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López-Olvera JR, Ramírez E, Martínez-Carrasco C, Granados JE. Wildlife-Livestock Host Community Maintains Simultaneous Epidemiologic Cycles of Mycoplasma conjunctivae in a Mountain Ecosystem. Vet Sci 2024; 11:217. [PMID: 38787189 PMCID: PMC11125856 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci11050217] [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: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 05/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Infectious keratoconjunctivitis (IKC) is an eye disease caused by Mycoplasma conjunctivae that affects domestic and wild caprines, including Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica), a medium-sized mountain ungulate. However, its role in IKC dynamics in multi-host communities has been poorly studied. This study assessed M. conjunctivae in Iberian ibex and seasonally sympatric domestic small ruminants in the Natural Space of Sierra Nevada (NSSN), a mountain habitat in southern Spain. From 2015 to 2017, eye swabs were collected from 147 ibexes (46 subadults, 101 adults) and 169 adult domestic small ruminants (101 sheep, 68 goats). Mycoplasma conjunctivae was investigated through real-time qPCR and statistically assessed according to species, sex, age category, year, period, and area. The lppS gene of M. conjunctivae was sequenced and phylogenetically analysed. Mycoplasma conjunctivae was endemic and asymptomatic in the host community of the NSSN. Three genetic clusters were shared by ibex and livestock, and one was identified only in sheep, although each host species could maintain the infection independently. Naïve subadults maintained endemic infection in Iberian ibex, with an epizootic outbreak in 2017 when the infection spread to adults. Wild ungulates are epidemiologically key in maintaining and spreading IKC and other shared diseases among spatially segregated livestock flocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Ramón López-Olvera
- Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS) and Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, E-08193 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Eva Ramírez
- Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS) and Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, E-08193 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Carlos Martínez-Carrasco
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Murcia, E-30100 Murcia, Spain;
| | - José Enrique Granados
- Parque Nacional y Parque Natural de Sierra Nevada and Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Pinos Genil, E-18191 Granada, Spain;
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Valldeperes M, Yerro PP, López-Olvera JR, Fandos P, Lavín S, Escofet RCS, Mentaberre G, León FJCM, Espinosa J, Ráez-Bravo A, Pérez JM, Tampach S, Estruch J, Velarde R, Granados JE. Diseases of Iberian ibex ( Capra pyrenaica). EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2023; 69:63. [PMID: 37274486 PMCID: PMC10233571 DOI: 10.1007/s10344-023-01684-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica) is an ecologically and economically relevant medium-sized emblematic mountain ungulate. Diseases participate in the population dynamics of the species as a regulating agent, but can also threaten the conservation and viability of vulnerable population units. Moreover, Iberian ibex can also be a carrier or even a reservoir of pathogens shared with domestic animals and/or humans, being therefore a concern for livestock and public health. The objective of this review is to compile the currently available knowledge on (1) diseases of Iberian ibex, presented according to their relevance on the health and demography of free-ranging populations; (2) diseases subjected to heath surveillance plans; (3) other diseases reported in the species; and (4) diseases with particular relevance in captive Iberian ibex populations. The systematic review of all the information on diseases affecting the species unveils unpublished reports, scientific communications in meetings, and scientific articles, allowing the first comprehensive compilation of Iberian ibex diseases. This review identifies the gaps in knowledge regarding pathogenesis, immune response, diagnostic methods, treatment, and management of diseases in Iberian ibex, providing a base for future research. Moreover, this challenges wildlife and livestock disease and wildlife population managers to assess the priorities and policies currently implemented in Iberian ibex health surveillance and monitoring and disease management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Valldeperes
- Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Bellaterra Spain
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paloma Prieto Yerro
- Parque Natural de las Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas, C/ Martínez Falero 11, 23470 Cazorla Jaén, Spain
- Grupo de Investigación RNM 118. Biología de Especies Cinegéticas y Plagas, Jaén, Spain
| | - Jorge Ramón López-Olvera
- Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Bellaterra Spain
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Santiago Lavín
- Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Bellaterra Spain
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Gregorio Mentaberre
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Ciència Animal, Universitat de Lleida, 25198 Lleida, Spain
| | | | - José Espinosa
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria and Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña (CSIC-ULE), Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Arián Ráez-Bravo
- Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Bellaterra Spain
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jesús M. Pérez
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Barcelona, Spain
- Grupo de Investigación RNM 118. Biología de Especies Cinegéticas y Plagas, Jaén, Spain
- Department of Animal and Plant Biology, and Ecology, Jaén University, Campus Las Lagunillas, 23071 Jaén, Spain
| | - Stefania Tampach
- Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Bellaterra Spain
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Estruch
- Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Bellaterra Spain
