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Castillo-Cuenca JC, Almería S, Calero-Bernal R, Fernández-Escobar M, Fraga J, Entrena-García A, Arias PC, Martínez-Moreno Á, García-Bocanegra I. Seroprevalence and genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii in domestic pigs intended for human consumption in Cuba. Zoonoses Public Health 2023; 70:125-133. [PMID: 36416370 PMCID: PMC10100425 DOI: 10.1111/zph.13010] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Domestic pigs are considered as one of the main intermediate hosts in the zoonotic transmission of Toxoplasma gondii in many countries. Serological and molecular studies are warranted to better understand the epidemiology and transmission patterns of this parasite worldwide. To date, seroepidemiological information on T. gondii in domestic pigs in Cuba is very scarce and there are no reports of T. gondii genotypes circulating in this country. Here, we aimed to estimate the seroprevalence of T. gondii and provide genetic characterization of the strains circulating in slaughtered pigs intended for human consumption in Central Cuba. Seroprevalence was determined in 450 serum samples from slaughtered pigs in Villa Clara province using ELISA. Anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgG antibodies were detected in 100 animals (22.2%, 95% CI: 18.5-26.2). Conventional PCR of the 529-bp marker of T. gondii was performed in hearts and diaphragm tissues of all ELISA-seropositive pigs. Toxoplasma gondii DNA was detected in four animals. Further genetic characterization of the positive DNA samples was performed by multilocus PCR-RFLP and PCR-sequencing typing tools. Molecular analysis revealed four different genetic profiles that were combinations of type I, II, III and u-1 alleles, suggesting the circulation of non-clonal genotypes of T. gondii in domestic pigs in Cuba. Our results indicate that T. gondii is widely distributed in slaughtered pigs in this country, which might have important implications for public health. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on genetic characterization of T. gondii in Cuba. Although preliminary, the results suggest a high genetic diversity of T. gondii in the study region. Further studies based on parasite isolation are needed to definitively identify the genotypes circulating and characterize the virulence of strains detected in pigs in Cuba, and to assess the risk of zoonotic transmission from pork products in this country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julio César Castillo-Cuenca
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Central "Marta Abreu" de Las Villas, Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba
| | - Sonia Almería
- Division of Virulence Assessment, Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Nutrition (CFSAN), Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment (OARSA), Laurel, Maryland, USA
| | - Rafael Calero-Bernal
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mercedes Fernández-Escobar
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge Fraga
- Departamento de Parasitología, Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Pedro Kourí", La Habana, Cuba
| | - Angel Entrena-García
- Departamento de Parasitología, Centro Nacional Para La Producción de Animales de Laboratorio (CENPALAB), La Habana, Cuba
| | - Pedro Casanova Arias
- Departamento de Parasitología, Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Pedro Kourí", La Habana, Cuba
| | - Álvaro Martínez-Moreno
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Unidad de Parasitología, UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes ENZOEM, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Ignacio García-Bocanegra
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes ENZOEM, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain.,CIBERINFEC, ISCIII - CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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2
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Cano-Terriza D, Franco JJ, Jose-Cunilleras E, Buono F, Almería S, Veneziano V, Alguacil E, García J, Villena I, Dubey JP, Jiménez-Martín D, García-Bocanegra I. Seroepidemiological study of Toxoplasma gondii in equids in different European countries. Zoonoses Public Health 2023; 70:276-283. [PMID: 36688475 DOI: 10.1111/zph.13026] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis, caused by the obligate intracellular protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, is a worldwide parasitic zoonosis. A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the exposure to T. gondii in equids in Europe. Serum samples from 1399 equids (1085 horses, 238 donkeys, and 76 mules/hinnies) bred in four European countries (Italy, Spain, United Kingdom [UK], and Ireland) were collected during the period of 2013-2021. The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii was 18.9% (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 16.9-21.0) by using the modified agglutination test (MAT) at a cut-off of 1:25. Seropositivity by country was 27.1% in Italy, 16.6% in Spain, 12.0% in UK and 7.0% in Ireland. Anti-T. gondii antibodies were detected in 12.8% of the horses, 43.7% of the donkeys, and in 28.9% of the