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Castagna F, Bava R, Gagliardi M, Russo S, Poerio G, Ruga S, Lupia C, Cringoli G, Bosco A, Rinaldi L, Palma E, Britti D, Musella V. Prevalence of Helminths in Small Ruminant Farms and Evaluation of Control Practices Used to Counter Anthelmintic Resistance in Southern Italy. Pathogens 2024; 13:493. [PMID: 38921791 PMCID: PMC11206521 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13060493] [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: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Anthelmintic resistance in small ruminants is a serious worldwide problem. To reduce their spread, it is essential to know the prevalence of helminths on farms and the control practices adopted. As these studies in the Calabria region of southern Italy are fragmentary and outdated, a study on the prevalence of helminths in small ruminant holdings in this area has been conducted. The measures implemented to control helminths were also evaluated through questionnaires administered to farmers. In particular, on 90 farms (45 sheep and 45 goats), 1800 faecal samples from 900 sheep and 900 goats were collected in the spring. Using the FLOTAC dual technique, parasitological examinations demonstrated the presence of gastrointestinal nematodes in 100% of sheep and goat farms, followed by Nematodirus spp. (84.44% sheep and 48.89% goats), Moniezia spp. (73.33% sheep and 35.56% goats), Trichuris ovis (48.89% sheep and 42.22% goats), lungworms (28.89% sheep and 42.22% goats), Strongyloides papillosus (40% sheep and 26.67% goats), Dicrocoelium dendriticum (13.33% sheep and 26.67% goats), Calicophoron daubneyi (6.67% sheep and 31.11% goats), Fasciola hepatica (6.67% sheep and 4.44% goats), and Skrjabinema ovis (4.44% sheep and goats). The questionnaires showed that 82% and 85% of the farmers had applied pasture rotation, and that 93.3% and 86.6% had used anthelmintics in the previous year for sheep and goats, respectively. Only 24.4% of sheep farmers and 11.3% of goat farmers had carried out parasitological tests prior to treatments. The most used classes of anthelmintics were macrocyclic lactones and benzimidazoles, and only in 21.6% and 15.6%, for sheep and goats, respectively, was drug rotation carried out. These results denote that helminths represent a health problem for small ruminants and highlight a lack of knowledge of parasite control strategies among farmers. In these conditions, anthelmintic resistance phenomena could develop over time. Therefore, it is necessary to implement all possible strategies for the control of helminths, and to prevent the spread of anthelmintic resistance phenomena on farms in southern Italy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Castagna
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (F.C.); (R.B.); (S.R.); (D.B.); (V.M.)
- Mediterranean Ethnobotanical Conservatory, Sersale (CZ), 88054 Catanzaro, Italy;
| | - Roberto Bava
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (F.C.); (R.B.); (S.R.); (D.B.); (V.M.)
| | - Marta Gagliardi
- Interdepartmental Center Veterinary Service for Human and Animal Health (CISVet-SUA), University of Catanzaro Magna Graecia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (M.G.); (S.R.)
| | - Simone Russo
- Interdepartmental Center Veterinary Service for Human and Animal Health (CISVet-SUA), University of Catanzaro Magna Graecia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (M.G.); (S.R.)
| | - Giusi Poerio
- ATS Val Padana, Via dei Toscani, 46100 Mantova, Italy;
| | - Stefano Ruga
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (F.C.); (R.B.); (S.R.); (D.B.); (V.M.)
| | - Carmine Lupia
- Mediterranean Ethnobotanical Conservatory, Sersale (CZ), 88054 Catanzaro, Italy;
| | - Giuseppe Cringoli
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, CREMoPar, 80100 Napoli, Italy; (G.C.); (A.B.); (L.R.)
| | - Antonio Bosco
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, CREMoPar, 80100 Napoli, Italy; (G.C.); (A.B.); (L.R.)
| | - Laura Rinaldi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, CREMoPar, 80100 Napoli, Italy; (G.C.); (A.B.); (L.R.)
| | - Ernesto Palma
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (F.C.); (R.B.); (S.R.); (D.B.); (V.M.)
- Center for Pharmacological Research, Food Safety and High Tech and Health (IRC-FSH), University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Domenico Britti
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (F.C.); (R.B.); (S.R.); (D.B.); (V.M.)
- Interdepartmental Center Veterinary Service for Human and Animal Health (CISVet-SUA), University of Catanzaro Magna Graecia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (M.G.); (S.R.)
| | - Vincenzo Musella
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (F.C.); (R.B.); (S.R.); (D.B.); (V.M.)
- Interdepartmental Center Veterinary Service for Human and Animal Health (CISVet-SUA), University of Catanzaro Magna Graecia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (M.G.); (S.R.)
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McBean D, Hayward A, Ballingall K, Jackson F, McNeilly T. Immune markers in goats selected for reduced gastrointestinal nematode egg count under artificial infection conditions. Vet Parasitol 2023; 322:110004. [PMID: 37633245 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2023.110004] [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: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to further investigate the mechanisms responsible for inhibition of gastrointestinal nematode egg production in a line of Scottish Cashmere Goat selected for low faecal egg count. Animals were chosen as the lowest egg producers from a line selected for low egg output (selected group) with a second group from the wider herd based on high faecal egg count as controls. All animals were artificially infected with Teladorsagia circumcincta and Trichostrongylus vitrinus, then treated with anthelmintic and challenge infected prior to euthanasia and post mortem sampling. There was no effect on body weight between groups at any point in the study. Mean faecal egg count was reduced by 68 % in the selected group when compared with the controls. Circulating eosinophil counts were consistently elevated in the selected group, but this was only marginally significant (P = 0.045). Most of the circulating and tissue antibodies (IgG, IgA and IgE) measured were slightly elevated in the selected group but not significantly. Mucosal mast cells, eosinophils and globule leukocyte levels were higher in the abomasal and intestinal tissues in selected animals. Following challenge infection there was no difference in numbers of parasites, however there were more early stage parasite larvae and fewer late stage larvae in the both the abomasum and duodenum of the selected group compared with the unselected group, indicating some inhibition of parasite development. Overall, the study further demonstrated that selection based on low egg count has resulted in a line of goats producing significantly fewer parasites under identical infection with no effect on bodyweight. This appears to be associated with elevation in antibody and effector cells. Some evidence of host inhibition of parasite development was observed in the selected animals.
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Albuquerque ACA, Almeida FA, Bassetto CC, Amarante AFT. Influence of targeted selective anthelmintic treatment on the productive performance of wool and hair lambs naturally infected with gastrointestinal nematodes in Brazil. Vet Res Commun 2023; 47:1207-1216. [PMID: 36595201 DOI: 10.1007/s11259-022-10061-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Targeted selective treatment (TST) is an alternative method to reduce the use of anthelmintics and delay the development of resistant nematode populations. However, there is limited information on the actual effects of this type of treatment on livestock productivity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the production performance of Santa Ines (hair) and Ile de France (wool) lambs naturally infected with gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) under TST based on packed cell volume (PCV) versus suppressive anthelmintic treatments. Thirty-eight lambs were divided into two treatment groups: Suppressive treatment, animals were drenched with monepantel every two weeks and TST, animals were treated with the same anthelmintic when they presented PCV ≤ 20%. Feces, blood, and weight were measured weekly to determine eggs per gram of feces, PCV, total plasma protein, and weight gain. After animals were slaughtered, carcasses were weighed to determine carcass yield. In the TST group, substantial productive losses of approximately 21.3% in the wool and 25.9% in the hair lambs were observed in body weight compared to their counterparts. Significant differences in hematological variables occurred over the experimental period, especially in the wool lambs under TST. Favorable environmental conditions enabled infective larvae to survive and thrive on pasture. Haemonchus contortus and intestinal nematodes were the most common parasites found in the Ile de France lambs and the Santa Ines lambs, respectively. Although TST prevented mortality, it did not prevent production losses. Both breeds showed a significant drop in production due to GIN parasitism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Cláudia A Albuquerque
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, UNESP - São Paulo State University, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
- Institute of Biosciences, UNESP - São Paulo State University, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
| | - Fabiana A Almeida
- Institute of Biosciences, UNESP - São Paulo State University, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Cesar C Bassetto
- Institute of Biosciences, UNESP - São Paulo State University, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
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Hayward AD. Genetic parameters for resistance to gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep: a meta-analysis. Int J Parasitol 2022; 52:843-853. [PMID: 36244427 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2022.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) are damaging parasites of global sheep populations. The key weapons in fighting GINs have been anthelmintic drugs, but the emergence of drug-resistant parasites has meant that alternative control methods are needed. One of these alternatives is to breed for enhanced host resistance to GINs, and decades of research have estimated the genetic contribution to different measures of resistance to GINs and their genetic correlations with other desirable performance traits. It is clear that parasite resistance is a heritable trait that can be selected for. Despite this consensus, estimates of both heritability of resistance and genetic correlations with other traits vary widely between studies, and the reasons for this variation have not been examined. This study provides a comprehensive and quantitative meta-analysis of genetic parameters for resistance to GINs in sheep, including measures of worm burden (faecal egg counts, FECs), anti-parasite immunity (GIN-specific antibodies), and parasite-induced pathology (FAMACHA© scores). Analysis of 591 heritability estimates from 121 studies revealed a global heritability estimate for resistance to GINs of 0.25 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.22-0.27) that was stable across breeds, ages, geographical location and analytical methods. Meanwhile, analysis of 559 genetic correlations from 54 studies revealed that resistance to GINs overall has a positive genetic correlation of +0.10 (95% CI = 0.02-0.19) with performance traits, and that this was consistent across breeds, ages, sexes and analytical methods. Importantly, the direction of the genetic correlation varied with the resistance trait measured: while FECs and FAMACHA© scores were favourably correlated with performance traits, adaptive immune markers were unfavourably correlated, suggesting that selection for enhanced immune responses to GINs could reduce animal performance. Overall, the results suggest that breeding for resistance to GINs should continue to form part of integrated management programs to reduce the impact of parasites on health and performance, but that selection for enhanced immune responses should be avoided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam D Hayward
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentland Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 0PZ, UK.