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roser Velarde
- Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Bellaterra Spain
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Enrique Granados
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Barcelona, Spain
- Grupo de Investigación RNM 118. Biología de Especies Cinegéticas y Plagas, Jaén, Spain
- Parque Nacional y Parque Natural de Sierra Nevada. Ctra., Antigua de Sierra Nevada Km 7, Pinos Genil, 18191 Granada, Spain
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Filioussis G, Bramis G, Petridou E, Giadinis ND, Nouvel LX, Citti C, Frey J. Mycoplasma agalactiae ST35: a new sequence type with a minimal accessory genome primarily affecting goats. BMC Vet Res 2022; 18:29. [PMID: 35016679 PMCID: PMC8751087 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-021-03128-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Mycoplasma agalactiae, causing agent of contagious agalactia, infects domestic small ruminants such as sheep and goats but also wild Caprinae. M. agalactiae is highly contagious and transmitted through oral, respiratory, and mammary routes spreading rapidly in an infected herd. Results In an outbreak of contagious agalactia in a mixed herd of sheep and goats, 80% of the goats were affected displaying swollen udders and loss of milk production but no other symptom such as kerato-conjunctivitis, arthritis or pulmonary distress commonly associated to contagious agalactia. Surprisingly, none of the sheep grazing on a common pasture and belonging to the same farm as the goats were affected. Whole genome sequencing and analysis of M. agalactiae strain GrTh01 isolated from the outbreak, revealed a previously unknown sequence type, ST35, and a particularly small, genome size of 841′635 bp when compared to others available in public databases. Overall, GrTh01 displayed a reduced accessory genome, with repertoires of gene families encoding variable surface proteins involved in host-adhesion and variable antigenicity being scaled down. GrTh01 was also deprived of Integrative Conjugative Element or prophage, and had a single IS element, suggesting that GrTh01 has a limited capacity to adapt and evolve. Conclusions The lack of most of the variable antigens and the Integrative Conjugative Element, both major virulence- and host specificity factors of a M. agalactiae strain isolated from an outbreak affecting particularly goats, indicates the implication of these factors in host specificity. Whole genome sequencing and full assembly of bacterial pathogens provides a most valuable tool for epidemiological and virulence studies of M. agalactiae without experimental infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Filioussis
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, School of Health Science, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Georgios Bramis
- Laboratory of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, School of Health Science, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Evanthia Petridou
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, School of Health Science, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Nektarios D Giadinis
- Clinic of Farm Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, School of Health Science, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, St. Voutyra 11, 54627, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | | | | | - Joachim Frey
- Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Laenggasstrasse 120, 3001, Bern, Switzerland.
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Geomatics and EO Data to Support Wildlife Diseases Assessment at Landscape Level: A Pilot Experience to Map Infectious Keratoconjunctivitis in Chamois and Phenological Trends in Aosta Valley (NW Italy). REMOTE SENSING 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/rs12213542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Geomatics and satellite remote sensing offer useful analysis tools for several technical-scientific fields. This work, with reference to a regional case of study, investigates remote sensing potentialities for describing relationships between environment and diseases affecting wildlife at landscape level in the light of climate change effects onto vegetation. Specifically, the infectious keratoconjunctivitis (IKC) of chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra L.) in Aosta Valley (NW Italy) was investigated at the regional level. IKC (Mycoplasma conjunctivae) is a contagious disease for domestic and wild ruminants (Caprinae and Ovinae). Two types of analysis were performed: one aimed at exploring by remotely sensed data phenological metrics (PMs) and evapotranspiration (ET) trends of vegetation in the area; one investigating the correlation between PMs and ET, versus IKC prevalence. The analysis was based on TERRA MODIS image time series ranging from 2000 to 2019. Ground data about IKC were available for a shorter time range: 2009–2019. Consequently, PMs and ET trend investigations were focused on the whole times range (2000–2019); conversely, correlation analysis was achieved with reference to the reduced 2009–2019 period. The whole study was based on freely available data from public archives. MODIS products, namely MOD13Q1 v.6 and MOD16A2, were used to derive PM and ET trends, respectively. Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) Digital Terrain Model (DTM) was used to describe local topography; CORINE Land Cover map was adopted to describe land use classes. PMs and ET (as derivable from EO data) proved to significantly changed their values in the last 20 years, with a continuous progressive trend. As far as correlation analysis was concerned, ET and some PMs (specifically, End of Season (EOS) and Length of Season (LOS) proved significantly condition IKC prevalence. According to results, the proposed methodology can be retained as an effective tool for supporting public health and eco-pathological sectors. Specifically, it can be intended for a continuous monitoring of effects that climatic dynamics determine onto wild animals in the Alpine area, included diseases and zoonosis, moving future environmental management and planning towards the One Health perspective.