mules/hinnies. A Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) analysis was carried out to study the associations between seropositivity and explanatory variables related to individuals, herds, and management measures on these herds, selected based on the bivariate analysis. The risk for being seropositive for T. gondii was 5.3 and 2.7 times higher in donkeys and mules/hinnies than in horses, respectively. In addition, significantly higher seropositivity was observed in horses from herds that used disinfectants less than once a week (13.9%; p = 0.038, odds ratio [OR] = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.03-2.62) compared with those from herds that performed weekly disinfection of the facilities (9.4%). This is the first large-scale seroepidemiological study on T. gondii comprising horses, donkeys, and mules/hinnies in Europe and the first report of T. gondii exposure in horses from Ireland and UK. We found a widespread distribution of T. gondii among equid populations in different European countries. The seroprevalence found in these species, especially in donkeys and mules/hinnies, highlights the potential risk of human infection through the consumption of their raw/undercooked milk or meat.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Cano-Terriza
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Grupo de Investigación GISAZ, UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes ENZOEM, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain.,CIBERINFEC, ISCIII - CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan J Franco
- Inmunología y Genética Aplicada, S.A. (EUROFINS - INGENASA), Madrid, Spain
| | - Eduard Jose-Cunilleras
- Servei de Medicina Interna Equina, Departament de Medicina Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francesco Buono
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Sonia Almería
- Division of Virulence Assessment, Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Nutrition (CFSAN), Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment (OARSA), Laurel, Maryland, USA
| | - Vincenzo Veneziano
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | | | - Isabelle Villena
- University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, EA 7510, National Reference Centre for Toxoplasmosis, Laboratory of Parasitology, Reims Hospital, Reims, France
| | - Jitender P Dubey
- Animal Parasitic Disease Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
| | - Débora Jiménez-Martín
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Grupo de Investigación GISAZ, UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes ENZOEM, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Ignacio García-Bocanegra
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Grupo de Investigación GISAZ, UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes ENZOEM, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain.,CIBERINFEC, ISCIII - CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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3
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Eppinger M, Almería S, Allué-Guardia A, Bagi LK, Kalalah AA, Gurtler JB, Fratamico PM. Genome Sequence Analysis and Characterization of Shiga Toxin 2 Production by Escherichia coli O157:H7 Strains Associated With a Laboratory Infection. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:888568. [PMID: 35770066 PMCID: PMC9234449 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.888568] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A laboratory-acquired E. coli O157:H7 infection with associated severe sequelae including hemolytic uremic syndrome occurred in an individual working in the laboratory with a mixture of nalidixic acid-resistant (NalR) O157:H7 mutant strains in a soil-biochar blend. The patient was hospitalized and treated with an intravenous combination of metronidazole and levofloxacin. The present study investigated the source of this severe laboratory acquired infection and further examined the influence of the antibiotics used during treatment on the expression and production of Shiga toxin. Genomes of two Stx2a-and eae-positive O157:H7 strains isolated from the patient's stool were sequenced along with two pairs of the wt strains and their derived NalR mutants used in the laboratory experiments. High-resolution SNP typing determined the strains' individual genetic relatedness and unambiguously identified the two laboratory-derived NalR mutant strains as the source of the researcher's life-threatening disease, rather than a conceivable ingestion of unrelated O157:H7 isolates circulating at the same time. It was further confirmed that in sublethal doses, the antibiotics increased toxin expression and production. Our results support a simultaneous co-infection with clinical strains in the laboratory, which were the causative agents of previous O157:H7 outbreaks, and further that the administration of antibiotics may have impacted the outcome of the infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Eppinger
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology (MMI), University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States.,South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases (STCEID), San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Sonia Almería