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Douhard F, Doeschl‐Wilson AB, Corbishley A, Hayward AD, Marcon D, Weisbecker J, Aguerre S, Bordes L, Jacquiet P, McNeilly TN, Sallé G, Moreno‐Romieux C. The cost of host genetic resistance on body condition: evidence from divergently selected sheep. Evol Appl 2022; 15:1374-1389. [PMID: 36187187 PMCID: PMC9488686 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Trade‐offs between host resistance to parasites and host growth or reproduction can occur due to allocation of limited available resources between competing demands. To predict potential trade‐offs arising from genetic selection for host resistance, a better understanding of the associated nutritional costs is required. Here, we studied resistance costs by using sheep from lines divergently selected on their resistance to a common blood‐feeding gastro‐intestinal parasite (Haemonchus contortus). First, we assessed the effects of selection for high or low host resistance on condition traits (body weight, back fat, and muscle thickness) and infection traits (parasite fecal egg excretion and loss in blood haematocrit) at various life stages, in particular during the periparturient period when resource allocation to immunity may limit host resistance. Second, we analysed the condition–infection relationship to detect a possible trade‐off, in particular during the periparturient period. We experimentally infected young females in four stages over their first 2 years of life, including twice around parturition (at 1 year and at 2 years of age). Linear mixed‐model analyses revealed a large and consistent between‐line difference in infection traits during growth and outside of the periparturient period, whereas this difference was strongly attenuated during the periparturient period. Despite their different responses to infection, lines had similar body condition traits. Using covariance decomposition, we then found that the phenotypic relationship between infection and condition was dominated by direct infection costs arising from parasite development within the host. Accounting for these within‐individual effects, a cost of resistance on body weight was detected among ewes during their first reproduction. Although this cost and the reproductive constraint on resistance are unlikely to represent a major concern for animal breeding in nutrient‐rich environments, this study provides important new insights regarding the nutritional costs of parasite resistance at different lifestages and how these may affect response to selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Douhard
- GenPhySEUniversité de Toulouse, INRAE, ENVTCastanet‐TolosanFrance
| | - Andrea B. Doeschl‐Wilson
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary StudiesUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Alexander Corbishley
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary StudiesUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | | | | | | | - Sophie Aguerre
- GenPhySEUniversité de Toulouse, INRAE, ENVTCastanet‐TolosanFrance
| | - Léa Bordes
- UMR INRAE/ENVT 1225 IHAP, UMT Santé des Petits RuminantsEcole Nationale Vétérinaire de ToulouseToulouse cedex 03France
| | - Philippe Jacquiet
- UMR INRAE/ENVT 1225 IHAP, UMT Santé des Petits RuminantsEcole Nationale Vétérinaire de ToulouseToulouse cedex 03France
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Differences in the protection elicited by a recombinant Teladorsagia circumcincta vaccine in weaned lambs of two Canarian sheep breeds. Vet Parasitol 2022; 306:109722. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2022.109722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Lee MD, Ipharraguerre IR, Arsenault RJ, Lyte M, Lyte JM, Humphrey B, Angel R, Korver DR. Informal nutrition symposium: leveraging the microbiome (and the metabolome) for poultry production. Poult Sci 2022; 101:101588. [PMID: 34933222 PMCID: PMC8703059 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2021.101588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Knowledge of gut microbiology of poultry has advanced from a limited ability to culture relatively few microbial species, to attempting to understand the complex interactions between the bird and its microbiome. The Informal Nutrition Symposium 2021 was intended to help poultry scientists to make sense of the implications of the vast amounts of information being generated by researchers. This paper represents a compilation of the talks given at the symposium by leading international researchers in this field. The symposium began with an overview of the historical developments in the field of intestinal microbiology and microbiome research in poultry. Next, the systemic effects of the microbiome on health in the context of the interplay between the intestinal microbiota and the immune system were presented. Because the microbiome and the host communicate and influence each other, the novel field of kinomics (the study of protein phosphorylation) as used in the study of the poultry microbiome was discussed. Protein phosphorylation is a rapid response to the complex of signals among the microbiome, intestinal lumen metabolites, and the host. Then, a description of why an understanding of the role of microbial endocrinology in poultry production can lead to new understanding of the mechanisms by which the gut microbiota and the host can interact in defined mechanisms that ultimately determine health, pathogenesis of infectious disease, and behavior was given. Finally, a view forward was presented underscoring the importance of understanding mechanisms in microbiomes in other organ systems and other species. Additionally, the importance of the development of new -omics platforms and data management tools to more completely understand host microbiomes was stressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margie D Lee
- Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | | | - Ryan J Arsenault
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA 19716
| | - Mark Lyte
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Joshua M Lyte
- Poultry Production and Product Safety Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | | | - Roselina Angel
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Douglas R Korver
- Department of Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2P5.
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Distribution and prevalence of gastrointestinal tract nematodes of sheep at highland and midland areas, Ethiopia. J Parasit Dis 2021; 45:995-1001. [PMID: 34789983 DOI: 10.1007/s12639-021-01397-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal nematodes infections are the most important causes of wastage and decreased productivity. This study was conducted with the objectives of estimating the prevalence of gastrointestinal nematodes infection, and the associated risk factors. The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal nematodes infection was 83% (n = 568). The prevalence of gastrointestinal nematodes infection at Debre-Zeit and Debre-Birhan were 84% and 82.3%, respectively. It was significantly higher in poor body condition and soft faecal consistency (P < 0.05) sheep. The overall mean eggs per gram of faeces was 635.2 (95% CI 590.6-679.9). The mean egg per gram was significantly influenced by site of the study, body condition score and faecal consistency (P < 0.05). The faecal egg count was higher in midland area, and in sheep with poor body condition, and soft faecal consistency and diarrhea. The light and moderate level of infections accounted for 73.8% and 17.3%, respectively. With the coproculture the main genera identified were include: Haemonchus, Trichostrongylus, Teladorsagia/Ostertagia and Trichuris in decreasing order of their abundance. To improve sheep health and productivity their control is crucial. Hence, appropriate animal health extension work and training of sheep farmers how they able to identify anemic and diarrheic sheep are helpful. Moreover, training on how to deworm with correct drug and dose for animal owners is important in the control of these parasites. Further epidemiological studies and survey on the development of anthelmintic resistance in the areas is required.
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Ramos-Bruno E, Sandoval-Castro CA, Torres-Acosta JFJ, Sarmiento-Franco LA, Torres-Fajardo R, Chan-Pérez JI, Ortiz-Ocampo GI. Nitrogen retention in hair sheep lambs with a gradient of Haemonchus contortus infection. Vet Parasitol 2021; 296:109488. [PMID: 34120032 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2021.109488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The impact of Haemonchus contortus infections on nitrogen retention (NR) of hair sheep lambs is unknown. This study estimated the feed intake, digestibility, NR, haematocrit (HT), and their relationship with the gradient of H. contortus infection in hair sheep lambs. Twenty-four hair sheep lambs, 3-4 months old, reared parasite-free were used (live weight (LW) 16.7 ± 1.7 kg). Six lambs were kept parasite-free, nine lambs received a dose of 300 H. contortus infective larvae (L3)/kg LW, and the remaining nine lambs received 500 H. contortus L3/kg LW. Infection doses ranged from 3870 to 9,500 L3. Lambs were individually fed for an average daily gain (ADG) of 100 g. On days 1 (P < 0.01) and 7 (P < 0.001) post-infection (PI), the L3 doses were positively associated with HT, possibly due to platelet recruitment. On week 1 PI, the infection (L3) reduced the crude protein (CP) intake (g/kg metabolic LW) (P < 0.05). A reduction of 1% HT corresponded to 1200 eggs per gram of faeces (EPG) for day 21 PI (P < 0.05), 2300 EPG for day 28 PI (P < 0.001), 2400 EPG for day 35 (P < 0.001), and 1300 EPG for day 41 PI (P < 0.001). However, the HT levels were never lower than 21 %. A lower CP digestibility was associated with EPG only on week 5 PI (P < 0.05). There was no significant association between EPG, Total egg in faeces, or worm burden (WB) with intake, dry matter digestibility (DMD), ADG or NR. The NR of lambs was positive along the different weeks of study irrespective of infection level. The WB was negatively associated only with HT on day 41 PI (P < 0.001), where a 1 % HT reduction was estimated for every 257 worms hosted. In conclusion, no relationship was found between H. contortus infection and DMD, ADG or NR in hair sheep lambs. The cost of H. contortus infection resulted only from the HT reduction and depended on the gradient and stage of the infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Ramos-Bruno
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Km 15.5 Carretera Mérida-Xmatkuil, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - C A Sandoval-Castro
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Km 15.5 Carretera Mérida-Xmatkuil, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico.