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Trimmel NE, Walzer C. Infectious Wildlife Diseases in Austria-A Literature Review From 1980 Until 2017. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:3. [PMID: 32154271 PMCID: PMC7046627 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
This literature review examines infectious wildlife disease research in Austria. We analyzed 226 research papers, published between 1980 and 2017. We determined that wildlife disease papers increased significantly from 0.8 ± 0.8 publications per year in the first decade (1980–1989) when compared to 2008–2017 with an average of 12.9 ± 4.1 publications per year. We illustrate information about the most investigated diseases and highlight the lack of research into certain wildlife pathogens. A special emphasis was given to diseases with zoonotic potential. The review showed that research focused on a few select species like the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), red deer (Cervus elaphus), and wild boar (Sus scrofa), all game species. Moreover, diseases affecting livestock and human health were seen more often. The review also found that only a low number of publications actually stated disease prevalence and confidence interval data. The reported diseases identified were classified according to their notifiable status and the distribution at the wildlife–human and wildlife–livestock interface. Furthermore, we try to argue why research into some diseases is prioritized, and why other diseases are underrepresented in current Austrian research. While spatiotemporal indicators could not be assessed due to the variability in methodologies and objectives of various studies, the information provided by this review offers the first comprehensive evaluation of the status of infectious wildlife disease research in Austria. Therefore, this study could assist investigators to identify further areas of priorities for research and conservation efforts and for wildlife management professionals to inform policy and funding strategies. With this review, we want to encourage research in the field of wildlife diseases in Austria to enhance current knowledge in the prevention of further loss in biodiversity and to find new measures to promote “One Health” on a global scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Eva Trimmel
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Chris Walzer
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY, United States
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6
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Fernández-Aguilar X, Cabezón O, Frey J, Velarde R, Serrano E, Colom-Cadena A, Gelormini G, Marco I, Mentaberre G, Lavín S, López-Olvera JR. Long-term dynamics of Mycoplasma conjunctivae at the wildlife-livestock interface in the Pyrenees. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0186069. [PMID: 29016676 PMCID: PMC5633175 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional roles of domestic and wild host populations in infectious keratoconjunctivitis (IKC) epidemiology have been extensively discussed claiming a domestic reservoir for the more susceptible wild hosts, however, based on limited data. With the aim to better assess IKC epidemiology in complex host-pathogen alpine systems, the long-term infectious dynamics and molecular epidemiology of Mycoplasma conjunctivae was investigated in all host populations from six study areas in the Pyrenees and one in the Cantabrian Mountains (Northern Spain). Detection of M. conjunctivae was performed by qPCR on 3600 eye swabs collected during seven years from hunted wild ungulates and sympatric domestic sheep (n = 1800 animals), and cluster analyses of the strains were performed including previous reported local strains. Mycoplasma conjunctivae was consistently detected in three Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra p. pyrenaica) populations, as well as in sheep flocks (17.0% of sheep) and occasionally in mouflon (Ovis aries musimon) from the Pyrenees (22.2% in one year/area); statistically associated with ocular clinical signs only in chamois. Chamois populations showed different infection dynamics with low but steady prevalence (4.9%) and significant yearly fluctuations (0.0%– 40.0%). Persistence of specific M. conjunctivae strain clusters in wild host populations is demonstrated for six and nine years. Cross-species transmission between chamois and sheep and chamois and mouflon were also sporadically evidenced. Overall, independent M. conjunctivae sylvatic and domestic cycles occurred at the wildlife-livestock interface in the alpine ecosystems from the Pyrenees with sheep and chamois as the key host species for each cycle, and mouflon as a spill-over host. Host population characteristics and M. conjunctivae strains resulted in different epidemiological scenarios in chamois, ranging from the fading out of the mycoplasma to the epidemic and endemic long-term persistence. These findings highlight the capacity of M. conjunctivae to establish diverse interactions and persist in host populations, also with different transmission conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Fernández-Aguilar
- Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- IRTA, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA, IRTA-UAB), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- * E-mail: (XF); (JLO)
