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Pandolfi IA, de Oliveira WA, Martins-Filho OA, de Araújo FF, da Costa Rocha IA, Bittar ER, Araújo MSS, Bittar JFF. The seasonality as a relevant aspect to be considered for differential diagnosis of Trypanosoma vivax infection and co-infections in female cattle. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2024; 109:102180. [PMID: 38653007 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2024.102180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Bovine Trypanosomiasis and other infectious diseases cause relevant loss for the livestock industry impacting productive/reproductive indices. This study intended to better understand the frequency, seasonality, and profile of infections associated with Bovine Trypanosomiasis. A total of 1443 serum samples were screened for T. vivax infection and other infectious diseases: Neosporosis, Leptospirosis, Bovine Leukosis Virus infection/(BLV), Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis/(IBR) or Bovine Viral Diarrhea/(BVD). Distinct methods were used for screening and diagnosis: immunofluorescence assay (Trypanosomiasis), ELISA (Neosporosis,BLV,IBR,BVD) and microscopic agglutination test (Leptospirosis). Our findings demonstrated that the seropositivity for Trypanosomiasis=57% was similar to Neosporosis=55%, higher than Leptospirosis=39% and BVL=34%, but lower than IBR=88% and BVD=71%. The seropositivity for Trypanosomiasis was higher in the autumn and lower in the winter. Regardless the season, the IBR seropositivity (min=73%;max=95%) was higher than Trypanosomiasis (min=48%;max=68%). Moreover, Neosporosis (min=71%;max=100%) and BVD (min=65%;max=76%) were more frequent than Trypanosomiasis in the summer, winter and spring. The diagnosis outcome revealed that Trypanosomiasis&IBR=43% and Trypanosomiasis&Neosporosis=35% were the most frequent co-infections with higher seropositivity in the autumn (58%) and summer (80%), respectively. Noteworthy, high seropositivity to Trypanosomiasis&BVD was registered in the autumn (46%). Together, our data re-enforce the relevance of differential diagnosis between Trypanosomiasis with other bovine infectious diseases and that differences in the seasonality profile is a relevant aspect to be considered while selecting the differential diagnosis to be applied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izabela Andrade Pandolfi
- Universidade de Uberaba (UNIUBE), Medicina Veterinária, Mestrado em Sanidade e Produção Animal nos Trópicos, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Wallacy Augusto de Oliveira
- Universidade de Uberaba (UNIUBE), Medicina Veterinária, Mestrado em Sanidade e Produção Animal nos Trópicos, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Olindo Assis Martins-Filho
- Grupo Integrado de Pesquisa em Biomarcadores, Instituto René Rachou - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Fortes de Araújo
- Grupo Integrado de Pesquisa em Biomarcadores, Instituto René Rachou - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ismael Artur da Costa Rocha
- Grupo Integrado de Pesquisa em Biomarcadores, Instituto René Rachou - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Eustáquio Resende Bittar
- Universidade de Uberaba (UNIUBE), Medicina Veterinária, Mestrado em Sanidade e Produção Animal nos Trópicos, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Marcio Sobreira Silva Araújo
- Grupo Integrado de Pesquisa em Biomarcadores, Instituto René Rachou - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - Joely Ferreira Figueiredo Bittar
- Universidade de Uberaba (UNIUBE), Medicina Veterinária, Mestrado em Sanidade e Produção Animal nos Trópicos, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Villa L, Allievi C, Di Cerbo AR, Zanzani SA, Sommariva F, Zanini L, Mortarino M, Manfredi MT. Neospora caninum antibodies in bulk tank milk from dairy cattle herds in Italy in relation to reproductive and productive parameters and spatial analysis. Acta Trop 2024; 254:107194. [PMID: 38521123 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Among the available diagnostic techniques, antibody detection in bulk tank milk (BTM) represents a useful tool to estimate and monitor Neospora caninum herd prevalence. To evaluate the prevalence of N. caninum and the effect of parasite infection on herd performances, BTM samples collected from 586 dairy herds located in one of the largest dairy production areas in Italy (Lombardy) were analyzed by an indirect ELISA to detect anti-N. caninum specific antibodies. Generalized linear models (GLMs) were developed. A purely spatial analysis scanning for clusters with high or low rates for N. caninum using the Bernoulli model was performed. A maximum entropy approach was used to estimate the probability of distribution of the parasite based on occurrence records together with environmental variables. Overall, 180 herds resulted positive for N. caninum antibodies on bulk tank milk (P = 30.7 %). A higher risk of seropositivity was evidenced in the provinces of Milano, Cremona, Brescia, and Bergamo (P = 32-40 %); a lower risk was evidenced in Lodi, Pavia, and Mantova (P = 13-24 %). A higher risk of seropositivity was revealed for small-medium farms (101-300 animals) (O.R.=2.8) and for older animals with more than 4 years (O.R.=4.4). Regarding the effect of N. caninum infection on herd performances, the number of inseminations for conception was higher (> 3 inseminations), and the period from calving to conception was longer (> 150 days) for positive farms (O.R.=2.0 and O.R.=2.3, respectively); besides, lower head daily milk production (<20 kg and 21-25 kg) and mature equivalent milk yield (<11,000), and somatic cell counts higher than 300,000 cells/ml were observed for N. caninum positive herds (O.R.=0.4, O.R.=0.4 and O.R.=1.9 respectively). The geographical distribution of N. caninum positive farms with the highest level of probability covers the central sector of the Po Plain where a significant cluster for high risk of parasite infection was shown by spatial scan statistic and Maximum entropy ecological niche modelling. A further significant cluster of low risk occurred in the southern. The climatic and environmental variables with the highest training gain when used in isolation resulted altitude, land use/land cover, and other variables related to temperature and precipitation. Neosporosis is widely distributed in Italian dairy herds and an impact of the parasite on herd performances could be hypothesized. Even if the role of N. caninum in alterations of reproductive and productive parameters should be further explored, veterinarians and farmers should be aware of neosporosis, and control plans should be adopted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Villa
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell'Università, 6, Lodi 26900, Italy
| | - Carolina Allievi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell'Università, 6, Lodi 26900, Italy
| | - Anna Rita Di Cerbo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell'Università, 6, Lodi 26900, Italy
| | - Sergio Aurelio Zanzani
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell'Università, 6, Lodi 26900, Italy
| | - Flavio Sommariva
- Associazione Regionale Allevatori della Lombardia, Via Kennedy, 30, Crema 26013, Italy
| | - Lucio Zanini
- Associazione Regionale Allevatori della Lombardia, Via Kennedy, 30, Crema 26013, Italy
| | - Michele Mortarino
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell'Università, 6, Lodi 26900, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Manfredi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell'Università, 6, Lodi 26900, Italy.
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Johns O, Pearl DL, Foster RA, Barta J, Chenier T. The seroprevalence and risk factors for exposure to Neospora caninum and Neospora hughesi in Ontario broodmares. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports 2024; 50:101002. [PMID: 38644034 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2024.101002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
The seroprevalence and risk factors for exposure to Neospora caninum and Neospora hughesi in broodmares in Ontario were investigated. Sixty of the 219 (27.4%) study broodmares were seropositive for N. caninum and 65/219 (29.7%) for N. hughesi with cut-offs of ≥1:40 and ≥1:160, respectively. Thirty-one of 63 participating farms (49.2%) had at least 1 broodmare seropositive for N. caninum. Thirty-three of the 63 (52.4%) participating farms had at least 1 broodmare positive for N. hughesi. Risk factors for N. caninum included presence of farm dogs (OR = 6.70; 95% CI = 2.14-20.97; p = 0.001), and high stocking density (OR = 2.83; 95% CI = 1.27-6.30; p = 0.011). Presence of livestock, excluding cattle, was associated with reduced risk of exposure (OR = 0.17; 95% CI = 0.06-0.53; p = 0.002). The only risk factor for exposure to N. hughesi was feeding hay on the ground in the paddock (OR = 4.31; 95% CI = 1.65-11.22; p = 0.003). This study demonstrated widespread exposure to Neospora spp. in broodmares in Ontario.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Johns
- University of Guelph, Department of Population Medicine, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
| | - David L Pearl
- University of Guelph, Department of Population Medicine, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
| | - Robert A Foster
- University of Guelph, Department of Pathobiology, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
| | - John Barta
- University of Guelph, Department of Pathobiology, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
| | - Tracey Chenier
- University of Guelph, Department of Population Medicine, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
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Lepore T, Macrae AI, Cantón GJ, Cantile C, Martineau HM, Palarea-Albaladejo J, Cahalan S, Underwood C, Katzer F, Chianini F. Evaluation of species-specific polyclonal antibodies to detect and differentiate between Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii. J Vet Diagn Invest 2024; 36:418-427. [PMID: 38420701 DOI: 10.1177/10406387241234322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Neosporosis and toxoplasmosis are major causes of abortion in livestock worldwide, leading to substantial economic losses. Detection tools are fundamental to the diagnosis and management of those diseases. Current immunohistochemistry (IHC) tests, using sera raised against whole parasite lysates, have not been able to distinguish between Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum. We used T. gondii and N. caninum recombinant proteins, expressed in Escherichia coli and purified using insoluble conditions, to produce specific polyclonal rabbit antisera. We aimed to develop species-specific sera that could be used in IHC on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue sections to improve the diagnosis of ruminant abortions caused by protozoa. Two polyclonal rabbit sera, raised against recombinant proteins, anti-Neospora-rNcSRS2 and anti-Toxoplasma-rTgSRS2, had specificity for the parasite they were raised against. We tested the specificity for each polyclonal serum using FFPE tissue sections known to be infected with T. gondii and N. caninum. The anti-Neospora-rNcSRS2 serum labeled specifically only N. caninum-infected tissue blocks, and the anti-Toxoplasma-rTgSRS2 serum was specific to only T. gondii-infected tissues. Moreover, tissues from 52 cattle and 19 sheep previously diagnosed by lesion profiles were tested using IHC with our polyclonal sera and PCR. The overall agreement between IHC and PCR was 90.1% for both polyclonal anti-rNcSRS2 and anti-rTgSRS2 sera. The polyclonal antisera were specific and allowed visual confirmation of protozoan parasites by IHC, but they were not as sensitive as PCR testing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alastair I Macrae
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute, Scotland, UK
| | - Germán J Cantón
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Balcarce, Argentina
| | | | - Henny M Martineau
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Royal Veterinary College, London, UK
| | | | - Stephen Cahalan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Royal Veterinary College, London, UK
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Yi XL, Yang WH, Zheng HL, Cao ML, Xiong J, Chen WC, Zhou YJ, Li F, Zhu XQ, Liu GH. Seroprevalence and molecular detection of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in beef cattle and goats in Hunan province, China. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:195. [PMID: 38671515 PMCID: PMC11055231 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06283-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum are closely related protozoan parasites that are considered important causes of abortion in livestock, causing huge economic losses. Hunan Province ranks 12th in the production of beef and mutton in China. However, limited data are available on the seroprevalence, risk factors and molecular characterization of T. gondii and N. caninum in beef cattle and goats in Hunan province, China. METHODS Sera of 985 beef cattle and 1147 goats were examined for the presence of specific antibodies against T. gondii using indirect hemagglutination test (IHAT) and anti-N. caninum IgG using competitive-inhibition enzyme-linked immunoassay assay (cELISA). Statistical analysis of possible risk factors was performed using PASW Statistics. Muscle samples of 160 beef cattle and 160 goats were examined for the presence of T. gondii DNA (B1 gene) and N. caninum DNA (Nc-5 gene) by nested PCR. The B1 gene-positive samples were genotyped at 10 genetic markers using the multilocus nested PCR-RFLP (Mn-PCR-RFLP). RESULTS Specific IgG against T. gondii were detected in 8.3% (82/985) and 13.3% (153/1147) and against N. caninum in 2.1% (21/985) and 2.0% (23/1147) of the beef cattle and goats, respectively. Based on statistical analysis, the presence of cats, semi-intensive management mode and gender were identified as significant risk factors for T. gondii infection in beef cattle. Age was a significant risk factor for T. gondii infection in goats (P < 0.05), and age > 3 years was a significant risk factor for N. caninum infection in beef cattle (P < 0.05). PCR positivity for T. gondii was observed in three beef samples (1.9%; 3/160) and seven chevon samples (4.4%; 7/160). Genotyping of PCR positive samples identified one to be ToxoDB#10. The N. caninum DNA was observed in one beef sample (0.6%; 1/160) but was negative in all chevon samples. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this is the first large-scale serological and molecular investigation of T. gondii and N. caninum and assessment of related risk factors in beef cattle and goats in Hunan Province, China. The findings provide baseline data for executing prevention and control of these two important parasites in beef cattle and goats in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi-Long Yi
- Research Center for Parasites & Vectors, College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen-He Yang
- Research Center for Parasites & Vectors, College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - He-Liang Zheng
- Research Center for Parasites & Vectors, College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Mei-Ling Cao
- Research Center for Parasites & Vectors, College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Xiong
- Research Center for Parasites & Vectors, College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen-Cheng Chen
- Chenzhou Center for Livestock Poultry and Aquatic Product Quality Inspection, Chenzhou, 423000, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu-Jing Zhou
- Research Center for Parasites & Vectors, College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Fen Li
- Research Center for Parasites & Vectors, College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Xing-Quan Zhu
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030801, Shanxi, People's Republic of China.