| | - J F J Torres-Acosta
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Km 15.5 Carretera Mérida-Xmatkuil, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - L A Sarmiento-Franco
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Km 15.5 Carretera Mérida-Xmatkuil, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - R Torres-Fajardo
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Km 15.5 Carretera Mérida-Xmatkuil, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - J I Chan-Pérez
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Km 15.5 Carretera Mérida-Xmatkuil, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - G I Ortiz-Ocampo
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Km 15.5 Carretera Mérida-Xmatkuil, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
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Carvalho N, Neves JHD, Pennacchi CS, Castilhos AMD, Amarante AFTD. Performance of lambs under four levels of dietary supplementation and artificially mix-infected with Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 30:e025420. [PMID: 33852701 DOI: 10.1590/s1984-29612021010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The effect of four diets on the performance of Dorper lambs that were artificially mix-infected with 1000 infective larvae (L3) of Haemonchus contortus and 1000 L3 of Trichostrongylus colubriformis every three days for 12 weeks was evaluated. For each diet, one infected group (n = 7) and one control group (n = 4) were set up. The four diets contained the following proportions of hay (H) and concentrate (C): Diet 1 - 100%H; Diet 2 - 75%H:25%C; Diet 3 - 50%H:50%C; Diet 4 - 25%H:75. All the infected groups showed decreases in mean packed cell volume (PCV) and total plasma protein, especially the Diet 1-infected, which was also the group with the highest fecal egg count. The diets and infection had significant effects (P < 0.05) on daily body weight gain (DBWG), cold carcass weight and daily food consumption. The control and infected groups had mean DBWG (in kg), respectively, of 0.048 and 0.025 with Diet 1; 0.082 and 0.067 with Diet 2; 0.188 and 0.189 with Diet 3; and 0.303 and 0.221 with Diet 4. In conclusion, the infection affected the productive performance regardless of the diet; however, with increased metabolizable protein and energy, the risk of occurrence of anemia and hypoproteinemia diminished.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadino Carvalho
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Fundação Universidade Federal de Rondônia - UNIR, Rolim de Moura, RO, Brasil
| | - José Henrique das Neves
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brasil
| | - Caio Santos Pennacchi
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brasil
| | - Andre Michel de Castilhos
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brasil
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Ferreira GF, Ciappesoni G, Castells D, Amarilho-Silveira F, Navajas EA, Giorello D, Banchero G, De Barbieri I. Feed conversion efficiency in sheep genetically selected for resistance to gastrointestinal nematodes. ANIMAL PRODUCTION SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1071/an20121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context
It has been indicated that there might be an antagonism between selection for gastrointestinal nematode resistance and high productivity and feed conversion efficiency in ruminants.
Aims
This study aimed to determine whether genetic selection for resistance to gastrointestinal nematodes would alter the feed intake and feed efficiency of sheep with or without an infection of Haemonchus contortus.
Methods
Sixty-seven Corriedale lambs (357 ± 14 days old) derived from flocks genetically selected to be resistant (n= 29) or susceptible (n = 38) to gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) were evaluated for individual dry-matter intake (DMI), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and residual feed intake (RFI). Considering bodyweight (BW), GIN line and sires, males were allotted to one of three outdoor pens and females to one of two, each pen being equipped with five automated feeding systems and two automatic weighing platforms to record individual feed intake and BW. Feed (lucerne haylage, crude protein 20.5%, metabolisable energy 9.2 MJ/kg DM) and water were offered ad libitum. The experiment was conducted in two periods. First, animals were maintained worm-free (14 days of acclimatisation and 44 days of records) and then, in Period 2 (42 days), animals were artificially infected with 6000 L3 of Haemonchus contortus. Worm egg counts were recorded on Days 9, 23, 27, 30, 42 post-infection. While DMI, FCR, average daily gain and BW were analysed using a generalised linear model including dams age, pen and GIN line as fixed effects, RFI was analysed including only GIN line.
Key results
In both periods, GIN line did not have a significant (P > 0.05) effect on DMI, FCR, RFI, average daily gain or BW. Worm egg count was different (P < 0.05) on Day 23 post-infection (Period 2), being higher in susceptible line.
Conclusions
The most important finding of this study is that breeding GIN-resistant animals would not have a negative effect on feed conversion efficiency when evaluated as FCR or RFI in 1-year old lambs fed ad libitum with a high-protein diet.
Implications
Breeding for resistance to internal nematodes does not affect feed efficiency or productivity.
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Raschia MA, Donzelli MV, Medus PD, Cetrá BM, Maizon DO, Suarez VH, Pichler R, Periasamy K, Poli MA. Single nucleotide polymorphisms from candidate genes associated with nematode resistance and resilience in Corriedale and Pampinta sheep in Argentina. Gene 2020; 770:145345. [PMID: 33333217 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2020.145345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Selective breeding of genetically resistant animals is considered a promising strategy to face the problem of nematode resistance to anthelmintics and mitigate concerns about the presence of chemical residues in animal food products and the environment. Gastrointestinal nematode resistance is a complex, multifactorial trait related to host immunity. However, the mechanisms underlying host resistance and response to infection remain to be fully elucidated. In this context, the objective of this study was to provide insight into the chromosomal regions determining nematode resistance and resilience in Corriedale and resistance in Pampinta sheep breeds. A total of 170 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) from 76 candidate genes for immune response were studied in 624 Corriedale and 304 Pampinta animals. Lambs underwent artificial or natural challenges with infective larvae mainly from Haemonchus contortus. Fecal egg counts, estimated breeding values for fecal egg counts, and rate of packed cell volume change and FAMACHA© score change over the challenge were used, when available, as indicators of host parasite resistance or resilience. Phenotype-genotype association studies were conducted and significance values obtained were adjusted for multiple testing errors. Eight SNPs, located on OARs 3, 6, 12, and 20, reached significance in Corriedale sheep under artificial challenge. Those SNP represent allelic variants from the MHC-Ovine Lymphocyte Antigen-DRA, two C-type lectin domain families, the Interleukin 2 receptor β, the Toll-like receptor 10, the Mannan binding lectin serine peptidase 2, and the NLR family, CARD domain containing 4 genes. On Pampinta lambs under natural challenge, we found three significant SNPs, located in the TIMP metallopeptidase inhibitor 3, the FBJ murine osteosarcoma viral oncogene homolog, and the Interleukin 20 receptor alpha genes, on OARs 3, 7, and 8, respectively. The results obtained herein confirm genomic regions previously reported as associated with nematode resistance in other sheep breeds, reinforcing their role in host response to parasites. These findings contribute to gain knowledge on parasite resistance and resilience in Corriedale sheep and report for the first time SNPs associated with resistance to gastrointestinal parasite infections in Pampinta breed.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Agustina Raschia
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, CICVyA-CNIA, Instituto de Genética "Ewald A. Favret", Nicolás Repetto y de Los Reseros s/n, Hurlingham (B1686), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Animal Production and Health Section, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria.
| | - María Valeria Donzelli
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, CICVyA-CNIA, Instituto de Genética "Ewald A. Favret", Nicolás Repetto y de Los Reseros s/n, Hurlingham (B1686), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Pablo Daniel Medus
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, E.E.A. Concepción del Uruguay, RP 39 Km 143.5, Concepción del Uruguay (3260), Entre Ríos, Argentina
| | - Bibiana M Cetrá
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, E.E.A. Mercedes, Juan Pujol al Este s/n, Mercedes (3470), Corrientes, Argentina
| | - Daniel O Maizon
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, E.E.A. Anguil, Ruta 5 Km 580, Anguil (6326), La Pampa, Argentina
| | - Víctor H Suarez
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, E.E.A. Salta, RN 68 Km 172, Cerrillos (4403), Salta, Argentina
| | - Rudolf Pichler
- Animal Production and Health Section, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kathiravan Periasamy
- Animal Production and Health Section, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria; Animal Genetics Resources Branch, Animal Production and Health Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy
| | - Mario A Poli
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, CICVyA-CNIA, Instituto de Genética "Ewald A. Favret", Nicolás Repetto y de Los Reseros s/n, Hurlingham (B1686), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Correlation of subclinical gastrointestinal nematode parasitism with growth and reproductive performance in ewe lambs in Ontario. Prev Vet Med 2020; 185:105175. [PMID: 33099151 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2020.105175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Infection with gastrointestinal nematode parasites (GINs) is an important cause of productivity loss on sheep farms in Ontario and worldwide. However, efforts to quantify the effect of GIN infection on growth have demonstrated mixed results. Furthermore, there has been limited investigation of their effect on reproductive performance. This study evaluated the effect of subclinical GIN parasitism on growth and reproductive performance of ewe lambs under Ontario grazing conditions. Rideau cross ewe lambs (n = 140) born in spring 2016 on a farm in central Ontario were followed for two years from before weaning through to November 2017, including their first lambing and lactation. These animals grazed from May to November of each year and were sampled every 6-8 weeks during both grazing seasons and once at mid-gestation in March 2017. At each sampling the ewe lambs were weighed, body condition scores assigned, fecal egg counts (FECs) performed, and pasture samples collected to assess number of infective GIN larvae. Study animals with a FEC of 500 eggs per gram or higher were selectively treated with anthelmintics to prevent morbidity and mortality. Fecal samples were cultured to determine infecting GIN species, and climate data were obtained from a weather station 26 km away from the farm. Precipitation levels and numbers of infective larvae on pasture were low during the first grazing season but were more typical of Ontario conditions in the second grazing season. The three most common GIN species were Haemonchus contortus, Teladorsagia circumcincta, and Trichostrongylus spp. General linear mixed models were generated for weight change over time, litter size at lambing, and weaning weights of offspring. Despite moderate peak GIN burdens in both grazing seasons, FEC was not significantly associated with weight change or litter size, apart from periparturient egg rise in study ewe lambs with larger litters (p = 0.05). Significant positive quadratic and negative linear associations were identified between late lactation FECs and offspring weaning weights; the association between FECs and weaning weights changed from negative to positive at a FEC of 361 eggs per gram. These results indicate that when GIN burdens are moderate as evidenced by fecal egg counts and infection is subclinical, there appears to be low to no impact on growth and reproductive performance in ewe lambs in the first 18 months of life. This suggests that when GIN parasitism is regularly monitored and controlled using targeted selective treatment, animal performance is minimally affected.