- United States (US) Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Eastern Regional Research Center, Wyndmoor, PA, United States
| | - Anna Allué-Guardia
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology (MMI), University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Lori K Bagi
- United States (US) Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Eastern Regional Research Center, Wyndmoor, PA, United States
| | - Anwar A Kalalah
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology (MMI), University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States.,South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases (STCEID), San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Joshua B Gurtler
- United States (US) Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Eastern Regional Research Center, Wyndmoor, PA, United States
| | - Pina M Fratamico
- United States (US) Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Eastern Regional Research Center, Wyndmoor, PA, United States
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Castro-Scholten S, Cano-Terriza D, Jiménez-Ruiz S, Almería S, Risalde MA, Vicente J, Acevedo P, Arnal MC, Balseiro A, Gómez-Guillamón F, Escribano F, Puig-Ribas M, Dubey JP, García-Bocanegra I. Seroepidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii in wild ruminants in Spain. Zoonoses Public Health 2021; 68:884-895. [PMID: 34227234 DOI: 10.1111/zph.12878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic zoonosis caused by Toxoplasma gondii which infects warm-blooded species worldwide. Humans can be infected through ingestion of tissue cysts from raw or undercooked meat, including game meat. A nationwide large-scale cross-sectional study was conducted to assess exposure to T. gondii in seven wild ruminant species in Spain. A total of 2,040 serum samples from 77 sampling sites randomly distributed in the five bioregions (BRs) covering mainland Spain were tested for antibodies against T. gondii using the modified agglutination test. The overall seroprevalence was 22.0% (449/2,040). Seroprevalence by species in decreasing order was as follows: 39.6% (141/356) in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), 37.1% (138/372) in fallow deer (Dama dama), 16.6% (92/553) in red deer (Cervus elaphus), 14.0% (26/186) in Southern chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica), 11.5% (24/209) in mouflon (Ovis aries musimon), 7.8% (27/346) in Iberian wild goat (Capra pyrenaica) and 5.6% (1/18) in Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia). Seropositivity was detected in 74.0% (57/77) of the sampling sites. Results indicate widespread but not homogeneous exposure to T. gondii in wild ruminant populations in Spain during the last two decades and highlight differences related to animal species and spatial distribution of these species in this country; this implies potential consequences of T. gondii for animal health, conservation and public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Castro-Scholten
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), Universidad de Córdoba (UCO), Córdoba, Spain
| | - David Cano-Terriza
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), Universidad de Córdoba (UCO), Córdoba, Spain
| | - Saúl Jiménez-Ruiz
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), Universidad de Córdoba (UCO), Córdoba, Spain.,Grupo Sanidad y Biotecnología (SaBio), Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC (UCLM-CSIC-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Sonia Almería
- Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment (OARSA), Laurel, MD, USA
| | - María A Risalde
- Departamento de Anatomía y Anatomía Patológica Comparadas y Toxicología, Facultad de Veterinaria, Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), Universidad de Córdoba (UCO), Córdoba, Spain.,Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Grupo de Virología Clínica y Zoonosis, Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Joaquín Vicente
- Grupo Sanidad y Biotecnología (SaBio), Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC (UCLM-CSIC-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Pelayo Acevedo
- Grupo Sanidad y Biotecnología (SaBio), Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC (UCLM-CSIC-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - María C Arnal
- Departamento de Patología Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza (UNIZAR), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Ana Balseiro
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de León (ULE), León, Spain.,Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña (CSIC-Universidad de León), León, Spain
| | - Félix Gómez-Guillamón
- Programa de Vigilancia Epidemiológica de la Fauna Silvestre, Consejería de Agricultura, Ganadería, Pesca y Desarrollo Sostenible (CAGPDS), Málaga, Spain
| | - Fernando Escribano
- Programa de Conservación y Recuperación de Fauna Silvestre, Dirección General de Medio Natural, Consejería de Agua, Agricultura, Pesca y Medio Ambiente, Murcia, Spain
| | - María Puig-Ribas
- Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Wildlife Conservation Medicine Research Group (WildCoM), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Jitender P Dubey