| | - Guo-Hua Liu
- Research Center for Parasites & Vectors, College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
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Imhof D, Hänggeli KPA, De Sousa MCF, Vigneswaran A, Hofmann L, Amdouni Y, Boubaker G, Müller J, Hemphill A. Working towards the development of vaccines and chemotherapeutics against neosporosis-With all of its ups and downs-Looking ahead. Adv Parasitol 2024; 124:91-154. [PMID: 38754928 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2024.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Neospora caninum is an apicomplexan and obligatory intracellular parasite, which is the leading cause of reproductive failure in cattle and affects other farm and domestic animals, but also induces neuromuscular disease in dogs of all ages. In cattle, neosporosis is an important health problem, and has a considerable economic impact. To date there is no protective vaccine or chemotherapeutic treatment on the market. Immuno-prophylaxis has long been considered as the best control measure. Proteins involved in host cell interaction and invasion, as well as antigens mediating inflammatory responses have been the most frequently assessed vaccine targets. However, despite considerable efforts no effective vaccine has been introduced to the market to date. The development of effective compounds to limit the effects of vertical transmission of N. caninum tachyzoites has emerged as an alternative or addition to vaccination, provided suitable targets and safe and efficacious drugs can be identified. Additionally, the combination of both treatment strategies might be interesting to further increase protectivity against N. caninum infections and to decrease the duration of treatment and the risk of potential drug resistance. Well-established and standardized animal infection models are key factors for the evaluation of promising vaccine and compound candidates. The vast majority of experimental animal experiments concerning neosporosis have been performed in mice, although in recent years the numbers of experimental studies in cattle and sheep have increased. In this review, we discuss the recent findings concerning the progress in drug and vaccine development against N. caninum infections in mice and ruminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Imhof
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Kai Pascal Alexander Hänggeli
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Maria Cristina Ferreira De Sousa
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Anitha Vigneswaran
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Larissa Hofmann
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Yosra Amdouni
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ghalia Boubaker
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Joachim Müller
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Andrew Hemphill
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
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Fereig RM, Nishikawa Y. Macrophage Stimulation as a Useful Approach for Immunoscreening of Potential Vaccine Candidates Against Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum Infections. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2411:129-144. [PMID: 34816403 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1888-2_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis and neosporosis are protozoan diseases that adversely affect the medical and additionally veterinary sectors, respectively. Toxoplasmosis is caused by Toxoplasma gondii which infects almost all warm-blooded animals including humans. While, neosporosis is caused by Neospora caninum, which induces infection in many animal species particularly in cattle. Currently, control measures for both infections are defective because of no effective vaccine or treatment. Macrophages constitute the first line of innate immunity, which contributes to the effective elimination of T. gondii or N. caninum. This action is mediated by IL-12, which is critical for the secretion of interferon gamma (IFN-γ). Successful vaccine candidates against both protozoan parasites should possess the ability to induce the cellular immune response and IFN-γ production. In this chapter, we will focus on an efficient immunological approach for discovery of potential vaccine candidates against above-mentioned parasites. Our previous studies revealed a strong correlation between vaccine antigens that enhanced the macrophage secretion of IL-12 and their efficacy as potential vaccine candidates in murine model. In case of T. gondii, peroxiredoxin 1 (TgPrx1) and peroxiredoxin 3 stimulated the production of IL-12 from murine peritoneal macrophages and conferred strong to moderate protection in C57BL/6 mice, respectively. At the same context, Neospora antigens of dense granule protein 6 (NcGRA6) and cyclophilin entrapped with oligo-mannose coated-liposomes stimulated macrophage IL-12 secretion and substantially protected immunized BALB/c mice. Therefore, we can deduce that macrophage stimulation evidenced in IL-12 production can be used as a useful approach for judgment of vaccine efficacy before further evaluation using in vivo experiments. Methods of vaccine preparation and macrophage stimulation will be fully described for TgPrx1 and NcGRA6 as potential vaccine candidates against toxoplasmosis and neosporosis, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ragab M Fereig
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan
- Department of Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt
| | - Yoshifumi Nishikawa
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan.
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Hebbar BK, Mitra P, Khan W, Chaudhari S, Shinde S, Deshmukh AS. Seroprevalence and associated risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum infections in cattle in Central India. Parasitol Int 2021; 87:102514. [PMID: 34781014 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2021.102514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum are closely related cyst-forming parasites identified as important causes of reproductive failures in ruminants. While these parasites have been reported worldwide, seroprevalence and associated risk factors for cattle infections have not been determined in India. A total of 576 serum samples of cattle were analyzed for antibodies to T. gondii and N. caninum using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), modified/Neospora agglutination test (MAT/NAT), and an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT-tachyzoite and bradyzoite). Additionally, general information about cattle, movement of cats and dogs, the menace of rodents, management, and reproductive disorders were assessed to identify the potential risk factors. Overall, 32.9% (190/576) serum samples reacted positively to T. gondii and 24.8% (143/576) to N. caninum. The performance of the diagnostic tests showed excellent agreement between IFAT and ELISA (kappa [κ] = 0.98) and between MAT/NAT and ELISA (κ = 0.97). Combining both infections on avidity test, 94% sera had high-IgG avidity, and 3% had low-IgG avidity antibodies, indicating chronic infection in the majority of the cases. The identified risk factors (p < 0.05) for exposure to T. gondii were: increasing age (Odds Ratio [OR]: 2.02), movement of cat (OR: 4.8) and rodents (OR: 1.57) in the farm; and for N. caninum: increasing age (OR: 1.6), movement of dogs in the farm (OR: 2.07), drinking pond water (OR: 1.64) and abortion (OR: 1.82). These findings revealed that T. gondii and N. caninum infections are widespread in the study area and suggest conducting nationwide epidemiological studies owing to their economic importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhavana K Hebbar
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, DBT-National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, Hyderabad, India
| | - Pallabi Mitra
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
| | - Waqar Khan
- Department of Veterinary Public Health & Epidemiology, Nagpur Veterinary College, Nagpur, India
| | - Sandeep Chaudhari
- Department of Veterinary Public Health & Epidemiology, Nagpur Veterinary College, Nagpur, India
| | - Shilpshri Shinde
- Department of Veterinary Public Health & Epidemiology, Nagpur Veterinary College, Nagpur, India
| | - Abhijit S Deshmukh
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, DBT-National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, Hyderabad, India.
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Snak A, Henrique SM, Sebolt APR, Cristani J, Sato ME, Miletti LC, de Moura AB. Experimental infection of tachyzoites of the NC1 strain of Neosporacaninum in female swine. Parasitol Res 2021; 120:1049-1057. [PMID: 33506333 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-021-07054-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Neospora caninum is a protozoan that can cause reproductive problems in several animal species. Although N. caninum infection has been reported in swine, the pathogenesis and clinical signs are not fully known in this species. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of experimental infection with tachyzoites of the N. caninum strain Nc1 in swine matrices at different stages of gestation. For that purpose, 12 gilts, seronegative for N. caninum and T. gondii, were selected and allocated into four groups of three animals each. Animals in group A were not inoculated (control) and animals in groups B, C, and D were inoculated intravenously with of 2.9 × 107 tachyzoites, 30 days before conception, and at 45 and 90 days of gestation, respectively. Temperature, heart rate, blood, saliva, and vaginal mucus samples from the animals were collected periodically until the time of delivery for the investigation of IgG and IgM antibodies against N. caninum using IFAT and PCR to detect the parasite DNA. All gilts sero-converted from 5 and 7 DPI (days postinoculation) to IgM and IgG, respectively. Two gilts showed hypothermia on the 5th and 7th DPI, and five inoculated animals had leukocytosis on the 7th DPI. It was possible to detect DNA of N. caninum in samples of saliva (33/84), vaginal mucus (17/84), and blood (2/84). Based on serology (IgM) and PCR, three animals in group B showed evidence of reappearance of the infection during pregnancy. It is concluded that N. caninum can cause clinical signs in infected swine females, in addition to indicating saliva as a suitable diagnostic biological material for the detection of N. caninum DNA in this animal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Snak
- Universidade do Estado de SantaCatarina, Lages, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
| | | | | | - José Cristani
- Universidade do Estado de SantaCatarina, Lages, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Mere Erika Sato
- Universidade do Estado de SantaCatarina, Lages, Santa Catarina, Brazil
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Gutiérrez-Expósito D, González-Warleta M, Espinosa J, Vallejo-García R, Castro-Hermida JA, Calvo C, Ferreras MC, Pérez V, Benavides J, Mezo M. Maternal immune response in the placenta of sheep during recrudescence of natural congenital infection of Neospora caninum. Vet Parasitol 2020; 285:109204. [PMID: 32916458 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2020.109204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
In order to gain further insight into the pathogenesis and transmission of ovine neosporosis, the serological response of 13 naturally infected pregnant sheep was monitored. All sheep were euthanized upon the detection of a sharp increase in the level of specific antibodies against N. caninum in order to study the maternal immune response after the recrudescence of a chronic infection. Ten sheep were euthanized between 84 and 118 days of gestation, whereas the three remaining and three control not infected, pregnant sheep were euthanized at 135 days of gestation after no sharp increase in antibodies was detected. Vertical transmission was confirmed in 11 sheep by detection of N. caninum-DNA in at least one fetus, confirming recrudescence. Not all of fetuses showed pathologic microscopic lesions, however, multifocal non-purulent encephalitis was the main finding. Furthermore, nine out of the 11 vertical transmission positive sheep had lesions in placentomes (mainly multifocal necrotic foci), and the parasite was detected in eight out of 11 placentas by PCR and/or immunohistochemestry. The placentomes from sheep that suffered recrudescence showed an increased number of T lymphocytes CD3+ (CD4/CD8 < 1) and macrophages (MHC-II+), assessed by immunohistochemestry, together with an up-regulation of IFN-γ, IL-10, IL-4, TNFα, IL-2 and IL-18. IL-17 was only upregulated in the three infected sheep that did not have a sharp increase in antibody levels. In the sheep that showed fetal death at the time of euthanasia (n = 3) the placental microscopic lesions were more severe, the inflammatory infiltrate was higher, and the upregulation of cytokines was greater than in those sheep carrying viable fetuses. This study suggests that, similarly to bovine neosporosis, the time of gestation when recrudescence occurs determines the viability of the fetuses and, thus, seems to be related to the severity of lesions and immune response in the placenta. These results suggest that there might be a correlation, either as cause or as a consequence, between protection against vertical transmission of the parasite and a milder maternal serological response together with a high level of transcription of IL-17 in the placenta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Gutiérrez-Expósito
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal. Facultad de Veterinaria. Universidad de León. Campus De Vegazana s/n, 24071, León, Spain; Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña. (CSIC-Universidad de León). Grulleros, 24346, León, Spain.