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Pereira FC, Longo C, Castilho C, Leme DP, Seugling J, Bassetto CC, Amarante AFT, Bricarello PA. Peripartum Phenomenon in Crioula Lanada Sheep Susceptible and Resistant to Gastrointestinal Nematodes. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:598. [PMID: 33102550 PMCID: PMC7505945 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed at evaluating parasitological and blood variables in native breed Crioula Lanada sheep belonging to the same herd, to identify and compare susceptible or resistant individuals to gastrointestinal nematodes during gestation and lactation phases. For this purpose, 18 Crioula sheep were used within 2 years of evaluation, in which blood and feces samples and weight of the animals were taken from their 4th month of gestation until the weaning of their lambs, in the 4th month postpartum. Feces samples were used for counting eggs per gram of feces (EPG) and, thus, to identify 12 resistant ewes (EPG < 1,000) and 6 susceptible (EPG > 1,000) to gastrointestinal nematodes. The identification of infective larvae was also performed. Blood was used for analysis of packed cell volume (PCV), eosinophil count, total plasma protein, and immunoglobulin G level against Haemonchus contortus infective larvae. The Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric comparison test was used to evaluate the differences between days of parturition and linear mixed-effects model using package lme4 in R to evaluate the groups. The main parasite species observed in the feces samples were Haemonchus, Trichostrongylus, Oesophagostomum, Ostertagia, and Cooperia in similar proportions in both groups. Susceptible ewes presented peaks of EPG at the beginning of lactation and lower PCV values throughout the study. No difference between groups was observed concerning other blood variables or body weight, but some changes were observed along with the gestation and lactation phases within each group. The physiological response of sheep to nematode infection is a useful tool to identify the most susceptible individuals within the same breed and herd and to select the most genetically resistant individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiellen Cristina Pereira
- Department of Animal Science and Rural Development, Agricultural Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Cibele Longo
- Department of Animal Science and Rural Development, Agricultural Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Caliê Castilho
- Pro-Rectory Graduate Studies and Research, University of Oeste Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Denise Pereira Leme
- Department of Animal Science and Rural Development, Agricultural Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Jaqueline Seugling
- Department of Animal Science and Rural Development, Agricultural Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | | | | | - Patrizia Ana Bricarello
- Department of Animal Science and Rural Development, Agricultural Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
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15
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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: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [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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Torres TS, Sena LS, Santos GVD, Figueiredo Filho LAS, Barbosa BL, Júnior ADS, Britto FB, Sarmento JLR. Genetic evaluation of sheep for resistance to gastrointestinal nematodes and body size including genomic information. Anim Biosci 2020; 34:516-524. [PMID: 32299165 PMCID: PMC7961268 DOI: 10.5713/ajas.19.0816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective The genetic evaluation of Santa Inês sheep was performed for resistance to gastrointestinal nematode infection (RGNI) and body size using different relationship matrices to assess the efficiency of including genomic information in the analyses. Methods There were 1,637 animals in the pedigree and 500, 980, and 980 records of RGNI, thoracic depth (TD), and rump height (RH), respectively. The genomic data consisted of 42,748 SNPs and 388 samples genotyped with the OvineSNP50 BeadChip. The (co)variance components were estimated in single- and multi-trait analyses using the numerator relationship matrix (A) and the hybrid matrix H, which blends A with the genomic relationship matrix (G). The BLUP and single-step genomic BLUP methods were used. The accuracies of estimated breeding values and Spearman rank correlation were also used to assess the feasibility of incorporating genomic information in the analyses. Results The heritability estimates ranged from 0.11±0.07, for TD (in single-trait analysis using the A matrix), to 0.38±0.08, for RH (using the H matrix in multi-trait analysis). The estimates of genetic correlation ranged from −0.65±0.31 to 0.59±0.19, using A, and from −0.42±0.30 to 0.57±0.16 using H. The gains in accuracy of estimated breeding values ranged from 2.22% to 75.00% with the inclusion of genomic information in the analyses. Conclusion The inclusion of genomic information will benefit the direct selection for the traits in this study, especially RGNI and TD. More information is necessary to improve the understanding on the genetic relationship between resistance to nematode infection and body size in Santa Inês sheep. The genetic evaluation for the evaluated traits was more efficient when genomic information was included in the analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Saraiva Torres
- Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, PI 64049-550, Brazil.,University Unity of Campos Belos, State University of Goiás (UEG), Campos Belos, GO 73840-000, Brazil
| | - Luciano Silva Sena
- Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, PI 64049-550, Brazil
| | | | | | - Bruna Lima Barbosa
- Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, PI 64049-550, Brazil
| | | | - Fábio Barros Britto
- Department of Biology, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, PI 64049-550, Brazil
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Charlier J, Höglund J, Morgan ER, Geldhof P, Vercruysse J, Claerebout E. Biology and Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Nematodes in Cattle. Vet Clin North Am Food Anim Pract 2020; 36:1-15. [PMID: 32029177 DOI: 10.1016/j.cvfa.2019.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
This article reviews the basics of gastrointestinal nematode biology and pathophysiology in cattle and describes how gastrointestinal nematode epidemiology is driven by environmental, host, and farm economic determinants. Adverse effects from gastrointestinal nematodes on their hosts are caused by tissue damage, nutrient absorption, immunopathologic effects, and reduced food intake induced by hormonal changes. Weather and microenvironmental factors influence the development and survival of free-living parasitic stages. A holistic control approach entails the consideration of environmental, immunologic, and socioeconomic aspects of nematode epidemiology and is key for the development and communication of sustainable control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Johan Höglund
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Section for Parasitology, Box 7036, Uppsala 75007, Sweden
| | - Eric R Morgan
- Biological Sciences, Queen's University of Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast BT9 5DL, UK
| | - Peter Geldhof
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Parasitology, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, Merelbeke 9820, Belgium
| | - Jozef Vercruysse
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Parasitology, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, Merelbeke 9820, Belgium
| | - Edwin Claerebout
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Parasitology, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, Merelbeke 9820, Belgium
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18
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Prevalence and risk factors associated with gastrointestinal parasites in ruminant livestock in the Coastal Savannah zone of Ghana. Acta Trop 2019; 199:105126. [PMID: 31394078 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2019.105126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Revised: 08/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GIT) parasite infections result in significant economic losses to ruminant livestock production. To determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with GIT parasite infections in livestock from Ghana, a cross-sectional survey was conducted in cattle and small ruminants kept under different management systems in the Coastal Savannah zone from October 2014 to February 2015. Faecal samples were collected from 328 cattle and 502 small ruminants (sheep and goats) and examined by formal ether concentration microscopy. The management systems and environmental conditions of the farm or household were observed, and a questionnaire administered to the livestock owners. Overall, 90.8% (754/830) of livestock were infected with at least one of ten different parasites (Eimeria, Strongylid nematodes, Toxocara, Trichuris, Schistosoma, Dicrocoelium, Paramphistomum, Fasciola, Moniezia and Thysaniezia), with Eimeria the most prevalent (78.4%). Most (64.5%) livestock had coinfections with two to five parasites with parasite intensity mostly light and at least one parasite was found in 98.6% (140/142) of the herds. Binary logistic regression models were generated to assess the risk factors associated with infection. Earthen floor was positively associated with strongylid infection, multiple ruminant species with Paramphistomum infection and flock size (>25 animal) with Thysaniezia, Dicrocoelium and Fasciola infections. Separating young animals from older animals was negatively associated with Strongylid infection, feed supplementation with Thysaniezia infection and small ruminant species with Paramphistomum and Toxocara infections. The findings from this study suggests that good sanitation, proper husbandry practices and improved nutrition can improve livestock health and production in Ghana.
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Hamie JC, McAnulty RW, Logan CM, Lundberg S, Greer AW. Comparison of the timing of development of immunity in Romney lambs from resistant and resilient selection lines. Vet Parasitol 2019; 270:49-55. [PMID: 31213241 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2019.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2018] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Variation in the timing of development of immunity to gastro-intestinal nematode parasites was assessed in resistant and resilient Romney selection lines exposed to mixed natural infection. From weaning, at mean 92 days-of-age, animals (n = 53) were sampled for faecal egg count (FEC) expressed as eggs per gram of faeces (epg), saliva for immunoglobulin (IgG and IgA) determination and fasted live weight (LW) every 10 days until 351 days-of-age. Overall, mean back-transformed FEC were consistently low for resistant animals (<200 epg) whereas resilient counterparts' FEC increased with time to reach a peak of 1400 epg at day 230 for females and 1800 epg for males at day 280 before declining to less than 500 epg by day 300, respectively (P < 0.001). Resistant lambs reached a threshold for Trichostrongylus colubriformis L3-specific IgG which was indicative of the presence of immunity earlier at 220.6 ± 8.8 days-of-age compared with resilient-line animals which reach this threshold 40 days later at 263.4 ± 6.9 days-of-age (P < 0.001). In addition, resistant females reached sexual maturity earlier compared with their resilient counterparts viz. 263.5 ± 3.7 c.f. 274.4 ± 3.4 days-of-age, respectively, (P = 0.048). Mean fasted live weight (LW) showed a selection line by time interaction (P < 0.001) which reflected greater LW in the early phase of the study in resilient males but increasing for all groups until day 280 before declining and being similar for all groups from day 330. In summary, differences appear to exist in the timing of immune development between these Romney lines, with resistant animals developing immunity earlier and these resistant-line animals also appear to be more physiologically mature at the same chronological age than resilient animals. These observations have implications on the timing of identification and selection of resistant animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- J C Hamie
- Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, PO Box 85084, Lincoln 7647, Christchurch, New Zealand.
