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Soler JP, Moré G, Urtizbiría F, Hecker YP, Cirone KM, Scioli MV, Paolicchi FA, Fiorentino MA, Uriarte ELL, Cantón GJ, Verna AE, Morrell EL, Moore DP. Epidemic abortions due to Neospora caninum infection in farmed red deer (Cervus elaphus). Parasitol Res 2022; 121:1475-1485. [PMID: 35304629 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07488-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
This study describes for the first time an abortion outbreak caused by Neospora caninum in farmed red deer. During a 5-year period, farmed hinds, naturally mated, were regularly ultrasound monitored to detect reproductive losses over their gestation. During the 4 years previous to the outbreak, abortion rates ranged from 4.7 to 8.6% (average 6.5%), and serology for indirect diagnosis of neosporosis and toxoplasmosis was performed. At the fifth year, the abortion rate increased to 25.3%. During this outbreak, three aborted foetuses and their placentas were recovered and submitted to laboratory for etiological diagnosis. Blood samples were collected from the 81 hinds at the end of the gestational period and the seropositivity rate for N. caninum, Toxoplasma gondii, Brucella abortus, bovine viral diarrhoea virus and bovine alphaherpesvirus type 1 was 66.7%, 67.9%, 0.0%, 8.6% and 0.0%, respectively. Neospora caninum-seropositive hinds (OR = 5.7, P = 0.0271) and hinds with high antibody titres to N. caninum (OR = 7.4, P = 0.0130) were more likely to abort than seronegative hinds. In addition, N. caninum seropositivity rate in the aborted hinds was higher (OR = 5.4, P = 0.033) than the non-aborted hinds. No association was found between T. gondii nor BVDV-seropositivity and abortions. Typical protozoal histopathologic findings (necrotizing non suppurative encephalitis, meningitis, myocarditis, hepatitis, among others) were observed in all foetuses. Neospora caninum was immunolabelled by immunohistochemistry in several tissues from two foetuses, and infection was also confirmed in the three foetuses by serology and/or DNA detection. No other abortifacient agent was detected in the foetuses. Their dams showed high N. caninum antibody titres (≥ 6400). Serologic evidence and epidemiological data recorded suggested a point-source of N. caninum infection before the occurrence of the outbreak, probably related with contaminated feedstuff with oocysts. Moreover, the intensive production system with a high stocking rate could be also considered a factor which might have increased the risk of horizontal N. caninum infection in this herd.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gastón Moré
- Laboratorio de Inmunoparasitología (LAINPA), Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 60 y 118, 1900, La Plata, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas Y Técnicas (CONICET), Rivadavia 1917 (C1033AAJ), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Facundo Urtizbiría
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Ruta 226, km 73.5, 7620, Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Yanina Paola Hecker
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas Y Técnicas (CONICET), Rivadavia 1917 (C1033AAJ), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Karina Mariela Cirone
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Ruta 226, km 73.5, 7620, Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Ruta 226, km 73.5, 7620, Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Valeria Scioli
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Ruta 226, km 73.5, 7620, Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Fernando Alberto Paolicchi
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Ruta 226, km 73.5, 7620, Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Ruta 226, km 73.5, 7620, Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Andrea Fiorentino
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Ruta 226, km 73.5, 7620, Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Ruta 226, km 73.5, 7620, Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Germán José Cantón
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Ruta 226, km 73.5, 7620, Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Andrea Elizabeth Verna
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas Y Técnicas (CONICET), Rivadavia 1917 (C1033AAJ), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Ruta 226, km 73.5, 7620, Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Eleonora Lidia Morrell
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Ruta 226, km 73.5, 7620, Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Dadin Prando Moore
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas Y Técnicas (CONICET), Rivadavia 1917 (C1033AAJ), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Ruta 226, km 73.5, 7620, Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Seltmann A, Schares G, Aschenborn OHK, Heinrich SK, Thalwitzer S, Wachter B, Czirják GÁ. Species-specific differences in Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum and Besnoitia besnoiti seroprevalence in Namibian wildlife. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:7. [PMID: 31915056 PMCID: PMC6950991 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3871-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Knowledge about parasitic infections is crucial information for animal health, particularly of free-ranging species that might come into contact with livestock and humans. Methods We investigated the seroprevalence of three tissue-cyst-forming apicomplexan parasites (Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum and Besnoitia besnoiti) in 506 individuals of 12 wildlife species in Namibia using in-house enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (indirect ELISAs applying purified antigens) for screening and immunoblots as confirmatory tests. We included six species of the suborder Feliformia, four species of the suborder Caniformia and two species of the suborder Ruminantia. For the two species for which we had most samples and life-history information, i.e. cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus, n = 250) and leopards (Panthera pardus, n = 58), we investigated T. gondii seroprevalence in relation to age class, sex, sociality (solitary, mother-offspring group, independent sibling group, coalition group) and site (natural habitat vs farmland). Results All but one carnivore species (bat-eared fox Otocyon megalotis, n = 4) were seropositive to T. gondii, with a seroprevalence ranging from 52.4% (131/250) in cheetahs to 93.2% (55/59) in African lions (Panthera leo). We also detected antibodies to T. gondii in 10.0% (2/20) of blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus). Adult cheetahs and leopards were more likely to be seropositive to T. gondii than subadult conspecifics, whereas seroprevalence did not vary with sex, sociality and site. Furthermore, we measured antibodies to N. caninum in 15.4% (2/13) of brown hyenas (Hyaena brunnea) and 2.6% (1/39) of black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas). Antibodies to B. besnoiti were detected in 3.4% (2/59) of African lions and 20.0% (4/20) of blue wildebeest. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that Namibian wildlife species were exposed to apicomplexan parasites at different prevalences, depending on parasite and host species. In addition to serological work, molecular work is also needed to better understand the sylvatic cycle and the clear role of wildlife in the epidemiology of these parasites in southern Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Seltmann
- Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany. .,Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Gereon Schares
- Institute of Epidemiology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Ortwin H K Aschenborn
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Namibia, Private Bag 13301, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Sonja K Heinrich
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Bettina Wachter
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gábor Á Czirják
- Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany
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