| | - Marta González-Warleta
- Laboratorio de Parasitología. Centro de Investigaciones Agrarias de Mabegondo, AGACAL-Xunta de Galicia. Ctra. Betanzos a Mesón do Vento km 7, Abegondo, 15318, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Jose Espinosa
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal. Facultad de Veterinaria. Universidad de León. Campus De Vegazana s/n, 24071, León, Spain
| | - Raquel Vallejo-García
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal. Facultad de Veterinaria. Universidad de León. Campus De Vegazana s/n, 24071, León, Spain
| | - Jose Antonio Castro-Hermida
- Laboratorio de Parasitología. Centro de Investigaciones Agrarias de Mabegondo, AGACAL-Xunta de Galicia. Ctra. Betanzos a Mesón do Vento km 7, Abegondo, 15318, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Carmen Calvo
- Laboratorio de Parasitología. Centro de Investigaciones Agrarias de Mabegondo, AGACAL-Xunta de Galicia. Ctra. Betanzos a Mesón do Vento km 7, Abegondo, 15318, A Coruña, Spain
| | - María C Ferreras
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal. Facultad de Veterinaria. Universidad de León. Campus De Vegazana s/n, 24071, León, Spain
| | - Valentín Pérez
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal. Facultad de Veterinaria. Universidad de León. Campus De Vegazana s/n, 24071, León, Spain
| | - Julio Benavides
- Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña. (CSIC-Universidad de León). Grulleros, 24346, León, Spain
| | - Mercedes Mezo
- Laboratorio de Parasitología. Centro de Investigaciones Agrarias de Mabegondo, AGACAL-Xunta de Galicia. Ctra. Betanzos a Mesón do Vento km 7, Abegondo, 15318, A Coruña, Spain
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11
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Wong ZS, Borrelli SLS, Coyne CC, Boyle JP. Cell type- and species-specific host responses to Toxoplasma gondii and its near relatives. Int J Parasitol 2020; 50:423-431. [PMID: 32407716 PMCID: PMC8281328 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2020.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is remarkably unique in its ability to successfully infect vertebrate hosts from multiple phyla and can successfully infect most cells within these organisms. The infection outcome in each of these species is determined by the complex interaction between parasite and host genotype. As techniques to quantify global changes in cell function become more readily available and precise, new data are coming to light about how (i) different host cell types respond to parasitic infection and (ii) different parasite species impact the host. Here we focus on recent studies comparing the response to intracellular parasitism by different cell types and insights into understanding host-parasite interactions from comparative studies on T. gondii and its close extant relatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhee S Wong
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Sarah L Sokol Borrelli
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Carolyn C Coyne
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Jon P Boyle
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.
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12
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Bengoa-Luoni SA, Corigliano MG, Sánchez-López E, Albarracín RM, Legarralde A, Ganuza A, Clemente M, Sander VA. The potential of a DIVA-like recombinant vaccine composed by rNcSAG1 and rAtHsp81.2 against vertical transmission in a mouse model of congenital neosporosis. Acta Trop 2019; 198:105094. [PMID: 31323195 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2019.105094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Revised: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Neospora caninum is the etiological agent of neosporosis, a worldwide infectious disease recognized as the major cause of abortions and reproductive failures in livestock, responsible for significant economic losses in cattle industries. Currently, there are not cost-effective control options for this pathology, and the development of a vaccine involving new and integrated approaches is highly recommended. In this study, we evaluated the immunogenic and protective efficacy, as well as the potential DIVA (Differentiation of Infected from Vaccinated Animals) character of a recombinant subunit vaccine composed by the major surface antigen from N. caninum (NcSAG1) and the carrier/adjuvant heat shock protein 81.2 from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtHsp81.2) in a mouse model of congenital neosporosis. BALB/c female mice were intraperitoneal (i.p.) immunized with a mixture of equimolar quantities of rNcSAG1 and rAtHSP81.2 or each protein alone (rNcSAG1 or rAtHsp81.2). The vaccine containing a mixture of rNcSAG1 and rAtHsp81.2 significantly enhanced the production of specific anti-rNcSAG1 total IgG (tIgG), IgG1 and IgG2a antibodies in immunized mice when compared to control groups (non-vaccinated and rAtHsp81.2 immunized mice) as well as to the group of mice immunized only with the antigen (rNcSAG1). In addition, partial protection against vertical transmission and improvement of the offspring survival time was observed in this group. On the other hand, rAtHsp81.2 induced the production of specific anti-rAtHsp81.2 tIgG, allowing us to differentiate vaccinated from infected mice. Despite further experiments have to be made in cattle to test the capability of this vaccine formulation to differentiate vaccinated from infected animals in the field, our results suggest that the formulation composed by rNcSAG1 and rAtHsp81.2 could serve as a basis for the development of a new vaccine approach against bovine neosporosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Ariel Legarralde
- Unidad de Biotecnología 6-UB6, INTECH, CONICET-UNSAM, Chascomús, Argentina
| | - Agustina Ganuza
- Unidad de Biotecnología 2-UB2, INTECH, CONICET-UNSAM, Consejo de Investigaciones Científicas (CIC) de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Chascomús, Argentina
| | - Marina Clemente
- Unidad de Biotecnología 6-UB6, INTECH, CONICET-UNSAM, Chascomús, Argentina.
| | - Valeria A Sander
- Unidad de Biotecnología 6-UB6, INTECH, CONICET-UNSAM, Chascomús, Argentina.
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13
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Carlsson AM, Curry P, Elkin B, Russell D, Veitch A, Branigan M, Campbell M, Croft B, Cuyler C, Côté SD, Leclerc LM, Tryland M, Nymo IH, Kutz SJ. Multi-pathogen serological survey of migratory caribou herds: A snapshot in time. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0219838. [PMID: 31365561 PMCID: PMC6668789 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogens can impact host survival, fecundity, and population dynamics even when no obvious disease is observed. Few baseline data on pathogen prevalence and diversity of caribou are available, which hampers our ability to track changes over time and evaluate impacts on caribou health. Archived blood samples collected from ten migratory caribou herds in Canada and two in Greenland were used to test for exposure to pathogens that have the potential to effect population productivity, are zoonotic or are emerging. Relationships between seroprevalence and individual, population, and other health parameters were also examined. For adult caribou, the highest overall seroprevalence was for alphaherpesvirus (49%, n = 722), pestivirus (49%, n = 572) and Neospora caninum (27%, n = 452). Lower seroprevalence was found for parainfluenza virus type 3 (9%, n = 708), Brucella suis (2%, n = 758), and Toxoplasma gondii (2%, n = 706). No animal tested positive for antibodies against West Nile virus (n = 418) or bovine respiratory syncytial virus (n = 417). This extensive multi-pathogen survey of migratory caribou herds provides evidence that caribou are exposed to pathogens that may have impacts on herd health and revealed potential interactions between pathogens as well as geographical differences in pathogen exposure that could be linked to the bio-geographical history of caribou. Caribou are a keystone species and the socio-economic cornerstone of many indigenous cultures across the North. The results from this study highlight the urgent need for a better understanding of pathogen diversity and the impact of pathogens on caribou health.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. M. Carlsson
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - P. Curry
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - B. Elkin
- Environment and Natural Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife, Alberta, Canada
| | - D. Russell
- CircumArctic Rangifer Monitoring and Assessment Network, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
| | - A. Veitch
- Environment and Natural Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife, Alberta, Canada
| | - M. Branigan
- Environment and Natural Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife, Alberta, Canada
| | - M. Campbell
- Department of Environment, Government of Nunavut, Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada
| | - B. Croft
- Environment and Natural Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife, Alberta, Canada
| | - C. Cuyler
- Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Nuuk, Greenland
| | - S. D. Côté
- Caribou Ungava, Département de Biologie and Centre d’études nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - L-M Leclerc
- Department of Environment, Government of Nunavut, Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada
| | - M. Tryland
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, Tromso, Norway
| | - I. H. Nymo
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, Tromso, Norway
| | - S. J. Kutz
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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14
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García-Sánchez M, Jiménez-Pelayo L, Horcajo P, Regidor-Cerrillo J, Ólafsson EB, Bhandage AK, Barragan A, Werling D, Ortega-Mora LM, Collantes-Fernández E. Differential Responses of Bovine Monocyte-Derived Macrophages to Infection by Neospora caninum Isolates of High and Low Virulence. Front Immunol 2019; 10:915. [PMID: 31114577 PMCID: PMC6503000 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Neospora caninum, a protozoan parasite closely related to Toxoplasma gondii, represents one of the main causes of abortion in cattle. Macrophages (MØs) are mediators of the innate immune response against infection and likely one of the first cells encountered by the parasite during the host infection process. In this study, we investigated in vitro how high or low virulent isolates of N. caninum (Nc-Spain7 and Nc-Spain1H, respectively) interact with bovine monocyte-derived MØs and the influence of the isolate virulence on the subsequent cellular response. Both isolates actively invaded, survived and replicated in the MØs. However, Nc-Spain7 showed a higher invasion rate and a replication significantly faster, following an exponential growth model, whereas Nc-Spain1H presented a delayed replication and a lower growth rate without an exponential pattern. N. caninum infection induced a hypermigratory phenotype in bovine MØs that was characterized by enhanced motility and transmigration in vitro and was accompanied by morphological changes and abrogated extracellular matrix degradation. A significantly higher hypermotility was observed with the highly virulent isolate Nc-Spain7. Nc-Spain1H-infected MØs showed elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and IL12p40 expression, which also resulted in increased IFN-γ release by lymphocytes, compared to cells infected with Nc-Spain7. Furthermore, IL-10 was upregulated in MØs infected with both isolates. Infected MØs exhibited lower expression of MHC Class II, CD86, and CD1b molecules than uninfected MØs, with non-significant differences between isolates. This work characterizes for the first time N. caninum replication in bovine monocyte-derived MØs and details isolate-dependent differences in host cell responses to the parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta García-Sánchez
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Jiménez-Pelayo
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pilar Horcajo
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Einar B. Ólafsson
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Amol K. Bhandage
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Antonio Barragan
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Dirk Werling
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, North Mymms, United Kingdom
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Bărburaș D, Gyӧrke A, Ionică AM, Bărburaș R, Mircean V, Cozma V. Evidence of Neospora caninum infection in buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) from Northwestern Romania. Parasitol Res 2019; 118:1667-1671. [PMID: 30877438 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-019-06263-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Neospora caninum is a heteroxenous parasitic Apicomplexan protozoan, able to infect a variety of domestic and wild animals, mainly associated with reproductive disorders and abortions in susceptible species. Considering the importance of Romania in the European buffalo industry and the severe economic losses caused by N. caninum infection in livestock, the aim of the present study was to assess the occurrence of neosporosis in buffaloes raised in household and farming systems in northwestern Romania. Overall, 197 serum samples were tested for the presence of N. caninum-specific antibodies by ELISA. Additionally, from 74 slaughtered buffaloes, diaphragm digest, heart, and lymph node samples were tested for the presence of N. caninum DNA. The overall seroprevalence was 68.5%. The seroprevalence was significantly higher in adult animals compared to calves and young ones and in the household system compared to farm. By nPCR, six samples were found to be positive for N. caninum DNA, of which three were serologically negative. The present study reveals a high prevalence of N. caninum-specific antibodies in buffaloes in northwestern Romania and to our best knowledge, it is the first one performed in Romania.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Bărburaș
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur nr. 3-5, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
| | - Adriana Gyӧrke
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur nr. 3-5, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
| | - Angela Monica Ionică
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur nr. 3-5, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Life Science Institute, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur nr. 3-5, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Remus Bărburaș
- S.C. Medivet Bărburaș S.R.L, Românași, nr. 299, Sălaj, Romania
| | - Viorica Mircean
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur nr. 3-5, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Vasile Cozma
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur nr. 3-5, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Nie LB, Zou Y, Hou JL, Liang QL, Cong W, Zhu XQ. First report of Neospora caninum seroprevalence in farmed raccoon dogs in China. Acta Trop 2019; 190:80-82. [PMID: 30408461 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2018.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Revised: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Neospora caninum is an intracellular protozoan parasite with a worldwide distribution, which can cause abortion and stillbirth in ruminants. However, little is known of N. caninum infection in raccoon dogs in China. Thus, a total of 1181 serum samples of farmed raccoon dogs were collected from the major production areas of Jilin, Changchun in Jilin province, and Rizhao, Weihai and Yantai in Shandong province in China. The antibodies to N. caninum were examined by a competitive-inhibition enzyme-linked immunoassay (cELISA). While the N. caninum seroprevalence in farmed raccoon dogs from different regions (cities) were not statistically significant, farmed raccoon dogs in Shandong province had a significantly higher N. caninum seroprevalence (8.99%, 95% CI 7.13-10.85) than those in Jilin province (4.46%, 95% CI 1.99-6.93) (P < 0.05). N. caninum seroprevalence in male and female raccoon dogs were 7.91% (95% CI 5.99-9.83) and 8.06% (95% CI 5.46-10.66), respectively. In addition, the seroprevalence of N. caninum infection in infancy, youth and adult raccoon dogs was 7.32% (95% CI 4.31-10.33), 7.93% (95% CI 5.44-10.42) and 8.41% (95% CI 5.82-11.00), respectively. This is the first report of N. caninum seroprevalence in farmed raccoon dogs in China, which provided baseline data for the prevention of N. caninum infection in raccoon dogs in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan-Bi Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730046, PR China; College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin Province, 130118, PR China
| | - Yang Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730046, PR China
| | - Jun-Ling Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730046, PR China.
| | - Qin-Li Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730046, PR China; College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin Province, 130118, PR China
| | - Wei Cong
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730046, PR China; College of Marine Science, Shandong University, Weihai, Shandong Province, 264209, PR China
| | - Xing-Quan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730046, PR China; Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, 225009, PR China.
