of prior sheep welfare on the farm of origin, at market, or during transportation to the abattoir. A total of 19 indicators were considered valid, of which nine were considered theoretically feasible for assessing sheep welfare at abattoirs; these were body cleanliness, carcass bruising, diarrhoea, skin lesions, skin irritation, castration, ear notching, tail docking and animals recorded as 'obviously sick'. Further investigation of these indicators is required to test their reliability and repeatability in abattoirs. Novel welfare indicators are needed to assess short-term hunger and thirst, prior normal behaviour and long-term fear and distress.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Llonch
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK.
| | - E M King
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - K A Clarke
- One Health Veterinary Services, Newcastle upon Tyne NE20 9JU, UK
| | - J M Downes
- One Health Veterinary Services, Newcastle upon Tyne NE20 9JU, UK
| | - L E Green
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
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Li S, Cui D, Wang S, Wang H, Huang M, Qi Z, Liu Y. Efficacy of an herbal granule as treatment option for neonatal Tibetan Lamb diarrhea under field conditions. Livest Sci 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2014.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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