| | - R W McAnulty
- Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, PO Box 85084, Lincoln 7647, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - C M Logan
- Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, PO Box 85084, Lincoln 7647, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - S Lundberg
- Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, PO Box 85084, Lincoln 7647, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - A W Greer
- Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, PO Box 85084, Lincoln 7647, Christchurch, New Zealand
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20
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Basripuzi NH, Salisi MS, Isa NMM, Busin V, Cairns C, Jenvey C, Stear MJ. Boer goats appear to lack a functional IgA and eosinophil response against natural nematode infection. Vet Parasitol 2018; 264:18-25. [PMID: 30503086 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2018.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Revised: 10/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/20/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Gastrointestinal nematode infection is one of the major diseases affecting small ruminants. Although some breeds of goats are quite resistant, many breeds of goats are relatively susceptible. This study used a combined parasitological, immunological, bioinformatic and statistical approach to examine the role of goat IgA and eosinophils in protection against Teladorsagia circumcincta. Molecular modelling suggested that the transmembrane domain of the high affinity IgA receptor was dysfunctional in goats. Statistical analyses failed to find any association in naturally infected goats between high IgA or eosinophil responses and low faecal egg counts. Together these results indicate that IgA and eosinophil responses against T. circumcincta are less effective in goats than sheep.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Hayyan Basripuzi
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Bearsden Road, Glasgow G61 1QH, United Kingdom; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Locked Bag 36, Pengkalan Chepa, 16100 Kota Bharu, Kelantan Darul Naim, Malaysia.
| | - M Shahrom Salisi
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Bearsden Road, Glasgow G61 1QH, United Kingdom; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - N Mahiza Md Isa
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Bearsden Road, Glasgow G61 1QH, United Kingdom; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Valentina Busin
- Veterinary Pathology, Public Health & Disease Investigation, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, United Kingdom
| | - Callum Cairns
- Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, AgriBio, 5 Ring Road, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Caitlin Jenvey
- Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, AgriBio, 5 Ring Road, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Michael J Stear
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Bearsden Road, Glasgow G61 1QH, United Kingdom; Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, AgriBio, 5 Ring Road, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Melbourne, Australia
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Zhang Z, Ma P, Li Q, Xiao Q, Sun H, Olasege BS, Wang Q, Pan Y. Exploring the Genetic Correlation Between Growth and Immunity Based on Summary Statistics of Genome-Wide Association Studies. Front Genet 2018; 9:393. [PMID: 30271426 PMCID: PMC6149433 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The relationship between growth and immune phenotypes has been presented in the context of physiology and energy allocation theory, but has rarely been explained genetically in humans. As more summary statistics of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) become available, it is increasingly possible to explore the genetic relationship between traits at the level of genome-wide summary statistics. In this study, publicly available summary statistics of growth and immune related traits were used to evaluate the genetic correlation coefficients between immune and growth traits, as well as the cause and effect relationship between them. In addition, pleiotropic variants and KEGG pathways were identified. As a result, we found negative correlations between birthweight and immune cell count phenotypes, a positive correlation between childhood head circumference and eosinophil counts (EO), and positive or negative correlations between childhood body mass index and immune phenotypes. Statistically significant negative effects of immune cell count phenotypes on human height, and a slight but significant negative influence of human height on allergic disease were also observed. A total of 98 genomic regions were identified as containing variants potentially related to both immunity and growth. Some variants, such as rs3184504 located in SH2B3, rs13107325 in SLC39A8, and rs1260326 located in GCKR, which have been identified to be pleiotropic SNPs among other traits, were found to also be related to growth and immune traits in this study. Meanwhile, the most frequent overlapping KEGG pathways between growth and immune phenotypes were autoimmune related pathways. Pleiotropic pathways such as the adipocytokine signaling pathway and JAK-STAT signaling pathway were also identified to be significant. The results of this study indicate the complex genetic relationship between growth and immune phenotypes, and reveal the genetic background of their correlation in the context of pleiotropy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Zhang
- Department of Animal Science, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Shanghai, China
| | - Peipei Ma
- Department of Animal Science, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiumeng Li
- Department of Animal Science, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Shanghai, China
| | - Qian Xiao
- Department of Animal Science, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Shanghai, China
| | - Hao Sun
- Department of Animal Science, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Shanghai, China
| | - Babatunde Shittu Olasege
- Department of Animal Science, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Shanghai, China
| | - Qishan Wang
- Department of Animal Science, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuchun Pan
- Department of Animal Science, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Shanghai, China
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22
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Ceï W, Salah N, Alexandre G, Bambou J, Archimède H. Impact of energy and protein on the gastro-intestinal parasitism of small ruminants: A meta-analysis. Livest Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2018.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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23
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Bellet C, Green M, Bradley A, Kaler J. Short- and long-term association between individual levels of milk antibody against Ostertagia ostertagi and first-lactation heifer’s production performances. Vet Parasitol 2018; 256:1-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2018.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Revised: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 04/14/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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24
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Wang C, Chen YL, Bian WP, Xie SL, Qi GL, Liu L, Strauss PR, Zou JX, Pei DS. Deletion of mstna and mstnb impairs the immune system and affects growth performance in zebrafish. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2018; 72:572-580. [PMID: 29175471 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2017.11.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2017] [Revised: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Myostatin (Mstn) is a negative regulator of muscle development in vertebrates. Although its function in muscle growth has been well studied in mammals and fish, it remains unclear whether or how mstn functions in the immune system. In this study, mstna-/- and mstnb-/- homozygous zebrafish were firstly generated using CRISPR/Cas9 (Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR associated protein 9). Deletion of mstnb but not mstna enhanced growth performance. Although survival rates under normal conditions were slightly decreased in both strains, mortality after dexamethasone-induced stress was increased by ∼30%. Furthermore, transcriptional levels of several critical immune-related genes were decreased, and the ability to withstand exposure to pathogenic E. tarda was decreased, compared with that of controls. In mstnb-/- but not mstna-/- zebrafish, expression of NF-κB subunits and several pro-inflammatory cytokines failed to respond to E. tarda exposure except nfkb1, c-rel and tnfα. Taken together, these results indicate that mstnb but not mstna plays a key role in zebrafish muscle growth. While each paralogue contributes to the response to bacterial insult, mstnb affects the immune system through activation of the NF-κB pathway, and mstna is likely to act upstream of NF-κB at some as yet unidentified target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Wang
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
| | - Yan-Ling Chen
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
| | - Wan-Ping Bian
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
| | - Shao-Lin Xie
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
| | - Ge-Le Qi
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
| | - Li Liu
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
| | - Phyllis R Strauss
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Ji-Xing Zou
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
| | - De-Sheng Pei
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China.