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Oliveira RPD, Soares NM, Silva JGD, Ribeiro-Andrade M, Lira NSCD, Farias MPO, Mota RA. Occurrence of anti-Neospora caninum antibodies in cattle in the dairy farming region of the state of Piauí, Brazil. Rev Bras Parasitol Vet 2018; 27:589-592. [PMID: 30183995 DOI: 10.1590/s1984-296120180046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
This study focused on the detection of anti-Neospora caninum IgG antibodies in cows in the dairy farming region of the state of Piauí, Brazil. To this end, serum samples were collected from 255 dairy cows on 17 farms located in the dairy farming region of the municipality of Parnaíba, Piauí, Brazil. The indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT) was employed to detect anti-N. caninum IgG antibodies, using anti-bovine IgG (Sigma®) conjugated to fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and a cutoff point of 1:200. Of the 255 samples analyzed, 69 (27.06%) were positive for anti- N. caninum IgG antibodies, the relative frequency found by property was: 1 (20.00%), 2 (53.33%), 3 (46.66%), 4 (53.33%), 5 (26.66%), 6 (6.66%), 7 (6.66%), 8 (20.00%), 9 (26.66%), 10 (26.66%), 11 (20.00%), 12 (20.00%), 13 (46.66%), 14 (26.66%), 15 (26.66%), 16 (20.00%) and 17 (13.33%). with titers of 200 (15.94%), 400 (20.30%), 800 (24.63%), 1600 (23.18%) and 3200 (15.94%), being the highest frequency for the titer of 800. This study demonstrates for the first time that cows from dairy herds of Parnaíba municipality, state of Piauí, are exposed to N. caninum.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nínivy Marques Soares
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Piauí - UFPI, Campus Professora Cinobelina Elvas, Bom Jesus, PI, Brasil
| | - José Givanildo da Silva
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco - UFRPE, Recife, PE, Brasil
| | - Müller Ribeiro-Andrade
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco - UFRPE, Recife, PE, Brasil
| | - Nair Silva Cavalcanti de Lira
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Piauí - UFPI, Campus Professora Cinobelina Elvas, Bom Jesus, PI, Brasil
| | - Márcia Paula Oliveira Farias
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Piauí - UFPI, Campus Professora Cinobelina Elvas, Bom Jesus, PI, Brasil
| | - Rinaldo Aparecido Mota
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco - UFRPE, Recife, PE, Brasil
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Lima DCVD, Magalhães FJR, Andrade MR, Silva JGD, Morais EGFD, Filho CDFDL, Porto WJN, Mota RA. Anti-Neospora caninum antibodies in feral cats on the Island of Fernando de Noronha, Brazil. Acta Parasitol 2018; 63:645-646. [PMID: 29975643 DOI: 10.1515/ap-2018-0074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Neospora caninum is a protozoan responsible for abortions, stillbirths (mainly among cattle) and neuromuscular diseases in dogs. Its importance in wild species and its impact on the environmental preservation of different ecosystems have been little described. This study aimed to investigate the presence of anti-N. caninum antibodies in feral cats on the island of Fernando de Noronha and contribute epidemiological data on this disease in these animals and its impact on the environmental preservation of the island. Serum samples from 257 feral cats on the island were analyzed through the Neospora agglutination test (NAT) to search for anti-Neospora caninum antibodies. Among the 257 serum samples analyzed, 8 (3.11%) were positive in the NAT. The antibody titers were 20 in seven animals (87.5%) and 40 in one animal (12.5%). These results demonstrate that feral cats are exposed to infection by N. caninum on the island of Fernando de Noronha, at a low frequency. Greater knowledge on this infection in this animal species in this insular environment is important for elucidating its impact on the conservation of species and the maintenance of this parasite on the island.
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Affiliation(s)
- Débora Costa Viegas de Lima
- Laboratório de Doenças Infectocontagiosas dos Animais Domésticos, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco/SEDE, Recife, PE, Brasil
| | | | - Muller Ribeiro Andrade
- Laboratório de Doenças Infectocontagiosas dos Animais Domésticos, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco/SEDE, Recife, PE, Brasil
| | - José Givanildo da Silva
- Laboratório de Doenças Infectocontagiosas dos Animais Domésticos, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco/SEDE, Recife, PE, Brasil
| | - Eduardo Guelfer Ferrer de Morais
- Unidade de Vigilância em Saúde, Distrito Estadual de Fernando de Noronha. Vila dos Remédios, Fernando de Noronha/PE, Buarque, Brasil
| | | | | | - Rinaldo Aparecido Mota
- Laboratório de Doenças Infectocontagiosas dos Animais Domésticos, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco/SEDE, Recife, PE, Brasil
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Hecker YP, Masson FM, Armendano JI, Cora J, Olivares CF, Gual I, Pardini L, Moore DP, Moré G, Cantón GJ. Evaluation of frequency of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii,Neospora caninum and Sarcocystis spp. and transmission routes in sheep from Humid Pampa, Argentina. Acta Parasitol 2018; 63:416-421. [PMID: 29654669 DOI: 10.1515/ap-2018-0048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to describe the frequency of ovine specific antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum and Sarcocystis spp. and to estimate different transmission routes of these infections. One hundred and thirty Texel sheep and their 117 Texel lambs were included in the study. Serum samples were tested for antibodies to T. gondii, N. caninum and Sarcocystis spp. using IFAT. Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence was 10.00% in sheep (IC95%: 4.80-15.20%), being higher in adult sheep (≥12 year) than in younger sheep (OR 1.30; 95% CI, 1.10-1.50). N. caninum and Sarcocystis spp. seroprevalences were 1.54% (IC95%: 0.00-5.70) and 72.09% (IC95%: 67.70-82.70), respectively, with no association between age and seropositivity in sheep (P>0.05). T. gondii seroprevalence in lambs was 4.27% (IC95%: 0.61-7.94). No association between T. gondii serological status in sheep and their lambs was detected (P = 0.07). Two T. gondii and Sarcocystis spp. seropositive lambs were euthanized and T. gondii and Sarcocystis spp. DNA was detected by PCR in their tissues. In conclusion, the increase of T. gondii seropositivity in relationship with sheep age and the lack of association between sheep-lamb serological status, suggest that horizontal infection is the main transmission route in this flock as reported before. Due to the low number of N. caninum-seropositive ewes no assumptions can be done about the impact of this parasite in this flock. According with previous reports, the main transmission route for Sarcocystis spp. in this species in the present study was horizontal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanina P Hecker
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Rosario, Argentina
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Joaquín I Armendano
- Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Balcarce, Argentina
| | - Juan Cora
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Ignacio Gual
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Rosario, Argentina
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lais Pardini
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Rosario, Argentina
- Laboratorio de Inmunoparasitología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, UNLP, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Dadín P Moore
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Rosario, Argentina
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gastón Moré
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Rosario, Argentina
- Laboratorio de Inmunoparasitología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, UNLP, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Germán J Cantón
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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de Barros LD, Miura AC, Minutti AF, Vidotto O, Garcia JL. Neospora caninum in birds: A review. Parasitol Int 2018; 67:397-402. [PMID: 29614327 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2018.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2018] [Revised: 03/04/2018] [Accepted: 03/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Neospora caninum is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that infects domestic and wild animals. Canids are considered to be definitive hosts since they may shed oocysts into the environment through their feces. The disease is recognized as one of the major causes of bovine abortion worldwide, leading to important economic losses in the dairy and beef cattle industries. Previous studies have reported N. caninum infection in different species of birds; infection in birds has been associated with increased seroprevalence and reproductive problems in dairy cattle. Although the role of birds in the epidemiological cycle of neosporosis is unknown, birds are exposed to infection because they feed on the ground and could thus contribute to parasite dissemination. This review is focused on the current state of knowledge of neosporosis in birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiz Daniel de Barros
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Animal Protozoology, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, Pr 445 km 380, 86057-970 Londrina, PR, Brazil; Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculdades Integradas de Ourinhos, Rodovia BR 153, Km 338+420m, 19909-100 Ourinhos, SP, Brazil.