- Animal Parasitic Disease Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD, USA
| | - Ignacio García-Bocanegra
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), Universidad de Córdoba (UCO), Córdoba, Spain
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5
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Huertas-López A, Sukhumavasi W, Álvarez-García G, Martínez-Subiela S, Cano-Terriza D, Almería S, Dubey JP, García-Bocanegra I, Cerón JJ, Martínez-Carrasco C. Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in outdoor dogs and cats in Bangkok, Thailand. Parasitology 2021; 148:843-849. [PMID: 33750492 PMCID: PMC11010059 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182021000421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [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: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to estimate the seroprevalence and risk factors associated with Toxoplasma gondii exposure in dogs and cats from Bangkok, Thailand. Blood samples from 318 dogs and 321 cats were tested for T. gondii antibodies by modified agglutination test (cut-off 1:25). Additionally, 18 dogs and 20 cats were longitudinally sampled for T. gondii antibodies during the same study period, between June and July 2019. The overall seroprevalence in dogs and cats was 7.9% (25/318; 95% CI 4.9–10.8%) and 18.7% (95% CI 14.4–23.0%), respectively. For dogs, risk factors identified were being a mixed-breed animal and living totally outdoors, while increasing age was shown to be a risk factor for cats. Seroconversion was not detected and titres from positive animals remained constant over longitudinal study. The present study indicates that there is a prominent presence of T. gondii in urban and peri-urban areas of Bangkok, suggesting that outdoor dogs and cats should be considered as a possible risk factor for humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Huertas-López
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Analysis, Interlab-UMU, University of Murcia, 30100Espinardo, Murcia, Spain
| | - Woraporn Sukhumavasi
- Parasitology Unit, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, 10330Bangkok, Thailand
- Feline Infectious Disease and Health for Excellence Research Unit, Microbial Food Safety and Antimicrobial Resistance Research Unit, Animal Vector-Borne Disease Research Unit, Chulalongkorn University, 10330Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Gema Álvarez-García
- Department of Animal Health, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040Madrid, Spain
| | - Silvia Martínez-Subiela
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Analysis, Interlab-UMU, University of Murcia, 30100Espinardo, Murcia, Spain
| | - David Cano-Terriza
- Animal Health and Zoonosis Research Group (GISAZ), Department of Animal Health, University of Córdoba, 14014Córdoba, Spain
| | - Sonia Almería
- Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Nutrition (CFSAN), Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment (OARSA), Division of Virulence Assessment, Laurel, USA
| | - Jitender P. Dubey
- U. S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Building 1001, Beltsville, Maryland20705-2350, USA
| | - Ignacio García-Bocanegra
- Animal Health and Zoonosis Research Group (GISAZ), Department of Animal Health, University of Córdoba, 14014Córdoba, Spain
| | - José Joaquín Cerón
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Analysis, Interlab-UMU, University of Murcia, 30100Espinardo, Murcia, Spain
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6
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Almería S, Cano-Terriza D, Prieto P, Dubey JP, Jiménez-Martín D, Castro-Scholten S, Paniagua J, García-Bocanegra I. Seroprevalence and risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infection in wild ungulates that cohabit in a natural park with human-animal interaction in the Mediterranean ecosystem. Zoonoses Public Health 2021; 68:263-270. [PMID: 33619865 DOI: 10.1111/zph.12821] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The possibility of Toxoplasma gondii transmitted from game meat to humans is of public health concern. Here we determined seroprevalence and risk factors associated with T. gondii in large game ungulates that cohabit in Sierras de Cazorla, Segura and Las Villas Natural Park (SCSV-NP) (Southern Spain), a natural park with high human-animal interaction. Antibodies against T. gondii in 328 wild ungulates were assayed by the modified agglutination test (MAT ≥ 1:25). Antibodies were found in 39 (11.9%, 95% CI: 8.4-15.4) wild ungulates, with seroprevalence levels of 20.8% in wild boars (Sus scrofa) (5/24), 19.0% in fallow deer (Dama dama) (12/63), 13.9% in Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica hispanica) (14/101), 7.9% in red deer (Cervus elaphus) (6/76), and 3.1% in mouflons (Ovis aries musimon) (2/64). Significantly higher seroprevalence was observed in fallow deer and wild boars compared to mouflons. Animals living close to urban areas (<2 km) had 4.6-times higher risk compared to those living at >5 km of urban areas. The results indicate high circulation of T. gondii in wild ungulates in SCSV-NP, which is of animal and public health concern. The increased seroprevalence of T. gondii detected in wildlife ungulates living close to urban areas may increase human infection in those areas if meat from infected animals is consumed raw or undercooked.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Almería