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25
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Greer A, McKenzie J, McAnulty R, Huntley J, McNeilly T. Immune development and performance characteristics of Romney sheep selected for either resistance or resilience to gastrointestinal nematodes. Vet Parasitol 2018; 250:60-67. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2017.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Revised: 12/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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26
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Charlier J, Thamsborg SM, Bartley DJ, Skuce PJ, Kenyon F, Geurden T, Hoste H, Williams AR, Sotiraki S, Höglund J, Chartier C, Geldhof P, van Dijk J, Rinaldi L, Morgan ER, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G, Vercruysse J, Claerebout E. Mind the gaps in research on the control of gastrointestinal nematodes of farmed ruminants and pigs. Transbound Emerg Dis 2017; 65 Suppl 1:217-234. [PMID: 29124904 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.12707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) nematode control has an important role to play in increasing livestock production from a limited natural resource base and to improve animal health and welfare. In this synthetic review, we identify key research priorities for GI nematode control in farmed ruminants and pigs, to support the development of roadmaps and strategic research agendas by governments, industry and policymakers. These priorities were derived from the DISCONTOOLS gap analysis for nematodes and follow-up discussions within the recently formed Livestock Helminth Research Alliance (LiHRA). In the face of ongoing spread of anthelmintic resistance (AR), we are increasingly faced with a failure of existing control methods against GI nematodes. Effective vaccines against GI nematodes are generally not available, and anthelmintic treatment will therefore remain a cornerstone for their effective control. At the same time, consumers and producers are increasingly concerned with environmental issues associated with chemical parasite control. To address current challenges in GI nematode control, it is crucial to deepen our insights into diverse aspects of epidemiology, AR, host immune mechanisms and the socio-psychological aspects of nematode control. This will enhance the development, and subsequent uptake, of the new diagnostics, vaccines, pharma-/nutraceuticals, control methods and decision support tools required to respond to the spread of AR and the shifting epidemiology of GI nematodes in response to climatic, land-use and farm husbandry changes. More emphasis needs to be placed on the upfront evaluation of the economic value of these innovations as well as the socio-psychological aspects to prioritize research and facilitate uptake of innovations in practice. Finally, targeted regulatory guidance is needed to create an innovation-supportive environment for industries and to accelerate the access to market of new control tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Charlier
- Kreavet, Kruibeke, Belgium.,Avia-GIS, Zoersel, Belgium
| | - S M Thamsborg
- Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | | | - P J Skuce
- Moredun Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - F Kenyon
- Moredun Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - H Hoste
- UMR IHAP 1225, INRA, ENVT, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - A R Williams
- Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - S Sotiraki
- VetResInst, HAO-DEMETER, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - J Höglund
- BVF, Section for Parasitology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - P Geldhof
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - J van Dijk
- Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Neston, Cheshire, UK
| | - L Rinaldi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy
| | - E R Morgan
- Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.,School of Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, North Somerset, UK
| | | | - J Vercruysse
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - E Claerebout
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
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27
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Campbell B, Pullin A, Pairis-Garcia M, McCutcheon J, Lowe G, Campler M, Fluharty F. The effects of alternative weaning strategies on lamb health and performance. Small Rumin Res 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.smallrumres.2017.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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28
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Fernandes LH, Catto JB, Reis FA, Feijó GLD, Guimarães NGP, Costa JAAD. RESISTÊNCIA À VERMINOSE E SUPLEMENTAÇÃO PROTEICA NO PERIPARTO: EFEITO NO PARASITISMO E NO DESEMPENHO REPRODUTIVO DE OVELHAS DO GRUPAMENTO RACIAL PANTANEIRO. CIÊNCIA ANIMAL BRASILEIRA 2017. [DOI: 10.1590/1089-6891v18e-41627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Resumo Os objetivos do trabalho foram avaliar o efeito do grau de resistência à verminose e da suplementação proteica nos índices reprodutivos e no parasitismo em ovelhas do grupamento racial Pantaneiro. As ovelhas foram classificadas pelo número de ovos de nematodas por grama de fezes (OPG) como resistentes (RR), sensíveis (SS) e intermediárias (RS), e submetidas (SUPL) ou não (NSUPL) à suplementação durante o terço final da gestação e na lactação. Em dois ciclos reprodutivos, a cada 28 dias, as ovelhas foram pesadas e tratadas com anti-helmínticos quando o OPG apresentava-se ≥ 4000. O peso das ovelhas não foi influenciado pelo grau de resistência aos nematódeos e a suplementação teve efeito no peso somente no período em que foi ofertada. As taxas de natalidade e de desmame não foram influenciadas pelo grau de resistência e pela suplementação. A taxa de mortalidade de crias foi menor no grupo SUPL. A taxa de mortalidade de ovelhas foi três vezes mais elevada no grupo SS em relação ao grupo RR e o peso das crias foi menor no grupo SS em relação aos grupos RR e RS. Os três grupos mostraram picos no OPG durante o terço final da gestação, mas as médias foram sempre menores no grupo RR que, no geral, necessitaram 2,5 vezes menos tratamentos anti-helmínticos que as SS. A suplementação não apresentou correlação com o OPG e com o número de tratamentos anti-helmínticos. A classificação de ovelhas pelo OPG em resistentes aos nematodas proporcionou menor número de tratamentos anti-helmínticos, menor taxa de mortalidade de ovelhas e peso maior das crias ao nascimento.
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29
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Sweeney T, Hanrahan JP, Ryan MT, Good B. Immunogenomics of gastrointestinal nematode infection in ruminants - breeding for resistance to produce food sustainably and safely. Parasite Immunol 2017; 38:569-86. [PMID: 27387842 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2016] [Accepted: 06/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infection of ruminants represents a major health and welfare challenge for livestock producers worldwide. The emergence of anthelmintic resistance in important GIN species and the associated animal welfare concerns have stimulated interest in the development of alternative and more sustainable strategies aimed at the effective management of the impact of GINs. These integrative strategies include selective breeding using genetic/genomic tools, grazing management, biological control, nutritional supplementation, vaccination and targeted selective treatment. In this review, the logic of selecting for "resistance" to GIN infection as opposed to "resilience" or "tolerance" is discussed. This is followed by a review of the potential application of immunogenomics to genetic selection for animals that have the capacity to withstand the impact of GIN infection. Advances in relevant genomic technologies are highlighted together with how these tools can be advanced to support the integration of immunogenomic information into ruminant breeding programmes.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Sweeney
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
| | | | - M T Ryan
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - B Good
- Animal & Grassland Research & Innovation Centre, Athenry, Co. Galway, Ireland
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30
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Budischak SA, O'Neal D, Jolles AE, Ezenwa VO. Differential host responses to parasitism shape divergent fitness costs of infection. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A. Budischak
- Odum School of EcologyUniversity of Georgia Athens GA USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton NJ USA
| | - Dawn O'Neal
- Odum School of EcologyUniversity of Georgia Athens GA USA
- Huyck Preserve & Biological Research Station Rensselaerville NY USA
| | - Anna E. Jolles
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Department of Integrative BiologyOregon State University Corvallis OR USA
| | - Vanessa O. Ezenwa
- Odum School of EcologyUniversity of Georgia Athens GA USA
- Department of Infectious DiseasesUniversity of Georgia Athens GA USA
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31
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Romero JJ, Zarate MA, Ogunade IM, Arriola KG, Adesogan AT. Tropical plant supplementation effects on the performance and parasite burden of goats. ASIAN-AUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCES 2017; 31:208-217. [PMID: 28728358 PMCID: PMC5767502 DOI: 10.5713/ajas.17.0321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Revised: 05/25/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Objective Examine the effects of supplementing bahiagrass hay (BG) with potentially anthelmintic quantities of hays of perennial peanut (PEA) or sericea lespedeza (LES) or seeds of velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens L.; MUC) or papaya (PAP) on the intake and nutritive value (Experiment 1), and the performance and parasite burden (Experiment 2) of goats. Methods In Experiment 1, 38 male goats (27.4±5.7 kg body weight) were randomly assigned to each of 5 treatments: i) BG alone and BG plus; ii) PEA; iii) LES; iv) MUC; and v) PAP. Goats were fed for ad libitum consumption and adapted to the diets for 14 d followed by 7 d of measurement. The PEA, LES, MUC (50%, 50%, and 10% of the diet dry matter [DM], respectively), and PAP (forced-fed at 10 g/d) were fed at rates that would elicit anthelmintic effects. In Experiment 2, goats remained in the same treatments but were allocated to 15 pens (3 pens per treatment) from d 22 to 63. All goats were infected with parasites by grazing an infected bahiagrass pasture from 0800 to 1500 h daily and then returned to the pens. Results Dry matter intake tended to be greater in goats fed PEA and LES than those fed BG (757 and 745 vs 612 g/d, respectively). Digestibility of DM (59.5% vs 54.9%) and organic matter (60.8% vs 56.0%) were greater in goats fed MUC vs BG, respectively. In Experiment 2, feeding PAP, LES, and PEA to goats reduced nematode fecal egg counts by 72%, 52%, and 32%, reduced abomasal adult worm counts by 78%, 52%, and 42%, and decreased plasma haptoglobin concentrations by 42%, 40%, and 45% relative to feeding BG alone, respectively. Conclusion Supplementation with PEA, LES, and PAP decreased the parasite burden of goats but did not increase their performance. PAP was the most effective anthelmintic supplement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J Romero
- Department of Animal Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA.,Animal and Veterinary Sciences, School of Food and Agriculture, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA
| | - Miguel A Zarate
- Department of Animal Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Ibukun M Ogunade
- Department of Animal Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA.,Division of Food and Animal Science, Kentucky State University, Frankfort, KY, 40601, USA
| | - Kathy G Arriola
- Department of Animal Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Adegbola T Adesogan
- Department of Animal Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
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32
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An investigation into the effects of maternal supplementation with excess iodine on the mechanisms and impacts of reduced IgG absorption in the lamb postpartum. Br J Nutr 2017; 117:951-963. [PMID: 28443527 DOI: 10.1017/s0007114517000575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
An experiment was conducted to determine: (1) the effect of excess maternal I supplementation on the thyroid hormone status of the ewe and her progeny; (2) potential mechanisms underpinning the failure of passive transfer associated with excess I and (3) the growing lambs' response to natural gastrointestinal infection. Twin-bearing ewes received one of two treatments (n 32/treatment group): basal diet (C) or C plus 26·6 mg of iodine/ewe per d (I), supplied as calcium iodate. Ewes were individually fed from day 119 of gestation to parturition. Progeny of I ewes had lower (P<0·01) serum IgG concentrations from 24 h to 28 d postpartum but higher serum IgG concentrations at day 70 postpartum (P<0·05). I supplementation increased the relative expression of Fc receptor, IgA, IgM high affinity and polymeric Ig receptor in the ileum of the lamb at 24 h postpartum; however, thyroid hormone receptor-β (THRB) and β-2-microglobulin (B2M) expression declined (P<0·05). Progeny of I ewes had higher growth rates to weaning (P<0·05) and lower faecal egg count (FEC) for Nematodirus battus (P<0·05) between weeks 6 and 10 postpartum. In conclusion, excess maternal I supplementation negatively affected the thyroid hormone status, serum IgG concentration, ileal morphology and the gene expression of THRB and B2M in the ileum and ras-related protein (RAB) RAB25 and the mucin gene (MUC) MUC1 in the duodenum of the lamb postpartum. These effects were followed by an enhancement of average daily gain and lower N. battus FEC in the pre-weaning period of I-supplemented lambs.