| | - Ana Carolina Miura
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Animal Protozoology, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, Pr 445 km 380, 86057-970 Londrina, PR, Brazil
| | - Ana Flávia Minutti
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Animal Protozoology, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, Pr 445 km 380, 86057-970 Londrina, PR, Brazil
| | - Odilon Vidotto
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Animal Protozoology, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, Pr 445 km 380, 86057-970 Londrina, PR, Brazil
| | - João Luis Garcia
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Animal Protozoology, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, Pr 445 km 380, 86057-970 Londrina, PR, Brazil
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21
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Almeida JC, Melo RPB, Kim PCP, Guerra NR, Alves LC, Costa DF, Alves CJ, Porto WJN, Mota RA. Molecular and serological investigation of infectious diseases in captive and free-range crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous - Linnaeus, 1776) from northeastern Brazil. Acta Parasitol 2018; 63:184-189. [PMID: 29351073 DOI: 10.1515/ap-2018-0021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to detect DNA and antibodies anti-Leishmania spp., Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii in captive and free-range crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous) from northeastern Brazil. Twenty-five crab-eating foxes from different states of northeastern Brazil were sampled by this study. Blood samples were collected by cephalic or jugular vein punctures. The whole blood was submitted to PCR, and the sera samples to the serological analysis as follows: MAT for T. gondii, NAT for N. caninum, and ELISA for L. chagasi. The frequence of antibodies anti-T. gondii was 50% and 29.41% for free-range and captive wild canids, respectively. The frequence of antibodies anti-N. caninum observed by this study was 62.50% and 23.52% for free-range and captive wild canids, respectively. The frequence of antibodies anti-L. chagasi was 4.0% for captive wild canids. Co-infections cases were identified as follows: one captive wild canid seropositive for T. gondii and L. chagasi and two free-range animals seropositive for T. gondii and N. caninum. All PCR assays performed were negative for the pathogens analyzed. This study describes the presence of antibodies anti-T. gondii, N. caninum e L. chagasi in wild canids from northeastern Brazil and highlights the necessity of further studies on infectious diseases in free-range and captive wild canids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonatas C Almeida
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Infectious-Contagious Diseases of Domestic Animals, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - Renata P B Melo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Infectious-Contagious Diseases of Domestic Animals, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - Pomy C P Kim
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Infectious-Contagious Diseases of Domestic Animals, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - Neurisvan R Guerra
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Parasitology and Epidemiology, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - Leucio C Alves
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Parasitology and Epidemiology, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - Diego F Costa
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Av. Universitária, S/N, 58700-970, Patos, PB, Brazil
| | - Clebert José Alves
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Av. Universitária, S/N, 58700-970, Patos, PB, Brazil
| | - Wagnner J N Porto
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Fazenda São Luís, 57000-000, Viçosa, AL, Brazil
| | - Rinaldo A Mota
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Infectious-Contagious Diseases of Domestic Animals, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil
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Abstract
This study was conducted to detect specific anti-Neospora antibodies using a commercial competitive-inhibition ELISA kit, and to evaluate the risk factors for Neospora spp. infection. Out of a total of 2,228 donkey sera collected in three provinces in China, 211 (9.5%) were found to be positive for anti-Neospora antibodies. Statistical analysis revealed that age (p = 0.019, OR = 1.62, 95%CI: 1.08-2.44), feeding status (p < 0.001, OR = 3.79, 95%CI: 2.65-5.43), miscarriage history (p = 0.006, OR = 2.56, 95%CI: 1.27-4.01), and contact with dogs (p < 0.001, OR = 2.69, 95%CI: 1.86-3.88) were significant risk factors for Neospora spp. infection. This is the first evidence of Neospora infection in donkeys in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Cong
- College of Marine Science, Shandong University at Weihai,
Weihai,
Shandong Province
264209 PR China
| | - Lan-Bi Nie
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University,
Changchun,
Jilin Province
130118 PR China
| | - Si-Yuan Qin
- General Station for Surveillance of Wildlife Diseases & Wildlife Borne Diseases, State Forestry Administration (SFA),
Shenyang
110034 PR China
| | - Wei-Li Wang
- Jilin Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau,
ChangChun,
Jilin Province
130000 PR China
| | - Ai-Dong Qian
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University,
Changchun,
Jilin Province
130118 PR China
| | - Qing-Feng Meng
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University,
Changchun,
Jilin Province
130118 PR China
- Jilin Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau,
ChangChun,
Jilin Province
130000 PR China
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Villagra-Blanco R, Angelova L, Conze T, Schares G, Bärwald A, Taubert A, Hermosilla C, Wehrend A. Seroprevalence of Neospora caninum-specific antibodies in German breeding bitches. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:96. [PMID: 29454376 PMCID: PMC5816543 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-2683-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2017] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neospora caninum is an intracellular obligate apicomplexan parasite responsible for multisystemic lesions in dogs. Being definitive hosts and reservoirs, dogs excrete environmentally resistant oocysts. Breeding bitches represent a susceptible dog group and infected bitches may spread this parasite through transplacental transmission. RESULTS A total of 218 serum samples of German breeding bitches were collected to determine the presence of N. caninum. Antibodies were detected in 16 (7.33%) bitches using a commercial indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Immunoblotting analysis confirmed all seropositive samples detected by ELISA, proving that the animals were infected with N. caninum. The owners were interviewed regarding breed, age, environment, type, vaccine status, feeding habits and the presence of reproductive disorders. Seropositive animals were between the ages of two to seven years; three of them were kept in kennels while the others were household dogs, one of which was additionally a hunting dog. Owners of four seropositive bitches reported one gestation, while multiple pregnancies had been recorded for the other twelve bitches. Fourteen bitches were regularly vaccinated and six were fed with fresh raw meat. CONCLUSIONS Although the results confirmed a low incidence of N. caninum seropositive German breeding bitches, further epidemiological and surveillance studies are required to complement our findings regarding the current situation of neosporosis in this specific canine population of Germany.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodolfo Villagra-Blanco
- Clinic for Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Andrology of Large and Small Animals with Veterinary Ambulance, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
- Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Lora Angelova
- Veterinarian Health Center Wiesbaden-Bierstadt, 65191 Wiesbaden, Germany
| | - Theresa Conze
- Clinic for Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Andrology of Large and Small Animals with Veterinary Ambulance, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Gereon Schares
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Epidemiology, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Andrea Bärwald
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Epidemiology, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Anja Taubert
- Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Carlos Hermosilla
- Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Axel Wehrend
- Clinic for Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Andrology of Large and Small Animals with Veterinary Ambulance, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
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Sloan S, Šlapeta J, Jabbar A, Hunnam J, De Groef B, Rawlin G, McCowan C. High seroprevalance of Neospora caninum in dogs in Victoria, Australia, compared to 20 years ago. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:503. [PMID: 29052521 PMCID: PMC5649066 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2464-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Canids are definitive hosts of the apicomplexan parasite Neospora caninum, the leading cause of abortion in cattle worldwide. For horizontal transmission from canids to occur, oocysts of N. caninum must be shed by the definitive host into the environment of susceptible intermediate hosts such as cattle. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of N. caninum in canids in Victoria, Australia's leading dairy producing state. RESULTS Neospora-like oocysts were observed in 8% (18/234) of faecal samples from wild dogs, domestic dogs and red foxes from Victoria, Australia. However, none tested positive for N. caninum DNA using a quantitative PCR. In a separate sample population, blood sera from 483 domestic dogs were tested for anti-N. caninum antibodies using competitive ELISA. A subset of cELISA samples were re-tested using indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT). A seroprevalence of 29.8% (144/483; 95% CI: 11.7-47.8%) was calculated when using cELISA; whereas it was 32.9% (27/80; 95% CI: 15.8-51.8%) using IFAT. Potential risk factors were evaluated using univariable analyses and then assessed in separate multivariable models. Using 'aged' dogs as a reference, the seroprevalence of 'adolescent' and 'adult' dogs was 88% (P = 0.05) and 91% (P = 0.08), respectively, indicating seroprevalence increases with age. There was a 19% higher likelihood of infection in rural locations (P = 0.10) relative to urban areas. Jack Russell Terriers had a 22% higher risk of a cELISA-positive result (P = 0.05) regardless of geographical location, age or sex. CONCLUSION These results demonstrate that exposure to N. caninum in domestic dogs is widespread in Victoria, although faecal oocyst shedding is infrequent. Our results indicate increased N. caninum seroprevalance status in dogs over the past two decades. The results imply that dogs get either exposed to the infected meat more frequently or that vertical dam to foetus transmission is more frequent than previously thought. Our study calls for re-evaluation of historical N. caninum seroprevalance studies, because the attitude to dog diet changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Sloan
- Veterinary Pathobiology, Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, Bundoora, VIC Australia
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC Australia
| | - Jan Šlapeta
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW Australia
| | - Abdul Jabbar
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Werribee, VIC Australia
| | - Jaimie Hunnam
- Agriculture and Resource Division, Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, Bundoora, VIC Australia
| | - Bert De Groef
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC Australia
| | - Grant Rawlin
- Veterinary Pathobiology, Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, Bundoora, VIC Australia
| | - Christina McCowan
- Veterinary Pathobiology, Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, Bundoora, VIC Australia
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Nicolino RR, de Oliveira CSF, Lopes LB, Rodrigues RO, Haddad JPA. Prevalence and risk factors associated with anti-Neospora caninum antibodies in dairy herds in the central region of Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports 2017; 10:71-74. [PMID: 31014603 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2017.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2017] [Revised: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Neospora caninum is one of the parasites that frequently causes reproductive loses in cattle herds all over the world. Surveys have shown a high prevalence of the parasite in herds; in certain locations, 90% to 100% of dairy holdings are positives according serological tests. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and risk factors associated with the increased number of seropositive dairy cattle in the central region of Minas Gerais, the largest milk producer state in Brazil. Samples were collected from 151 dairy herds and from 2915 lactating cows, and were evaluated by an indirect ELISA assay. According to results, animal prevalence was 21.9% (CI 95%: 18.9 to 24.9%), while the herd prevalence it was 98.5% (CI 95%: 97.0 to 99.9%). Poisson regression estimate the herd risk factors associated with the increased number of cases. An increased number of positive animals was related to the previous history of abortion and the presence of dogs. The use of individual natural colostrum feeding and reproductive techniques such as embryo transfer and in vitro fertilization are associated with a reduced number of seropositive animals in the herd. In conclusion, Neospora caninum is overspread across the dairy herds of the region, and it may be causing major economic losses for dairy farmers. The use of reproduction techniques, the access of dogs to the herds and the management of calf colostrum are important issues to be considered in the control of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Romero Nicolino
- Federal University of Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valleys - UFVJM, Agronomic & Animal Sciences Institute, Av. Ver. João Narciso, 1380 - Cachoeira, Unaí, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | | | - Luciano Bastos Lopes
- Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Embrapa. Rodovia MT-222, Km 2,5, Zona Rural, Sinop, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | | | - João Paulo Amaral Haddad
- Federal University of Minas Gerais, UFMG. Av. Pres. Antônio Carlos, 6627 - Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Meneses IDS, Schares G, Rezende-Gondim MM, Galvão GS, Gondim LFP. Hammondia heydorni: Oocyst shedding by dogs fed in vitro generated tissue cysts, and evaluation of cross-immunity between H. heydorni and Neospora caninum in mice. Vet Parasitol 2017; 244:54-58. [PMID: 28917317 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2017.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Revised: 07/19/2017] [Accepted: 07/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Hammondia heydorni is a coccidian parasite believed to be nonpathogenic for naturally-infected animals, but it is biologically and genetically related to Neospora caninum, a worldwide cause of abortion in cattle. The major aim of the present work was to determine whether dogs shed H. heydorni oocysts after consuming in vitro generated tissue cysts of the parasite. In addition, we investigated cross-immunity between H. heydorni and N. caninum in mice. Two dogs were fed cultured cells containing tissue cysts of H. heydorni mixed with canned dog food, and a third dog (negative control) received only non-infected cells mixed with canned food. The two dogs that consumed in vitro produced tissue cysts shed high numbers of oocysts, which were induced to sporulate and tested positive for H. heydorni by a species-specific PCR. The third uninfected dog did not shed H. heydorni oocysts in the feces. Oocysts shed by the dogs induced the formation of encysted bradyzoites of H. heydorni on KH-R cells. Nineteen BALB/c mice were employed in the cross-immunity study. Nine mice were orally inoculated with 1×105 sporulated oocysts of H. heydorni and challenged with N. caninum tachyzoites 30days after infection with H. heydorni. Other ten mice, which did not receive H. heydorni oocysts, were infected with 2×105N. caninum tachyzoites. Thirty days after challenging with N. caninum, all mice were euthanized and N. caninum DNA in their tissues was quantified by real time PCR. No statistically significant difference in N. caninum DNA concentrations were observed between the two groups. We concluded that in vitro generated cysts of H. heydorni are biologically active, because they induced oocyst shedding in dogs. As no cross-protection occurred in mice inoculated with H. heydorni and challenged with N. caninum, it is suspected that these parasites do not express significant numbers of homologous proteins during infection, or the immune response of BALB/c mice after H. heydorni infection was not sufficient.
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Affiliation(s)
- I D S Meneses
- Universidade Federal da Bahia, Escola de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Departamento de Anatomia, Patologia e Clínicas, Av. Adhemar de Barros, 500, Ondina, 40170-110 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - G Schares
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Südufer 10,17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - M M Rezende-Gondim
- Universidade Federal da Bahia, Escola de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Departamento de Anatomia, Patologia e Clínicas, Av. Adhemar de Barros, 500, Ondina, 40170-110 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - G S Galvão
- Universidade Federal da Bahia, Escola de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Departamento de Anatomia, Patologia e Clínicas, Av. Adhemar de Barros, 500, Ondina, 40170-110 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - L F P Gondim
- Universidade Federal da Bahia, Escola de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Departamento de Anatomia, Patologia e Clínicas, Av. Adhemar de Barros, 500, Ondina, 40170-110 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
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Villagra-Blanco R, Silva LMR, Gärtner U, Wagner H, Failing K, Wehrend A, Taubert A, Hermosilla C. Molecular analyses on Neospora caninum-triggered NETosis in the caprine system. Dev Comp Immunol 2017; 72:119-127. [PMID: 28254622 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2017.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Revised: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 02/22/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Neospora caninum is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite causing serious reproductive disorders in large and small ruminants worldwide. Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) react against multiple invading pathogens through different mechanisms including the release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Here, in vitro interactions of caprine PMN and N. caninum tachyzoites were studied. Scanning electron microscopic- and immunofluorescence-analyses demonstrated that caprine PMN undergo NETosis upon contact with tachyzoites of N. caninum, extruding filaments that entrap parasites. Detailed co-localization studies of N. caninum tachyzoite-induced NETs revealed the presence of PMN-derived DNA being decorated with histones (H1, H2A/H2B, H3,H4) and neutrophil elastase (NE) corroborating the molecular characteristics of classical mammalian NETs. As a new result for parasite-induced NETosis, we identified pentraxin and cathepsin B in N. caninum-triggered NETs. Nonetheless, functional inhibition assays revealed that during caprine NET formation triggered by N. caninum different molecular signaling pathways are induced, when compared to other apicomplexan parasites or host species. As such, N. caninum-induced NETosis appears to be influenced by MPO but independent of NADPH oxidase, SOCE, ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK activities. Furthermore, the inhibition of PMN autophagy via blockage of the PI3K-mediated signaling pathway failed to influence tachyzoite-induced NETosis. Since N. caninum-tachyzoites induced caprine NETosis, this effector mechanism should be considered as an early host immune response during acute caprine neosporosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Villagra-Blanco
- Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen 35392, Germany; Clinic for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Andrology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen 35392, Germany.
