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Bandelj P, Kušar D, Šimenc L, Jamnikar-Ciglenečki U, Vengušt G, Vengušt DŽ. First Molecular Detection of Neospora caninum in Feces of Grey Wolf ( Canis lupus) and Golden Jackal ( Canis aureus) Populations in Slovenia. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3089. [PMID: 37835696 PMCID: PMC10571879 DOI: 10.3390/ani13193089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Neospora caninum is an obligate intracellular parasite that causes reproductive disorders and major economic losses in cattle, and induces neuromuscular disorders in canids. Exogenous infections are becoming increasingly important due to disease outbreaks. The sylvatic life cycle of N. caninum interferes with the domestic dog-ruminant life cycle, but understanding of it is scarce. The population of wild canids may play an important role in parasite dispersion. Feces from 42 grey wolves (Canis lupus) and 39 golden jackals (Canis aureus) were analyzed for the N. caninum Nc5 gene using a novel real-time PCR (qPCR) with a detection limit of 5 targets/µL in clinical samples. Three wolves (3/42; 7.1%) and one golden jackal (1/39; 2.6%) tested positive, which is the first detection of N. caninum in the population of grey wolves in Slovenia and the first detection of N. caninum DNA in the feces of a golden jackal. In addition to the grey wolf, we propose the golden jackal as a potential definitive host with hypothetical epidemiological importance for the sylvatic-domestic life cycle of N. caninum, due to its proximity to human habitats and its rapid expansion throughout Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Bandelj
- Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva ulica 60, 1115 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (P.B.); (D.K.); (L.Š.)
| | - Darja Kušar
- Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva ulica 60, 1115 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (P.B.); (D.K.); (L.Š.)
| | - Laura Šimenc
- Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva ulica 60, 1115 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (P.B.); (D.K.); (L.Š.)
| | - Urška Jamnikar-Ciglenečki
- Institute of Food Safety, Feed and Environment, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva ulica 60, 1115 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Gorazd Vengušt
- Institute of Pathology, Wild Animals, Fish and Bees, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva ulica 60, 1115 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Diana Žele Vengušt
- Institute of Pathology, Wild Animals, Fish and Bees, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva ulica 60, 1115 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
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Huaman JL, Pacioni C, Doyle M, Forsyth DM, Helbig KJ, Carvalho TG. Evidence of Australian wild deer exposure to N. caninum infection and potential implications for the maintenance of N. caninum sylvatic cycle. BMC Vet Res 2023; 19:153. [PMID: 37705000 PMCID: PMC10498561 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-023-03712-2] [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: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Infections with the coccidian parasite Neospora caninum affect domestic and wild animals worldwide. In Australia, N. caninum infections cause considerable losses to the cattle industry with seroprevalence of 8.7% in beef and 10.9% in dairy cattle. Conversely, the role of wild animals, in maintaining the parasite cycle is also unclear. It is possible that native or introduced herbivorous species could be reservoir hosts of N. caninum in Australia, but to date, this has not been investigated. We report here the first large-scale screening of N. caninum antibodies in Australian wild deer, spanning three species (fallow, red and sambar deer). Consequently, we also assessed two commercial cELISA tests validated for detecting N. caninum in cattle for their ability to detect N. caninum antibodies in serum samples of wild deer. N. caninum antibodies were detected in 3.7% (7/189, 95% CI 1.8 - 7.45) of the wild deer serum samples collected in south-eastern Australia (n = 189), including 97 fallow deer (Dama dama), 14 red deer (Cervus elaphus), and 78 sambar deer (Rusa unicolor). Overall, our study provides the first detection of N. caninum antibodies in wild deer and quantifies deer's potential role in the sylvatic cycle of N. caninum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose L Huaman
- Department of Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Carlo Pacioni
- Department of Environment, Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Land, Water and Planning, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Environmental and Conservation Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Mark Doyle
- South East Local Land Services, Bega, NSW, Australia
| | - David M Forsyth
- Department of Primary Industries, Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, NSW, Orange Agricultural Institute, Orange, NSW, Australia
| | - Karla J Helbig
- Department of Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Teresa G Carvalho
- Department of Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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The global seroprevalence of Neospora caninum infection in deer: a systematic review and meta-analysis study. Small Rumin Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.smallrumres.2022.106745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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