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33
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Jacobson C, Williams A, Yang R, Ryan U, Carmichael I, Campbell AJ, Gardner GE. Greater intensity and frequency of Cryptosporidium and Giardia oocyst shedding beyond the neonatal period is associated with reductions in growth, carcase weight and dressing efficiency in sheep. Vet Parasitol 2016; 228:42-51. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2016.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2016] [Revised: 07/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Sinclair R, Melville L, Sargison F, Kenyon F, Nussey D, Watt K, Sargison N. Gastrointestinal nematode species diversity in Soay sheep kept in a natural environment without active parasite control. Vet Parasitol 2016; 227:1-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2016.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2016] [Revised: 07/15/2016] [Accepted: 07/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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35
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Greer AW, Hamie JC. Relative maturity and the development of immunity to gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep: an overlooked paradigm? Parasite Immunol 2016; 38:263-72. [PMID: 26989873 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2015] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Sheep display considerable variation in both the timing and magnitude of development of immunity to gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN). Onset of immunity is dependent on a number of factors, including antigenic stimulus, nutrition supply, age and size of the animals, the latter of which are confounded. Here, we review the factors associated with the development of immunity to GIN in sheep, particularly in the context of the role that relative maturity may have through applying the rules of genetic size scaling based on examples from published literature. Comparing animals based on their metabolic age, rather than chronological age, may provide an explanation for the timing of immune development and may reduce the variation in immune development that frequently is observed both between and within breeds. Further, this approach may help explain the phenotypic differences in animal performance between animals of varying immunological capacity to GIN through influences on mature body weight. As such, when considering factors influencing immune development to GIN, physiological age or relative maturity may be considered an overlooked paradigm. We propose it may be worthwhile to consider metabolic age when comparing the immune competence of animals to ensure the subjects are at an analogous stage of physiological development.
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Affiliation(s)
- A W Greer
- Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - J C Hamie
- Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, Christchurch, New Zealand
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36
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Lin YS, Zhou H, Forrest R, Frampton C, Burrows L, Hickford J. Association between variation in faecal egg count for a natural mixed field-challenge of nematode parasites and TLR4 variation. Vet Parasitol 2016; 218:5-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2016.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2015] [Revised: 11/30/2015] [Accepted: 01/04/2016] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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37
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Chiang YA, Kinoshita M, Maekawa S, Kulkarni A, Lo CF, Yoshiura Y, Wang HC, Aoki T. TALENs-mediated gene disruption of myostatin produces a larger phenotype of medaka with an apparently compromised immune system. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2016; 48:212-220. [PMID: 26578247 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2015.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2015] [Revised: 11/03/2015] [Accepted: 11/06/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Although myostatin, a suppressor of skeletal muscle development and growth, has been well studied in mammals, its function in fish remains unclear. In this study, we used a popular genome editing tool with high efficiency and target specificity (TALENs; transcription activator-like effector nucleases) to mutate the genome sequence of myostatin (MSTN) in medaka (Oryzias latipes). After the TALEN pair targeting OlMyostatin was injected into fertilized medaka eggs, mutant G0 fish carrying different TALENs-induced frameshifts in the OlMSTN coding sequence were mated together in order to transmit the mutant sequences to the F1 generation. Two F1 mutants with frameshifted myostatin alleles were then mated to produce the F2 generation, and these F2 OlMSTN null (MSTN(-/-)) medaka were evaluated for growth performance. The F2 fish showed significantly increased body length and weight compared to the wild type fish at the juvenile and post-juvenile stages. At the post-juvenile stage, the average body weight of the MSTN(-/-) medaka was ∼25% greater than the wild type. However, we also found that when the F3 generation were challenged with red spotted grouper nervous necrosis virus (RGNNV), the expression levels of the interferon-stimulated genes were lower than in the wild type, and the virus copy number was maintained at a high level. We therefore conclude that although the MSTN(-/-) medaka had a larger phenotype, their immune system appeared to be at least partially suppressed or undeveloped.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-An Chiang
- Institute of Biotechnology, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan
| | - Masato Kinoshita
- Division of Applied Bioscience, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Shun Maekawa
- Institute of Biotechnology, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan
| | - Amod Kulkarni
- Institute of Biotechnology, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan
| | - Chu-Fang Lo
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Biosignal Transduction, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City 701, Taiwan
| | - Yasutoshi Yoshiura
- National Research Institute of Fisheries and Enhancement of Inland Sea, Fisheries Research Agency, Kagawa 761-0111, Japan
| | - Han-Ching Wang
- Institute of Biotechnology, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan.
| | - Takashi Aoki
- Institute of Biotechnology, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan.
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38
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Darris CE, Tyus JE, Kelley G, Ropelewski AJ, Nicholas HB, Wang X, Nahashon S. Molecular tools to support metabolic and immune function research in the Guinea Fowl (Numida meleagris). BMC Genomics 2015; 16:358. [PMID: 25948401 PMCID: PMC4432510 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-1520-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2015] [Accepted: 04/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Guinea fowl (Numidia meleagris) production as an alternative source of meat and poultry has shown potential for economic viability. However, there has been little progress in characterizing the transcriptome of the guinea fowl. In this study RNA-sequencing and de novo transcriptome assembly of several Guinea fowl tissues (pancreas, hypothalamus, liver, bone marrow and bursa) which play key roles in regulating feed intake, satiety, and immune function was performed using Illumina's Hi-Seq 2000. RESULTS 74 million sequences were generated and assembled into 96,492 contigs using the Trinity software suite. Over 39,000 of these transcripts were found to have in silico translated protein sequences that are homologous to chicken protein sequences. Gene ontology analysis uncovered 416 transcripts with metabolic functions and 703 with immune function. CONCLUSION The transcriptome information presented here will support the development of molecular approaches to improve production efficiency of the guinea fowl and other avian species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl E Darris
- College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Sciences, Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
| | - James E Tyus
- College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Sciences, Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
| | - Gary Kelley
- College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Sciences, Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
| | - Alexander J Ropelewski
- Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
| | - Hugh B Nicholas
- Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
| | - Xiaofei Wang
- College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Sciences, Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
| | - Samuel Nahashon
- College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Sciences, Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
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Zou L, Liu B. Identification of a Serum amyloid A gene and the association of SNPs with Vibrio-resistance and growth traits in the clam Meretrix meretrix. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2015; 43:301-309. [PMID: 25602707 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2015.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2014] [Revised: 01/07/2015] [Accepted: 01/08/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Serum amyloid A (SAA), an acute response protein as well as an apolipoprotein, is considered to play crucial roles in both innate immunity and lipid metabolism. In this study, a SAA gene (MmSAA) was identified in the clam Meretrix meretrix. The full length DNA of MmSAA was 1407bp, consisting of three exons and two introns. The distribution of MmSAA in clam tissues was examined with the highest expression in hepatopancreas. In response to the Vibrio parahaemolyticus challenge, MmSAA mRNA showed significantly higher expression at 24 h post-challenge in experimental clams (P < 0.05). Forty-eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the DNA partial sequence of MmSAA were discovered and examined for their association with Vibrio-resistance and growth traits, respectively. The single SNP association analysis indicated that five single SNPs (g.42, g.72, g.82, g.147 and g.165) were significantly associated with Vibrio-resistance (P < 0.05). Haplotype analysis produced additional support for association with the Chi-square values 6.393 (P = 0.012). Among the five selected SNPs, the effect of a missense mutation (g.82, A → G) was detected by site-directed mutagenesis with fusion expression of protein assay, and the result showed that the recombinant plasmids containing wild-type pET30a-MmSAA had more inhibition effect than the mutant ones on the growth rate of the host bacteria. In addition, four growth traits of the clams in 09G3SPSB population were recorded and the SNP g.176 was found to be significantly associated with the growth traits with the Global score value 0.790 (P = 0.015). Our findings suggested that common genetic variation in MmSAA might contribute to the risk of susceptibility to Vibrio infection and might be associated with the growth traits in the clams M. meretrix, and more works are still needed to validate these SNPs as potential markers for actual selective breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linhu Zou
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Baozhong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China.
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Verschave SH, Vercruysse J, Forbes A, Opsomer G, Hostens M, Duchateau L, Charlier J. Non-invasive indicators associated with the milk yield response after anthelmintic treatment at calving in dairy cows. BMC Vet Res 2014; 10:264. [PMID: 25394846 PMCID: PMC4234833 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-014-0264-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2014] [Accepted: 10/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Gastrointestinal nematodes are an important cause of reduced performance in cattle. Previous studies in Europe showed that after anthelmintic treatment an average gain in milk production of around 1 kg per day/cow can be expected. However, (1) these studies have mainly evaluated group-based anthelmintic treatments during the grazing season or at housing and (2) little is known about parameters affecting variations in the treatment response amongst cows. A better knowledge of such parameters could help to select animals that benefit most from treatment and thus lead to a more rational use of anthelmintics. Therefore, a randomized, non-blinded, controlled clinical trial was performed on 11 commercial dairy farms (477 animals) in Belgium, aiming (1) to study the effect of eprinomectin treatment at calving on milk production and (2) to investigate whether the milk yield response was related to non-invasive animal parameters such that these could be used to inform targeted selective treatment decisions. Results Analyses show that eprinomectin treatment around calving resulted in an average (± standard error) increase of 0.97 (±0.41) kg in daily milk yield that was followed up over 274 days on average. Milk yield responses were higher in multiparous compared to primiparous cows and in cows with a high (4th quartile) anti-O. ostertagi antibody level in a milk sample from the previous lactation. Nonetheless, high responses were also seen in animals with a low (1st quartile) anti-O. ostertagi antibody level. In addition, positive treatment responses were associated with higher faecal egg counts and a moderate body condition score at calving (2nd quartile). Conclusions In conclusion, this study provides novel insights into the production response after anthelmintic treatment at calving and factors which influence this. The data could be used to support the development of evidence-based targeted selective anthelmintic treatment strategies in dairy cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sien H Verschave
- Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium.
| | - Jozef Vercruysse
- Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium.
| | - Andrew Forbes
- Merial SAS, 29 Avenue Tony Garnier, Lyon, 69007, France.
| | - Geert Opsomer
- Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium.
| | - Miel Hostens
- Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium.
| | - Luc Duchateau
- Department of Physiology and Biometrics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium.
| | - Johannes Charlier
- Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium.