| | - L M R Silva
- Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen 35392, Germany
| | - U Gärtner
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen 35392, Germany
| | - H Wagner
- Clinic for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Andrology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen 35392, Germany
| | - K Failing
- Unit for Biomathematics and Data Processing, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen 35392, Germany
| | - A Wehrend
- Clinic for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Andrology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen 35392, Germany
| | - A Taubert
- Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen 35392, Germany
| | - C Hermosilla
- Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen 35392, Germany
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Gharekhani J, Esmaeilnejad B, Rezaei H, Yakhchali M, Heidari H, Azhari M. Prevalence of anti-Neospora caninum antibodies in Iranian goats. Ann Parasitol 2017; 62:111-4. [PMID: 27614475 DOI: 10.17420/ap6202.41] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Many species of animals play the role of intermediate host for Neospora caninum. Although the neosporosis has a global distribution, however there is no information on goats' infection in Iran. The main goal of present study was to determine the seroprevalence of N. caninum in goats of western Iran. A total of 450 sera were taken and analyzed for antibodies to N. caninum using ELISA technique. Of those, 28 (6.2%) examined goats were found to be seropositive (95%, CI=6.2±2.2%). In which male goats (11.1%) had the highest IgG against N. caninum with more than 2 years-old (54.4%). There was significant difference between prevalence and age. Positive association were in animals with history of abortion (18/30, 60%) and IgG against N. caninum. No correlations were found between male and female. This was the first report on N. caninum infection in Iranian goats and may be responsible for abortion and economic losses in goat husbandry in the region. KEY WORDS goat, Neospora caninum, ELISA, Iran.
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Abstract
During 1999, serum samples were collected from beef cows on pastures in western Canada. Some of the herds had a history of confirmed abortions associated with Neospora caninum infection. All these samples were initially analyzed using a single application of 1 common commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for antibodies to N. caninum. From these initial results, 239 positive and 250 negative samples were randomly selected for further testing. This group of samples was retested using the 3 commercially available ELISA tests for N. caninum as per the manufacturer's recommendations. The agreement between 2 of the ELISAs was good (k = 0.76); agreement of these 2 tests with the third test was much lower (k = 0.46 and 0.60). Quantitative agreement between tests measured by intraclass correlation coefficients was also acceptable between the first 2 tests but was almost zero when the first 2 tests were compared with the third. This information is necessary to understand the differences in seroprevalence reported in different regions from laboratories using different methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- C L Waldner
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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Kowalczyk SJ, Czopowicz M, Weber CN, Müller E, Witkowski L, Kaba J. Herd-level seroprevalence of Neospora caninum infection in dairy cattle in central and northeastern Poland. Acta Parasitol 2016; 61:63-5. [PMID: 26751872 DOI: 10.1515/ap-2016-0006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2015] [Accepted: 08/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
A serosurvey was carried out to estimate the herd-level seroprevalence of Neospora caninum infection in cattle in central and northeastern Poland. Ninety seven dairy cattle herds from 2 provinces of Poland (Podlaskie, 47 herds and Łodzkie, 50 herds) were randomly enrolled in the study using two-stage cluster method. A simple random selection was applied within each herd to select a sample of adult cows (≥18 month-old). A total number of 734 cows were enrolled in the study. The animals were screened with a commercial competitive ELISA (Bio-X Diagnostics, Belgium). To calculate true herd-level seroprevalence test sensitivity and specificity were adjusted from an individual- to a herd-level using FreeCalc method. The true overall herd-level seroprevalence of N. caninum infection was 56.7% (95% CI: 47.5%, 65.9%). The true herd-level seroprevalence in Podlaskie was 63.3% (95% CI: 43.0%, 83.6%) and 50.5% (95% CI: 32.8%, 68.2%) in Łodzkie province and these figures did not differ significantly between the two provinces (chi2 test p = 0.238). One hundred forty three of 734 cows (19.5%) were seropositive which gave the true overall individual-level seroprevalence of 20.1% (95% CI: 17.4%, 23.2%). Percentage of seropositive cows in each herd varied from 6% to 80%. This study is the first epidemiological investigation of herd-level seroprevalence of N. caninum infection in Polish dairy cattle population. In conclusion, the result of the study confirmed previous data that N. caninum infection is widespread in the Polish cattle population and thus should be considered as a potential cause of spontaneous abortions.
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Abstract
Neospora caninum is considered one of the major causes of abortion in cattle. The aim of this study was to examine and quantify the extent of the infection in cattle in a representative region of Argentina (La Pampa, province). An average sample size of 36 sera per herd was selected from 97 beef and 24 dairy herds. A total of 4334 serum samples were tested for specific anti- Neospora caninum IgG using an indirect-ELISA and 302 seropositive-ELISA sera were re-examined using an Avidity-ELISA procedure for N.caninum. The overall estimated seroprevalence for N.caninun was 9.6% (95%CI: 8.7%; 10.5%). Levels of seroprevalence were significantly different in beef 7.0% and dairy 20.3% cattle. Disease distribution seems to be associated with climatic conditions as well as the management system. Cows in the east and central regions were at a 4.5-fold and 2.0-fold higher risk, respectively, of being N. caninum seropositive compared with cows in west region. Levels of recent infection were evaluated through an avidity ELISA in seropositive animals, being registered a 0.56% and a 1.71% of recent infection in beef and dairy cattle respectively (p = 0.006). The results revealed that dairy cows had 3.1(95%CI: 1.4; 7.0) higher risk of contracting Neoporosis through horizontal transmission than beef cows. A relationship between Brucella abortus and N. caninum seroprevalence was also observed. The risk of being N. caninum seropositive was two times higher where Brucellosis seroprevalence was >3.5%. These results reveal the distribution of N. caninum infection in the cattle population in La Pampa, Argentina.
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Sharma R, Kimmitt T, Tiwari K, Chikweto A, Thomas D, Lanza Perea M, Bhaiyat MI. Serological evidence of antibodies to Neospora caninum in stray and owned Grenadian dogs. Trop Biomed 2015; 32:286-290. [PMID: 26691257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Neospora caninum causes abortion in cattle and neuromuscular disease in dogs, world wide. Cattle become infected by ingesting oocysts voided by dogs. The aim of this study was to estimate the seroprevalence of Neospora caninum in two populations of dogs (stray and owned) in Grenada, West Indies. Sera were collected from 625 dogs from all parishes in Grenada. Three hundred and sixty eight dogs were stray, while 257 dogs were owned. Sera were tested for the presence of antibodies against N. caninum using an indirect enzyme linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) IDvet, France. Antibodies to N. caninum were found in 6 (1.6%) (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.32% to 2.88%) of the stray dogs and in 3 (1.2%, 95% CI: 0.13% to 2.53%) of the owned dogs. Seroprevalence did not differ significantly between the two populations (p=0.74) and between the males and females (p=1). These results suggest that the prevalence of N. caninum infection in dogs in Grenada is low.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Sharma
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, St George's University Grenada, West Indies
| | - T Kimmitt
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, St George's University Grenada, West Indies
| | - K Tiwari
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, St George's University Grenada, West Indies
| | - A Chikweto
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, St George's University Grenada, West Indies
| | - D Thomas
- Veterinary and Livestock Division, Ministry of Agriculture, Land, Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, Government of Grenada
| | - M Lanza Perea
- Small Animal Clinic, School of Veterinary Medicine, St George's University Grenada, West Indies
| | - M I Bhaiyat
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, St George's University Grenada, West Indies
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Mansilla FC, Moore DP, Quintana ME, Cardoso N, Hecker YP, Gual I, Czepluch W, Odeón AC, Capozzo AV. Safety and immunogenicity of a soluble native Neospora caninum tachyzoite-extract vaccine formulated with a soy lecithin/β-glucan adjuvant in pregnant cattle. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 2015; 165:75-80. [PMID: 25851060 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2015.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2014] [Revised: 03/13/2015] [Accepted: 03/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The global economic impact of Neospora caninum infection in cattle herds has promoted the development of vaccines that can be safely used during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of a vaccine formulated with the soluble fraction of tachyzoite's lysate and a soy-based aqueous adjuvant (sNcAg/AVEC), which was protective in the mouse model and induced strong IFN-γ responses and high avidity antibodies in non-pregnant cattle. Ten pregnant heifers were vaccinated twice during the first trimester of gestation and 8 remained unvaccinated. Anti-N. caninum immune responses were efficiently primed by vaccination, evidenced by a quick induction of IgM serum titers (7dpv) and a prompt switch to high avidity IgG shortly after infection (performed at 78 or 225 days of gestation; n=5 each); while naïve cattle elicited lower IgG titers, with a delayed kinetics. High systemic IFN-γ levels were induced after infection which did not interfere with pregnancy. No local or systemic adverse effects were recorded along the study. Calves were born in term and in good health conditions, showing that the sNcAg/AVEC vaccine was safe when applied to healthy heifers during the first trimester of gestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florencia Celeste Mansilla
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) - Instituto de Virología, Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Dadín Prando Moore
- Estación Experimental Agropecuaria, INTA, Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Eugenia Quintana
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) - Instituto de Virología, Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Nancy Cardoso
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) - Instituto de Virología, Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Ignacio Gual
- Estación Experimental Agropecuaria, INTA, Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Wenzel Czepluch
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) - Instituto de Virología, Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Alejandra Victoria Capozzo
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) - Instituto de Virología, Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Reichel MP, Moore DP, Hemphill A, Ortega-Mora LM, Dubey JP, Ellis JT. A live vaccine against Neospora caninum abortions in cattle. Vaccine 2015; 33:1299-301. [PMID: 25659274 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2015.01.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2014] [Revised: 01/22/2015] [Accepted: 01/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael P Reichel
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Roseworthy Campus, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy 5371, SA, Australia.
| | - Dadín P Moore
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), CP C1033AAJ, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Andrew Hemphill
- Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Berne, Länggass-Strasse 122 CH-3012, Berne, Switzerland
| | - Luis M Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, s/n 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - J P Dubey
- USDA, ARS, APDL BARC, East Bldg 1001, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - John T Ellis
- School of Medical and Molecular Biosciences, University of Technology, PO Box 123, Broadway, Sydney 2007, NSW, Australia
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Moskwa B, Goździk K, Bień J, Kornacka A, Cybulska A, Reiterová K, Cabaj W. Detection of antibodies to Neospora caninum in moose (Alces alces): the first report in Europe. Folia Parasitol (Praha) 2014; 61:34-36. [PMID: 24684051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Neospora caninum Dubey, Carpenter, Speer, Topper et Uggla, 1988 is a protozoan parasite originally reported as a major cause of bovine abortions worldwide. It is documented that the parasite is widely spread among non-carnivorous cervids. The purpose of this study was to investigate the seroprevalence of N. caninum in moose (Alces alces Linnaeus). Blood samples collected in 2010 and 2012 in the northeastern Poland were tested for antibodies to N. caninum by agglutination test (NAT), a commercial competitive screening enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) and enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA). Sera that gave a positive result were further investigated by western blot (WB) analysis to verify the presence of antibodies. Antibodies to N. caninum were detected in one of seven moose. The antibody titer was confirmed by NAT (1 : 1 280), cELISA (I = 91%) and ELISA (OD = 0.736). The main immunodominant antigens detected by WB were 120, 70, 55, 35 and 16 kDa proteins. This is the first evidence of N. caninum seropositivity in moose living in a natural environment in Europe.