| | - Oscar Cabezón
- Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- IRTA, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA, IRTA-UAB), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Joachim Frey
- Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Roser Velarde
- Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Emmanuel Serrano
- Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Departamento de Biologia & Cesam, Universidad de Aveiro (UA), Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Andreu Colom-Cadena
- Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- IRTA, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA, IRTA-UAB), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Giuseppina Gelormini
- Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ignasi Marco
- Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Gregorio Mentaberre
- Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Santiago Lavín
- Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Jorge Ramón López-Olvera
- Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- * E-mail: (XF); (JLO)
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Fernández-Aguilar X, Cabezón O, Granados JE, Frey J, Serrano E, Velarde R, Cano-Manuel FJ, Mentaberre G, Ráez-Bravo A, Fandos P, López-Olvera JR. Postepizootic Persistence of Asymptomatic Mycoplasma conjunctivae Infection in Iberian Ibex. Appl Environ Microbiol 2017; 83:e00690-17. [PMID: 28526790 PMCID: PMC5514678 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00690-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The susceptibility of the Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica) to Mycoplasma conjunctivae ocular infection and the changes in their interaction over time were studied in terms of clinical outcome, molecular detection, and IgG immune response in a captive population that underwent a severe infectious keratoconjunctivitis (IKC) outbreak. Mycoplasma conjunctivae was detected in the Iberian ibex, coinciding with the IKC outbreak. Its prevalence had a decreasing trend in 2013 that was consistent with the clinical resolution (August, 35.4%; September, 8.7%; November, 4.3%). Infections without clinical outcome were, however, still detected in the last handling in November. Sequencing and cluster analyses of the M. conjunctivae strains found 1 year later in the ibex population confirmed the persistence of the same strain lineage that caused the IKC outbreak but with a high prevalence (75.3%) of mostly asymptomatic infections and with lower DNA load of M. conjunctivae in the eyes (mean quantitative PCR [qPCR] cycle threshold [CT ], 36.1 versus 20.3 in severe IKC). Significant age-related differences of M. conjunctivae prevalence were observed only under IKC epizootic conditions. No substantial effect of systemic IgG on M. conjunctivae DNA in the eye was evidenced with a linear mixed-models selection, which indicated that systemic IgG does not necessarily drive the resolution of M. conjunctivae infection and does not explain the epidemiological changes observed. The results show how both epidemiological scenarios, i.e., severe IKC outbreak and mostly asymptomatic infections, can consecutively occur by entailing mycoplasma persistence.IMPORTANCEMycoplasma infections are reported in a wide range of epidemiological scenarios that involve severe disease to asymptomatic infections. This study allows a better understanding of the transition between two different Mycoplasma conjunctivae epidemiological scenarios described in wild host populations and highlights the ability of M. conjunctivae to adapt, persist, and establish diverse interactions with its hosts. The proportion of asymptomatic and clinical M. conjunctivae infections in a host population may not be regarded only in response to intrinsic host species traits (i.e., susceptibility) but also to a specific host-pathogen interaction, which in turn influences the infection dynamics. Both epidemic infectious keratoconjunctivitis and a high prevalence of asymptomatic M. conjunctivae infections may occur in the same host population, depending on the circulation of M. conjunctivae, its maintenance, and the progression of the host-pathogen interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Fernández-Aguilar
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- UAB, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA, IRTA-UAB), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Oscar Cabezón
- UAB, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA, IRTA-UAB), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Joachim Frey
- Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Emmanuel Serrano
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Departamento de Biología & Cesam, Universidad de Aveiro (UA), Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Roser Velarde
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Gregorio Mentaberre
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Arián Ráez-Bravo
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Jorge Ramón López-Olvera