- Division of Virulence Assessment, Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Nutrition (CFSAN), Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment (OARSA), Laurel, MD, USA
| | - David Cano-Terriza
- Animal Health and Zoonosis Research Group (GISAZ), Department of Animal Health, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
| | - Paloma Prieto
- Sierras de Cazorla, Segura and Las Villas Natural Park, Junta de Andalucía, Cazorla (Jaén), Spain
| | - Jitender P Dubey
- Animal Parasitic Disease Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD, USA
| | - Débora Jiménez-Martín
- Animal Health and Zoonosis Research Group (GISAZ), Department of Animal Health, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
| | - Sabrina Castro-Scholten
- Animal Health and Zoonosis Research Group (GISAZ), Department of Animal Health, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
| | - Jorge Paniagua
- Animal Health and Zoonosis Research Group (GISAZ), Department of Animal Health, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
| | - Ignacio García-Bocanegra
- Animal Health and Zoonosis Research Group (GISAZ), Department of Animal Health, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
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7
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Barroso P, García-Bocanegra I, Acevedo P, Palencia P, Carro F, Jiménez-Ruiz S, Almería S, Dubey JP, Cano-Terriza D, Vicente J. Long-Term Determinants of the Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in a Wild Ungulate Community. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:E2349. [PMID: 33317081 PMCID: PMC7764155 DOI: 10.3390/ani10122349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan which infects warm-blooded vertebrates, including humans, worldwide. In the present study, the epidemiology of T. gondii was studied in the wild ungulate host community (wild boar, red deer, and fallow deer) of Doñana National Park (DNP, south-western Spain) for 13 years (2005-2018). We assessed several variables which potentially operate in the medium and long-term (environmental features, population, and stochastic factors). Overall, the wild ungulate host community of DNP had high seroprevalence values of T. gondii (STG; % ± confidence interval (CI) 95%; wild boar (Sus scrofa) 39 ± 3.3, n = 698; red deer (Cervus elaphus) 30.7 ± 4.4, n = 423; fallow deer (Dama dama) 29.7 ± 4.2, n = 452). The complex interplay of hosts and ecological/epidemiological niches, together with the optimal climatic conditions for the survival of oocysts that converge in this area may favor the spread of the parasite in its host community. The temporal evolution of STG oscillated considerably, mostly in deer species. The relationships shown by statistical models indicated that several factors determined species patterns. Concomitance of effects among species, indicated that relevant drivers of risk operated at the community level. Our focus, addressing factors operating at broad temporal scale, allows showing their impacts on the epidemiology of T. gondii and its trends. This approach is key to understanding the epidemiology and ecology to T. gondii infection in wild host communities in a context where the decline in seroprevalence leads to loss of immunity in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Barroso
- Grupo Sanidad y Biotecnología (SaBio), Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain; (P.A.); (P.P.); (S.J.-R.); (J.V.)
| | - Ignacio García-Bocanegra
- Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Universidad de Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain; (I.G.-B.); (D.C.-T.)
| | - Pelayo Acevedo
- Grupo Sanidad y Biotecnología (SaBio), Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain; (P.A.); (P.P.); (S.J.-R.); (J.V.)
| | - Pablo Palencia
- Grupo Sanidad y Biotecnología (SaBio), Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain; (P.A.); (P.P.); (S.J.-R.); (J.V.)
| | | | - Saúl Jiménez-Ruiz
- Grupo Sanidad y Biotecnología (SaBio), Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain; (P.A.); (P.P.); (S.J.-R.); (J.V.)
- Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Universidad de Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain; (I.G.-B.); (D.C.-T.)
| | - Sonia Almería
- Division of Virulence Assessment, Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment (OARSA), Center for Food Safety and Nutrition (CFSAN), Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USA;
| | - Jitender P. Dubey
- Animal Parasitic Disease Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Building 1001, BARC-East, Beltsville, MD 20705-2350, USA;
| | - David Cano-Terriza
- Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Universidad de Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain; (I.G.-B.); (D.C.-T.)
| | - Joaquín Vicente
- Grupo Sanidad y Biotecnología (SaBio), Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain; (P.A.); (P.P.); (S.J.-R.); (J.V.)
- Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Agrónomos, UCLM, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
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8
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Jiménez-Martín D, García-Bocanegra I, Almería S, Castro-Scholten S, Dubey JP, Amaro-López MA, Cano-Terriza D. Epidemiological surveillance of Toxoplasma gondii in small ruminants in southern Spain. Prev Vet Med 2020; 183:105137. [PMID: 32950886 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2020.105137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [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: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 08/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis, caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, is a worldwide zoonotic disease, which affects most warm-blooded species. Besides the zoonotic relevance, toxoplasmosis is one of the major causes of reproductive disorders in small ruminants. A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the seroprevalence, spatial distribution and risk factors associated with T. gondii infection in sheep and goats in southern Spain. During 2015-2017, a total of 1,943 small ruminants (998 sheep and 945 goats) from 127 flocks were tested for antibodies against T. gondii using the modified agglutination test (MAT, cut-off 1:25). Antibodies against T. gondii were detected in 464 of the 998 sheep (46.5 %; CI95 %: 43.4-49.6%) and 362 of the 945 goats (38.3 %; CI95 %: 35.2-41.4%) tested. The farm prevalence was 98.4 % (CI95 %: 95.4-100%) for sheep and 93.7 % (CI95 %: 87.6-99.7%) for goats. The generalized estimating equation analysis showed that presence of cats and existence of previous reproductive disorders were risk factors potentially associated with T. gondii seropositivity in small ruminants. Two statistically significant spatial clusters (P < 0.001) were identified. The seroprevalence observed in the present study indicates a widespread exposure to T. gondii in sheep and goats in southern Spain, which might have important implications for animal and public health. Management measures should be implemented in small ruminant farms in this region in order to reduce the risk of T. gondii infections, particularly in those areas identified in the spatial analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sonia Almería
- Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Nutrition (CFSAN), Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment (OARSA), Division of Virulence Assessment, Laurel, MD, 20708, USA
| | | | - Jitender P Dubey
- Animal Parasitic Disease Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Building 1001, BARC-East, Beltsville, MD, 20705-2350, USA
| | - Manuel A Amaro-López
- Department of Bromatology and Food Technology, University of Cordoba, 14014, Cordoba, Spain
| | - David Cano-Terriza
- Department of Animal Health, University of Cordoba, 14014, Cordoba, Spain
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9
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Cano-Terriza D, Almería S, Caballero-Gómez J, Jiménez-Martín D, Castro-Scholten S, Dubey JP, García-Bocanegra I. Exposure to Toxoplasma gondii in zoo animals in Spain. Prev Vet Med 2020; 176:104930. [PMID: 32109781 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2020.104930] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
A serosurvey was performed to assess exposure to Toxoplasma gondii in zoo animals in Spain and to determine the dynamics of seropositivity in some zoo species over time. Sera from 393 zoo animals belonging to 91 species were collected in eight zoos in Spain between 2007 and 2019. Additionally, 39 of the 393 animals from five of the analyzed zoos were longitudinally sampled during the same study period. Antibodies to T. gondii were detected in 165 (42.0 %; CI95 %: 37.1-46.9) of 393 animals by the modified agglutination test (MAT, cut-off = 25). Antibody titers of 25, 50, 100 and ≥500 were found in 25 (15.2 %), 65 (39.4 %), 26 (15.8 %), and 49 (29.7 %) of the seropositive animals, respectively. Feeding habits (carnivorous species) was a risk factor (OR = 5.6; P < 0.001; CI95 %: 3.8-9.0) potentially associated with T. gondii exposure. Eighteen (46.2 %) of the 39 animals longitudinally sampled were always seropositive and five animals (12.8 %) (two spotted hyaena [Crocuta crocuta], one blesbok [Damaliscus pygargus], one white rhinoceros [Ceratotherium simum] and one mouflon [Ovis aries musimon]) seroconverted during the study period. Our results evince a wide circulation of T. gondii in zoos in Spain, including wild felids. Zoo animals can be useful sentinel species to monitor T. gondii circulation in epidemiological scenarios with a close human-wildlife interface. Control measures should be implemented in zoo parks to minimize the risk of exposure of zoo species to T. gondii.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Cano-Terriza
- Department of Animal Health, University of Cordoba, 14014, Cordoba, Spain.