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Correia A, Ferreirinha P, Costa AA, Dias J, Melo J, Costa R, Ribeiro A, Faustino A, Teixeira L, Rocha A, Vilanova M. Mucosal and systemic T cell response in mice intragastrically infected with Neospora caninum tachyzoites. Vet Res 2013; 44:69. [PMID: 23937079 PMCID: PMC3751650 DOI: 10.1186/1297-9716-44-69] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2013] [Accepted: 08/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The murine model has been widely used to study the host immune response to Neospora caninum. However, in most studies, the intraperitoneal route was preferentially used to establish infection. Here, C57BL/6 mice were infected with N. caninum tachyzoites by the intragastric route, as it more closely resembles the natural route of infection through the gastrointestinal tract. The elicited T-cell mediated immune response was evaluated in the intestinal epithelium and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN). Early upon the parasitic challenge, IL-12 production by conventional and plasmacytoid dendritic cells was increased in MLN. Accordingly, increased proportions and numbers of TCRαβ+CD8+IFN-γ+ lymphocytes were detected, not only in the intestinal epithelium and MLN, but also in the spleen of the infected mice. In this organ, IFN-γ-producing TCRαβ+CD4+ T cells were also found to increase in the infected mice, however later than CD8+ T cells. Interestingly, splenic and MLN CD4+CD25+ T cells sorted from infected mice presented a suppressive activity on in vitro T cell proliferation and cytokine production above that of control counterparts. These results altogether indicate that, by producing IFN-γ, TCRαβ+CD8+ cells contribute for local and systemic host protection in the earliest days upon infection established through the gastrointestinal tract. Nevertheless, they also provide substantial evidence for a parasite-driven reinforcement of T regulatory cell function which may contribute for parasite persistence in the host and might represent an additional barrier to overcome towards effective vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Correia
- Laboratório de Imunologia Mário Arala Chaves, Departamento de Imuno-Fisiologia e Farmacologia, ICBAS-UP, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar – Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n° 228, Porto, 4050-313, Portugal
- IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Porto, Portugal
| | - Pedro Ferreirinha
- Laboratório de Imunologia Mário Arala Chaves, Departamento de Imuno-Fisiologia e Farmacologia, ICBAS-UP, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar – Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n° 228, Porto, 4050-313, Portugal
- IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Porto, Portugal
| | - Amanda A Costa
- Laboratório de Imunologia Mário Arala Chaves, Departamento de Imuno-Fisiologia e Farmacologia, ICBAS-UP, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar – Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n° 228, Porto, 4050-313, Portugal
| | - Joana Dias
- Laboratório de Imunologia Mário Arala Chaves, Departamento de Imuno-Fisiologia e Farmacologia, ICBAS-UP, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar – Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n° 228, Porto, 4050-313, Portugal
| | - Joana Melo
- Laboratório de Imunologia Mário Arala Chaves, Departamento de Imuno-Fisiologia e Farmacologia, ICBAS-UP, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar – Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n° 228, Porto, 4050-313, Portugal
| | - Rita Costa
- Laboratório de Imunologia Mário Arala Chaves, Departamento de Imuno-Fisiologia e Farmacologia, ICBAS-UP, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar – Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n° 228, Porto, 4050-313, Portugal
| | - Adília Ribeiro
- Laboratório de Imunologia Mário Arala Chaves, Departamento de Imuno-Fisiologia e Farmacologia, ICBAS-UP, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar – Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n° 228, Porto, 4050-313, Portugal
- IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Porto, Portugal
| | - Augusto Faustino
- Departamento de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular, ICBAS-UP, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar – Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n° 228, Porto 4050-313, Portugal
| | - Luzia Teixeira
- Departamento de Anatomia, ICBAS-UP, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar – Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n° 228, Porto 4050-313, Portugal
- UMIB-Unidade Multidisciplinar de Investigação Biomédica, Porto, Portugal
| | - António Rocha
- Laboratório de Imunologia Mário Arala Chaves, Departamento de Imuno-Fisiologia e Farmacologia, ICBAS-UP, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar – Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n° 228, Porto, 4050-313, Portugal
| | - Manuel Vilanova
- Laboratório de Imunologia Mário Arala Chaves, Departamento de Imuno-Fisiologia e Farmacologia, ICBAS-UP, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar – Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n° 228, Porto, 4050-313, Portugal
- IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Porto, Portugal
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Ayinmode AB, Akanbi IM. First report of antibodies to Neospora caninum in Nigerian cattle. J Infect Dev Ctries 2013; 7:564-5. [PMID: 23857393 DOI: 10.3855/jidc.2935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2012] [Revised: 10/16/2012] [Accepted: 12/06/2012] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
This item has no abstract. Follow the links below to access the full text.
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Sakamoto KP, de Melo GD, Machado GF. T and B lymphocytes in the brains of dogs with concomitant seropositivity to three pathogenic protozoans: Leishmania chagasi, Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum. BMC Res Notes 2013; 6:226. [PMID: 23758819 PMCID: PMC3701587 DOI: 10.1186/1756-0500-6-226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2012] [Accepted: 05/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Visceral leishmaniasis is a disease with great variability regarding the clinical manifestations in humans and dogs. Chronically infected dogs may develop neurological disorders, however, there are few reports that characterize the lesions and make clear the pathogenesis of the canine cerebral leishmaniasis. Concomitant with Leishmania chagasi, dogs may be infected by opportunistic pathogens, such as Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum, which may contribute to the occurrence of lesions in the central nervous system. Hence, we aimed to compare the T and B lymphocytes population in the brains of infected dogs with seropositivity to L. chagasi, T. gondii and N. caninum concurrently (n = 24), seropositivity only to L. chagasi (n = 31), and seropositivity to T. gondii and N. caninum (n = 16). Uninfected dogs were used as control (n = 10). RESULTS Inflammatory lesions, characterised by mononuclear cell accumulation, composed mainly of CD3+ T lymphocytes predominated in several encephalic regions of the dogs from all the three infected groups, with no difference among them (P = 0.0004), whereas CD79α+ B lymphocytes were detected in very small intensity and presented no difference among groups (P = 0.5313). Furthermore, no association among diseases was detected at the serological enquire. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate that the peripheral infection by L. chagasi per se can promote the influx of lymphocytes within the nervous milieu as occurs during Toxoplasma and Neospora infections, and the concomitant seropositivity against these pathogens does not exacerbate the inflammatory brain lesions. Therefore, these findings give additional support that the brain should be included in the list of organs affected by visceral leishmaniasis and that even asymptomatic infected dogs may develop brain lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keila Priscilla Sakamoto
- Laboratory of Applied Pathology (LAPAP), College of Veterinary Medicine, UNESP – Univ Estadual Paulista, Rua Clóvis Pestana, 739, CEP 16050-680, Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Dias de Melo
- Laboratory of Applied Pathology (LAPAP), College of Veterinary Medicine, UNESP – Univ Estadual Paulista, Rua Clóvis Pestana, 739, CEP 16050-680, Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gisele Fabrino Machado
- Laboratory of Applied Pathology (LAPAP), College of Veterinary Medicine, UNESP – Univ Estadual Paulista, Rua Clóvis Pestana, 739, CEP 16050-680, Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brazil
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Nishimura M, Kohara J, Kuroda Y, Hiasa J, Tanaka S, Muroi Y, Kojima N, Furuoka H, Nishikawa Y. Oligomannose-coated liposome-entrapped dense granule protein 7 induces protective immune response to Neospora caninum in cattle. Vaccine 2013; 31:3528-35. [PMID: 23742998 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2013.05.083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2013] [Revised: 05/01/2013] [Accepted: 05/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Neospora caninum is an intracellular protozoan parasite that causes abortion in cows. Vaccination is an important strategy for control of neosporosis, and a safe and effective vaccine suitable for cattle is required. Dense granule protein 7 of N. caninum (NcGRA7) is a secretory protein with high antigenicity in hosts. We demonstrated previously that NcGRA7 entrapped in liposomes coated with mannotriose (M3-NcGRA7) could induce a parasite-specific T-helper type 1 immune response and produce humoral antibodies that resulted in increased offspring survival and decreased infection in the brains of mice dams. In the present study, the efficacy of M3-NcGRA7 as a vaccine candidate against N. caninum has been evaluated in cattle (n=12). Cattle were immunized with M3-NcGRA7 containing 50 μg (n=4) or 200 μg NcGRA7 (n=4) subcutaneously twice with a 4-week interval and all cattle including the non-immunized controls (n=4) were inoculated with 10(7) tachyzoites of Nc-1 strain 27 days after the second immunization and euthanized at 85-87 days post infection (dpi). In immunized cattle, NcGRA7-specific antibody production and IFN-γ production in PBMC was induced before challenge. At 3 dpi, body temperature and concentration of serum IFN-γ tended to be higher in control cattle than in the immunized cattle. Furthermore, the parasite load in the brain significantly decreased in cattle immunized with 50 μg M3-NcGRA7 compared with controls. These results suggest that M3-NcGRA7 can induce protective immune responses to N. caninum tachyzoites in cattle, which could lead to practical application of safe and effective subunit vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maki Nishimura
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
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Jia LJ, Zhang SF, Qian NC, Xuan XN, Yu LZ, Zhang XM, Liu MM. Generation and immunity testing of a recombinant adenovirus expressing NcSRS2-NcGRA7 fusion protein of bovine Neospora caninum. Korean J Parasitol 2013; 51:247-53. [PMID: 23710096 PMCID: PMC3662072 DOI: 10.3347/kjp.2013.51.2.247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2012] [Revised: 12/19/2012] [Accepted: 02/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Neospora caninum is the etiologic agent of bovine neosporosis, which affects the reproductive performance of cattle worldwide. The transmembrane protein, NcSRS2, and dense-granule protein, NcGRA7, were identified as protective antigens based on their ability to induce significant protective immune responses in murine neosporosis models. In the current study, NcSRS2 and NcGRA7 genes were spliced by overlap-extension PCR in a recombinant adenovirus termed Ad5-NcSRS2-NcGRA 7, expressing the NcSRS2-NcGRA7 gene, and the efficacy was evaluated in mice. The results showed that the titer of the recombinant adenovirus was 10(9)TCID50/ml. Three weeks post-boost immunization (w.p.b.i.), the IgG antibody titer in sera was as high as 1:4,096. IFN-γ and IL-4 levels were significantly different from the control group (P<0.01). This research established a solid foundation for the development of a recombinant adenovirus vaccine against bovine N. caninum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Jun Jia
- Laboratory of Veterinary Microbiology, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin Province, People's Republic of China.
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Walsh RB, Kelton DF, Hietala SK, Duffield TF. Evaluation of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays performed on milk and serum samples for detection of neosporosis and leukosis in lactating dairy cows. Can Vet J 2013; 54:347-352. [PMID: 24082160 PMCID: PMC3595935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Serum and milk samples from 1229 cows on 22 Ontario dairy farms were individually tested for antibodies specific for bovine leukosis virus (BLV) and Neospora caninum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Antibodies against BLV were present in 361 serum samples (29.4%) and 369 milk samples (30.0%). Comparing the 2 tests, agreement was almost perfect (k = 0.86; 95% CI = 0.83 to 0.90) and the proportions of samples positive were not significantly different (P = 0.56). Both tests identified the same 3 herds free of bovine leukosis virus. Antibodies against N. caninum were detected in 138 serum samples (11.2%), and 111 milk samples (9.0%). Agreement between the 2 tests was moderate (k = 0.52; 95% CI = 0.43 to 0.59). Four herds were free of neosporosis by the serum test, while 10 herds were negative by the milk test. The ELISA on milk samples facilitates sample collection to classify herds free of BLV; the milk N. caninum ELISA was less reliable in predicting herd-level infection.