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Fernández-Aguilar X, Rossi L, Cabezón Ó, Giorgino A, Victoriano Llopis I, Frey J, López-Olvera JR. Infectious keratoconjunctivitis and occurrence of Mycoplasma conjunctivae and Chlamydiaceae in small domestic ruminants from Central Karakoram, Pakistan. Vet Rec 2017; 181:237. [PMID: 28765500 PMCID: PMC5738590 DOI: 10.1136/vr.103948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2016] [Revised: 06/20/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Infectious keratoconjunctivitis (IKC) is a contagious eye disease primarily caused by Mycoplasma conjunctivae in domestic and wild Caprinae. Chlamydophila species have also been detected in ruminants with IKC. The objectives of this study are to investigate the ocular infection of M. conjunctivae and Chlamydiaceae and assess its interaction in relation to IKC in sheep and goats from remote communities around the Central Karakoram National Park in Pakistan, performing a combination of cross-sectional and case–control study design. Mostly asymptomatic and endemic infections of M. conjunctivae and Chlamydiaceae were found in sheep (19.3 per cent and 4.5 per cent, respectively) and goats (9.5 per cent and 1.9 per cent, respectively) from all communities, assessed by qPCR. Prevalence significantly differed between species only for M. conjunctivae (P=0.0184), which was also more prevalent in younger sheep (P<0.01). Chlamydophila pecorum was identified by sequencing and was related with IKC only when coinfection with M. conjunctivae occurred, which suggest a synergic interaction. Cluster analysis of M. conjunctivae strains revealed higher diversity of strains than expected, evidenced interspecific transmission and suggested a higher local livestock trade than previously assumed. These results highlight the widespread occurrence of M conjunctivae in sheep worldwide and its implications for wildlife should be assessed from a conservation perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Fernández-Aguilar
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.,Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Luca Rossi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, University of Torino, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Óscar Cabezón
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.,Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andrea Giorgino
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, University of Torino, Grugliasco, Italy
| | | | - Joachim Frey
- Vetsuisse Faculty, Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jorge Ramón López-Olvera
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
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Arnal M, Herrero J, de la Fe C, Revilla M, Prada C, Martínez-Durán D, Gómez-Martín A, Fernández-Arberas O, Amores J, Contreras A, García-Serrano A, de Luco DF. Dynamics of an infectious keratoconjunctivitis outbreak by Mycoplasma conjunctivae on Pyrenean Chamois Rupicapra p. pyrenaica. PLoS One 2013; 8:e61887. [PMID: 23637923 PMCID: PMC3634822 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2012] [Accepted: 03/14/2013] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Between 2006 and 2008, an outbreak of Infectious Keratoconjunctivitis (IKC) affected Pyrenean chamois Rupicapra p. pyrenaica, an endemic subspecies of mountain ungulate that lives in the Pyrenees. The study focused on 14 mountain massifs (180,000 ha) where the species’ population is stable. Cases of IKC were detected in ten of the massifs and, in five of them, mortality was substantial. The outbreak spread quickly from the first location detected, with two peaks in mortality that affected one (2007) and three (2008) massifs. In the latter, the peak was seasonal (spring to autumn) and, in the former, the outbreak persisted through winter. To identify the outbreak’s aetiology, we examined 105 Pyrenean chamois clinically affected with IKC. TaqMan rt-PCR identified Mycoplasma conjunctivae in 93 (88.5%) of the chamois. Another rt-PCR detected Chlamydophila spp. in 14 of chamois, and 12 of those had mixed infections with mycoplasmas. In the period 2000–2007, the chamois population increased slightly (λ 1.026) but decreased significantly during the IKC outbreak (λ 0.8, 2007–2008; λ 0.85, 2008–2009) before increasing significantly after the outbreak (λ 1.1, 2009–2010). Sex-biased mortality shifted the adult sex ratio toward males (from 0.6 to 0.7 males per female) and reduced productivity slightly. Hunting was practically banned in the massifs where chamois experienced significant mortality and allowed again after the outbreak ended. Long-term monitoring of wild populations provides a basis for understanding the impacts of disease outbreaks and improves management decisions, particularly when species are subject to extractive exploitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maríacruz Arnal
- Departamento de Patología Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
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Prevalence, molecular diagnosis and treatment of Mycoplasma conjunctivae isolated from infectious keratoconjunctivitis affected Lohi sheep maintained at Livestock Experiment Station, Bahadurnagar, Okara, Pakistan. Trop Anim Health Prod 2012; 45:737-42. [DOI: 10.1007/s11250-012-0282-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/28/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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