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Grandin T. Animal welfare and society concerns finding the missing link. Meat Sci 2014; 98:461-9. [PMID: 24928166 DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2014.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2014] [Revised: 05/12/2014] [Accepted: 05/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Young adults in developed countries are distanced from agriculture and the meat industry needs to do a better job of communicating with them. A major welfare concern is slaughter without stunning. Other concerns, such as poor stunning or high levels of bruising, can be easily corrected by management who is committed to maintaining high standards. Another concern is biological system overload, occurring when animals are bred for more productivity. Researchers and industry need to determine optimum production levels instead of maximums. Retailers are major drivers of animal welfare standards enforcement and they respond to pressure from both activists and consumers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Temple Grandin
- Dept. of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
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Assenza F, Elsen JM, Legarra A, Carré C, Sallé G, Robert-Granié C, Moreno CR. Genetic parameters for growth and faecal worm egg count following Haemonchus contortus experimental infestations using pedigree and molecular information. Genet Sel Evol 2014; 46:13. [PMID: 24528625 PMCID: PMC3939629 DOI: 10.1186/1297-9686-46-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2012] [Accepted: 12/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Haemonchosis is a parasitic disease that causes severe economic losses in sheep industry. In recent years, the increasing resistance of the parasite to anthelmintics has raised the need for alternative control strategies. Genetic selection is a promising alternative but its efficacy depends on the availability of genetic variation and on the occurrence of favourable genetic correlations between the traits included in the breeding goal. The objective of this study was twofold. First, to estimate both the heritability of and the genetic correlations between growth traits and parasite resistance traits, using bivariate linear mixed animal models, from the phenotypes and genotypes of 1004 backcross lambs (considered as a single population), which underwent two subsequent experimental infestations protocols with Haemonchus contortus. Second, to compare the precision of the estimates when using two different relationship matrices: including pedigree information only or including also SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) information. Results Heritabilities were low for average daily gain before infestation (0.10 to 0.15) and average daily gain during the first infestation (0.11 to 0.16), moderate for faecal egg counts during the first infestation (0.21 to 0.38) and faecal egg counts during the second infestation (0.48 to 0.55). Genetic correlations between both growth traits and faecal egg count during the naïve infestation were equal to zero but the genetic correlation between faecal egg count during the second infestation and growth was positive in a Haemonchus contortus free environment and negative in a contaminated environment. The standard errors of the estimates obtained by including SNP information were smaller than those obtained by including pedigree information only. Conclusions The genetic parameters estimates suggest that growth performance can be selected for independently of selection on resistance to naïve infestation. Selection for increased growth in a non-contaminated environment could lead to more susceptible animals with long-term exposure to the infestation but it could be possible to select for increased growth in a contaminated environment while also increasing resistance to the long-term exposure to the parasite. The use of molecular information increases the precision of the estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Assenza
- INRA, UR0631 Station d'Amélioration Génétique des Animaux, F-31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France.
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Abstract
Co-infection of individual hosts by multiple parasite species is a pattern that is very commonly observed in natural populations. Understanding the processes that generate these patterns poses a challenge. For example, it is difficult to discern the relative roles of exposure and susceptibility in generating the mixture and density of parasites within hosts. Yet discern them we must, if we are to design and deliver successful medical interventions for co-infected populations. Here, we synthesise an emergent understanding of how processes operate and interact to generate patterns of co-infection. We consider within-host communities (or infracommunities) generally, that is including not only classical parasites but also the microbiota that are so abundant on mucosal surfaces and which are increasingly understood to be so influential on host biology. We focus on communities that include a helminth, but we expect similar inferences to pertain to other taxa. We suggest that, thanks to recent research at both the within-host (e.g. immunological) and between-host (e.g. epidemiological) scales, researchers are poised to reveal the processes that generate the observed distribution of parasite communities among hosts. Progress will be facilitated by using new technologies as well as statistical and experimental tools to test competing hypotheses about processes that might generate patterns in co-infection data. By understanding the multiple interactions that underlie patterns of co-infection, we will be able to understand and intelligently predict how a suite of co-infections (and thus the host that bears them) will together respond to medical interventions as well as other environmental changes. The challenge for us all is to become scholars of co-infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark E Viney
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, UK.
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van der Voort M, Charlier J, Lauwers L, Vercruysse J, Van Huylenbroeck G, Van Meensel J. Conceptual framework for analysing farm-specific economic effects of helminth infections in ruminants and control strategies. Prev Vet Med 2013; 109:228-35. [DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2012.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2012] [Revised: 10/25/2012] [Accepted: 10/26/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Understanding the epidemiology of gastrointestinal parasitic infections in sheep: What does a faecal helminth egg count tell us? Small Rumin Res 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.smallrumres.2012.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Gunia M, Phocas F, Gourdine JL, Bijma P, Mandonnet N. Simulated selection responses for breeding programs including resistance and resilience to parasites in Creole goats. J Anim Sci 2012; 91:572-81. [PMID: 23148257 DOI: 10.2527/jas.2011-5071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Creole goat is a local breed used for meat production in Guadeloupe (French West Indies). As in other tropical countries, improvement of parasite resistance is needed. In this study, we compared predicted selection responses for alternative breeding programs with or without parasite resistance and resilience traits. The overall breeding goal included traits for production, reproduction, and parasite resilience and resistance to ensure a balanced selection outcome. The production traits were BW and dressing percentage (DP). The reproduction trait was fertility (FER), which was the number of doe kiddings per mating. The resistance trait was worm fecal egg count (FEC), which is a measurement of the number of gastro-intestinal parasite eggs found in the feces. The resilience trait was the packed cell volume (PCV), which is a measurement of the volume of red blood cells in the blood. Dressing percentage, BW, and FEC were measured at 11 mo of age, which is the mating or selling age. Fertility and PCV were measured on females at each kidding period. The breeding program accounting for the overall breeding goal and a selection index including all traits gave annual selection responses of 800 g for BW, 3.75% for FER, 0.08% for DP, -0.005 ln(eggs/g) for FEC, and 0.28% for PCV. The expected selection responses for BW and DP in this breeding program were reduced by 2% and 6%, respectively, compared with a breeding program not accounting for FEC and PCV. The overall breeding program, proposed for the Creole breed, offers the best breeding strategy in terms of expected selection responses, making it possible to improve all traits together. It offers a good balance between production and adaptation traits and may present some interest for the selection of other goat breeds in the tropics.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Gunia
- Tropical Animal Science Unit, INRA UR 143, French National Institute for Agricultural Research, 97170 Petit-Bourg, Guadeloupe, French West Indies
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Economic values of body weight, reproduction and parasite resistance traits for a Creole goat breeding goal. Animal 2012; 7:22-33. [PMID: 23031546 DOI: 10.1017/s1751731112001413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
A specific breeding goal definition was developed for Creole goats in Guadeloupe. This local breed is used for meat production. To ensure a balanced selection outcome, the breeding objective included two production traits, live weight (BW11) and dressing percentage (DP) at 11 months (the mating or selling age), one reproduction trait, fertility (FER), and two traits to assess animal response to parasite infection: packed cell volume (PCV), a resilience trait, and faecal worm eggs count (FEC), a resistance trait. A deterministic bio-economic model was developed to calculate the economic values based on the description of the profit of a Guadeloupean goat farm. The farm income came from the sale of animals for meat or as reproducers. The main costs were feeding and treatments against gastro-intestinal parasites. The economic values were 7.69€ per kg for BW11, 1.38€ per % for FER, 3.53€ per % for DP and 3 × 10(-4)€ per % for PCV. The economic value for FEC was derived by comparing the expected profit and average FEC in a normal situation and in an extreme situation where parasites had developed resistance to anthelmintics. This method yielded a maximum weighting for FEC, which was -18.85€ per log(eggs per gram). Alternative scenarios were tested to assess the robustness of the economic values to variations in the economic and environmental context. The economic values of PCV and DP were the most stable. Issues involved in paving the way for selective breeding on resistance or resilience to parasites are discussed.
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References. Parasitology 2012. [DOI: 10.1002/9781119968986.refs] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Sargison ND. Pharmaceutical treatments of gastrointestinal nematode infections of sheep--future of anthelmintic drugs. Vet Parasitol 2012; 189:79-84. [PMID: 22497871 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2012.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Various interacting factors have been identified to explain why health plans for nematode parasite control, based on conventional epidemiological knowledge and involving pharmaceutical treatments of their sheep hosts have become unsustainable. Of these, the emergence of anthelmintic resistance has had a major impact on the economics of sheep farming, necessitating fundamental managemental changes. This review focusses on the use of anthelmintic drugs for the control of gastrointestinal nematode infections in sheep, emphasising the need to develop sustainable strategies in the face of inevitable parasite evolution in response to exposure to anthelmintic drugs and other noxious stimuli, or favourable opportunities resulting from changing animal management and climatic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- N D Sargison
- University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Veterinary Centre, Roslin, Midlothian, Scotland, United Kingdom.
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Kelly G, Walkden-Brown S, Kahn L. No loss of production due to larval challenge in sheep given continuous anthelmintic treatment via a controlled release capsule. Vet Parasitol 2012; 183:274-83. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2011.07.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2011] [Revised: 07/07/2011] [Accepted: 07/18/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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