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Dong J, Otsuki T, Kato T, Kohsaka T, Ike K, Park EY. Development of two murine antibodies against Neospora caninum using phage display technology and application on the detection of N. caninum. PLoS One 2013; 8:e53264. [PMID: 23308179 PMCID: PMC3540087 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0053264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2012] [Accepted: 11/27/2012] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Neosporosis, caused by an intracellular parasite, Neospora caninum, is an infectious disease primarily of cattle and dogs. It occurs worldwide and causes huge damages to dairy farms. In this study, we immunized mice with recombinant surface-associated protein 1 of N. caninum (rNcSAG1) and developed two novel monoclonal antibodies, A10 and H3, against NcSAG1 using phage-display technology. Both clones bound to purified rNcSAG1 and the half maximal inhibitory concentrations of A10 and H3 are 50 and 72 nM of rNcSAG1, respectively. In immunofluorescence assays, both A10 and H3 Fabs bound to N. caninum parasites. Direct detection of N. caninum parasites was developed firstly using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with A10 and H3. Binding of A10 and H3 antibodies to rNcSAG1 was also inhibited by some certain anti-N. caninum antibodies in the neosporosis-positive cattle sera, suggesting they might bind to the same epitopes of NcSAG1 with those anti-N. caninum antibodies of bovine. These antibodies were demonstrated to have a potential for monitoring the N. caninum parasites in a dairy farm, which may lead to protect livestock from parasite-infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinhua Dong
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Takahiro Otsuki
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Kato
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Kohsaka
- Laboratory of Animal Reproduction & Physiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Kazunori Ike
- Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology, Nippon Veterinary and Life University, Musashino, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Enoch Y. Park
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Japan
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Japan
- * E-mail:
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Hemphill A, Debache K, Monney T, Schorer M, Guionaud C, Alaeddine F, Mueller N, Mueller J. Proteins mediating the Neospora caninum-host cell interaction as targets for vaccination. Front Biosci (Elite Ed) 2013; 5:23-36. [PMID: 23276967 DOI: 10.2741/e593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Neospora caninum is an apicomplexan parasite that is capable of infecting, a wide range of tissues. The fact that Neospora represents an important abortion-causing parasite in cattle has transformed neosporosis research from an earlier, rather esoteric field, to a significant research topic, and considerable investments have been made in the last years to develop an efficacious vaccine or other means of intervention that would prevent infection and abortion due to N. caninum infection in cattle. Antigenic molecules associated with proteins involved in adhesion/invasion or other parasite-host-cell interaction processes can confer protection against Neospora caninum infection, and such proteins represent valuable targets for the development of a vaccine to limit economical losses due to neosporosis. Although not ideal, small laboratory animal models that mimic cerebral infection, acute disease and fetal loss upon infection during pregnancy have been used for the assessment of vaccine candidates, in parallel with studies on experimental infections in cattle. Herein, we review and critically assess these vaccination approaches and discuss potential options for improvements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Hemphill
- Vetsuisse Faculty, Institute of Parasitology, University of Berne, Langgass-Strasse 122, CH-3012 Berne, Switzerland.
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Achour K, Ben-Mahdi MH, Akkou M, Teniou R. [Seroprevalence of Neospora caninum in dairy cattle farms in Algeria's central northern region]. REV SCI TECH OIE 2012; 31:953-958. [PMID: 23520748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
As there has been little research into the epidemiological status of bovine neosporosis in Algeria, the main aims of this study were to confirm the circulation of Neospora caninum in the country and to determine its seroprevalence in dairy cattle in five provinces of Algeria's central northern region by means of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and indirect immunofluorescence. A serological study of 186 dairy cattle declared brucellosis-free established an overall seroprevalence of 12.37%, confirming that N. caninum is circulating in dairy cattle and underlining the need to introduce systematic serological screening for neosporosis to limit its spread and prevent it from being perpetuated on Algerian farms.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Achour
- Ecole Nationale Supérieure Vétérinaire d'Alger, B.P. 161, Hacène Badi, El Harrach, Alger, Algérie
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Hecker YP, Venturini MC, Campero CM, Odeón AC, Moore DP. [Advances in the development of vaccines for bovine neosporosis]. Rev Argent Microbiol 2012; 44:216-230. [PMID: 23102471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Neosporosis, a disease caused by the obligate intracellular protozoan Neospora caninum, produces abortions in cattle. The severe economic losses in cattle industry justify the need to develop control measures for preventing bovine abortion. Apicomplexan parasitic resistance is associated with T helper 1 immune response mediated by CD4 cytotoxic T lymphocytes, the production of interferon-gamma, interleukin-12, tumor necrosis factor and immunoglobulin G2. The reduction of vertical transmission in subsequent pregnancies and the low levels of abortion repetition suggests the existence of protective immune mechanisms. Inoculation with live tachyzoites before mating protects against infection and abortion. Antecedents of the development of live vaccines against other protozoa stimulate research to develop a live vaccine against N. caninum. On the other hand, an inactivated vaccine with low efficacy against neosporosis is useful in the prevention of abortion in farms with epizootic disease. A neosporosis vaccine should avoid abortion, transplacental transmission and infection persistence. In the present work, advances in vaccine development including lysate of tachyzoites, live parasites, recombinant antigens and vaccine vectors are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanina P Hecker
- Patología Veterinaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), CC 276 (7620) Balcarce, Argentina.
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Mansilla FC, Franco-Mahecha OL, Lavoria MÁ, Moore DP, Giraldez AN, Iglesias ME, Wilda M, Capozzo AV. The immune enhancement of a novel soy lecithin/β-glucans based adjuvant on native Neospora caninum tachyzoite extract vaccine in mice. Vaccine 2012; 30:1124-31. [PMID: 22178728 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2011.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2011] [Revised: 12/01/2011] [Accepted: 12/03/2011] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Efficient, cost-effective and safe Th1-immunity-inducing vaccine formulations are paramount for achieving protection against Neospora caninum. In this study, a new adjuvant (Providean-AVEC) was used in the development of a N. caninum vaccine and evaluated in a mouse model. Soluble N. caninum tachyzoite native protein extract (sNcAg) was selected as vaccine antigen based on its capacity to activate production of pro-inflammatory cytokines on dendritic cells. Vaccines containing 4 and 0.4 μg of sNcAg, and Providean-AVEC, ISCOM-Matrix or aluminum hydroxide (Alum) were tested in BALB/c mice. While mice vaccinated with 4μg of sNcAg + Providean-AVEC developed specific antibodies shortly after the first dose, the rest of the high antigen payload formulations only induced seroconversion after the booster. Mice immunized with the high payload ISCOM vaccine (4 μg sNcAg) or with either low or high payload Providean-AVEC formulations (0.4 μg and 4 μg sNcAg, respectively) elicited higher IgG2a than IgG1 serum levels, and IFN-γ anamnestic responses with a Th1-cytokine biased profile. These animals had no histological signs of cerebral lesions and parasite burden assessed by quantitative real-time PCR was not detected. Vaccine preparations including Providean-AVEC as adjuvant limited N. canimum multiplication even with only a tenth of antigen payload compared to vaccines containing other adjuvants. Using adjuvants to specifically activate dendritic cells, combined with a careful antigen selection can enhance cellular responses to inert N. caninum vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florencia Celeste Mansilla
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Dr. César Milstein, Saladillo 2468, 1440 Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Moraveji M, Hosseini MH, Amrabadi O, Rahimian A, Namazi F, Namavari M. Seroprevalence of Neospora spp. in horses in South of Iran. Trop Biomed 2011; 28:514-517. [PMID: 22433879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Neospora caninum, an apicomplexan protozoan parasite, is recognized as a major cause of abortion in cattle. However, limited information is presently available on the seroprevalence of Neospora antibodies in horses worldwide. The aim of the present study is to determine serological prevalence of Neospora infection in horses in Iran. Blood samples were obtained from 200 horses and tested for serum antibodies against Neospora spp. by the Neospora modified direct agglutination test (N-MAT). Antibodies were found in 64 (32%) horses being tested with titers of 1:80. This is the first serological survey for Neospora antibodies performed on horses in Iran.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Moraveji
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
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Al-Anazi AD. Prevalence of Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in sera from camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia. J Egypt Soc Parasitol 2011; 41:245-250. [PMID: 21980764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
From April to December 2010, blood samples were collected from 412 healthy camels in Riyadh province, Saudi Arabia and used to evaluate serological screening for Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii infection by an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT). Of the 412 camels, antibodies to N. caninum were found in sixteen in titers of 1:20 and in seven in titers of 1:40 using whole N. caninum tachyzoites as IFAT slide (VMRD Inc., Pullman, WA 99163, USA). Antibodies to T. gondii were found in nineteen camels in titers 1:20 and in eight camels in titers 1:40 using whole T. gondii tachyzoites as IFAT slide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah D Al-Anazi
- Department of Quality Inspection, Ministry of commerce, P.O. Box 122331, Riyadh 11721 Saudi Arabia.
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Coelho WMD, do Amarante AFT, Apolinário JDC, Coelho NMD, de Lima VMF, Perri SHV, Bresciani KDS. Seroepidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum, and Leishmania spp. infections and risk factors for cats from Brazil. Parasitol Res 2011; 109:1009-13. [PMID: 21626423 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-011-2461-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2011] [Accepted: 03/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The seroprevalence of infection by Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum, and Leishmania spp. was detected through an indirect immunofluorescence in 70 cats from the Andradina Municipality, São Paulo State, Brazil. Anti-T. gondii antibodies (titer >64) were detected in 15.7% (11/70) of animals, whereas positivity for N. caninum (titer 16) was not observed in any animal. Of the cats from urban and rural areas, 10.4% (5/48) and 27.2% (6/22) were positive for T. gondii, respectively. Breed, age, food, and contact with animals of other species were significant for considering the positivity for T. gondii (P ≤ 0.0001). Cats having access to streets (17.1%, 11/64), cats cohabiting with rats (19.6%, 10/51), and cats feeding on homemade food and raw milk (27.2%, 6/22) were positive for T. gondii. In addition, 4.2% (3/70) of the cats were positive for Leishmania spp. by ELISA technique and negative by IFAT without coinfection with T. gondii and Leishmania spp. There was no serological positivity against feline immunodeficiency virus or feline leukemia virus. In conclusion, T. gondii infection in part of the feline population from Andradina is not linked to immunosuppressions or coinfections but probably to postnatal infection in association with the type of diet and presence of rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willian Marinho Dourado Coelho
- Universidade Estadual Paulista-UNESP, Campus de Araçatuba-SP, Rua Clóvis Pestana, 793, Araçatuba, 16050-680 São Paulo, Brazil.
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Dion S, Germon S, Guiton R, Ducournau C, Dimier-Poisson I. Functional activation of T cells by dendritic cells and macrophages exposed to the intracellular parasite Neospora caninum. Int J Parasitol 2011; 41:685-95. [PMID: 21329692 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2011.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2010] [Revised: 01/05/2011] [Accepted: 01/18/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Neospora caninum is an intracellular protozoan pathogen that causes abortion in cattle. We studied how the interaction between murine conventional dendritic cells or macrophages and N. caninum influences the generation of cell-mediated immunity against the parasite. We first explored the invasion and survival ability of N. caninum in dendritic cells and macrophages. We observed that protozoa rapidly invaded and proliferated into these two cell populations. We then investigated how Neospora-exposed macrophages or dendritic cells distinguish between viable and non-viable (heat-killed tachyzoites and antigenic extract) parasites. Viable tachyzoites and antigenic extract, but not killed parasites, altered the phenotype of immature dendritic cells. Dendritic cells infected with viable parasites down-regulated the expression of MHC-II, CD40, CD80 and CD86 whereas dendritic cells exposed to N. caninum antigenic extract up-regulated the expression of MHC-II and CD40 and down-regulated CD80 and CD86 expression. Moreover, only viable tachyzoites and antigenic extract induced IL-12 synthesis by dendritic cells. MHC-II expression was up-regulated and CD86 expression was down-regulated at the surface of macrophages, regardless of the parasitic form was encountered. However, IL-12 secretion by macrophages was only observed under conditions using viable and heat-killed parasite. We then analysed how macrophages and dendritic cells were involved in inducing T-cell responses. T lymphocyte IFN-γ-secretion in correlation with IL-12 production occurred after interactions between T cells and dendritic cells exposed to viable tachyzoites or antigenic extract. By contrast, for macrophages IFN-γ production was IL-12-independent and only occurred after interactions between T cells and macrophages exposed to antigenic extract. Thus, N. caninum-induced activation of murine dendritic cells, but not that of macrophages, was associated with T cell IFN-γ production after IL-12 secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Dion
- Université François-Rabelais de Tours, INRA, UMR 0483 Université-INRA d'Immunologie Parasitaire, Vaccinologie et Biothérapie Anti-Infectieuse, IFR des Agents Transmissibles et Infectiologie, UFR de Pharmacie, Tours, France
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