| | - Sonia Almería
- Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Nutrition (CFSAN), Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment (OARSA), Division of Virulence Assessment, Laurel, MD 20708, USA
| | - Javier Caballero-Gómez
- Department of Animal Health, University of Cordoba, 14014, Cordoba, Spain; Infectious Diseases Unit and Clinical Virology and Zoonoses Unit, Maimonides Institute for Biomedical Research, Reina Sofia Hospital, University of Cordoba, 14004, Cordoba, Spain
| | | | | | - Jitender P Dubey
- Animal Parasitic Disease Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Building 1001, BARC-East, Beltsville, MD 20705-2350, USA
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10
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Barros M, Cabezón O, Dubey JP, Almería S, Ribas MP, Escobar LE, Ramos B, Medina-Vogel G. Toxoplasma gondii infection in wild mustelids and cats across an urban-rural gradient. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0199085. [PMID: 29924844 PMCID: PMC6010287 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [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: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The increase in human population and domestic pets, such as cats, are generating important consequences in terms of habitat loss and pathogen pollution of coastal ecosystems with potential to generate negative impacts in marine biodiversity. Toxoplasma gondii is the etiological agent of zoonotic disease toxoplasmosis, and is associated with cat abundance and anthropogenic disturbance. The presence of T. gondii oocysts in the ocean has negatively affected the health status of the threatened Southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) populations. The present study analyzed seroprevalence and presence of T. gondii DNA in American mink (Neovison vison), Southern river otters (Lontra provocax) and domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus) in four different areas in Southern Chile comprising studies in rivers and lakes in Andean foothills and mountains, marine habitat and island coastal ecosystems. Mean seroprevalence of T. gondii in the study was 64% of 151 total animals sampled: 59% of 73 American mink, 77% of 13 Southern river otters, 68% of 65 domestic cats and in two of two kodkods (Leopardus guigna). Toxoplasma gondii DNA was detected in tissues from one American mink and one Southern river otter. The present study confirms the widespread distribution of T. gondii in Southern Chile, and shows a high exposure of semiaquatic mustelids and domestic cats to the parasite. Cats and anthropogenic disturbance have a role in the maintenance of T. gondii infection in ecosystems of southern Chile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Macarena Barros
- Centro de Investigacion para la Sustentabilidad, Universidad Andres Bello, República, Santiago, Chile
| | - Oscar Cabezón
- UAB, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA, IRTA-UAB), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina I Cirugia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Jitender P. Dubey
- Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Sonia Almería
- UAB, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA, IRTA-UAB), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Departament de Sanitat I d´Anatomia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - María P. Ribas
- UAB, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA, IRTA-UAB), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina I Cirugia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Luis E. Escobar
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech., Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Barbara Ramos
- Centro de Investigacion para la Sustentabilidad, Universidad Andres Bello, República, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gonzalo Medina-Vogel
- Centro de Investigacion para la Sustentabilidad, Universidad Andres Bello, República, Santiago, Chile
- * E-mail:
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11
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Almería S, Cabezón O, Paniagua J, Cano-Terriza D, Jiménez-Ruiz S, Arenas-Montes A, Dubey JP, García-Bocanegra I. Toxoplasma gondii in sympatric domestic and wild ungulates in the Mediterranean ecosystem. Parasitol Res 2018; 117:665-671. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-017-5705-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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12
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Serrano-Pérez B, Almería S, Mur-Novales R, López-Helguera I, Garcia-Ispierto I, Alabart JL, Darwich L, López-Gatius F. Uterine serpin (SERPINA 14) correlates negatively with cytokine production at the foetal-maternal interface but not in the corpus luteum in pregnant dairy heifers experimentally infected with Neospora caninum. Reprod Domest Anim 2017; 53:556-558. [DOI: 10.1111/rda.12937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2016] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- B Serrano-Pérez
- Department of Animal Science; University of Lleida; Lleida Spain
- Agrotecnio Centre; University of Lleida; Lleida Spain
| | - S Almería
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal - Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Barcelona Spain
- Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animals; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Barcelona Spain
| | - R Mur-Novales
- Department of Animal Science; University of Lleida; Lleida Spain
| | - I López-Helguera
- Department of Animal Science; University of Lleida; Lleida Spain
- Agrotecnio Centre; University of Lleida; Lleida Spain
| | - I Garcia-Ispierto
- Department of Animal Science; University of Lleida; Lleida Spain
- Agrotecnio Centre; University of Lleida; Lleida Spain
| | - JL Alabart
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón - IA2 - (CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza); Zaragoza Spain
| | - L Darwich
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal - Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Barcelona Spain
- Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animals; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Barcelona Spain
| | - F López-Gatius
- Agrotecnio Centre; University of Lleida; Lleida Spain
- Transfer in Bovine Reproduction SLu; Barbastro Spain
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13
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Cano-Terriza D, Puig-Ribas M, Jiménez-Ruiz S, Cabezón Ó, Almería S, Galán-Relaño Á, Dubey JP, García-Bocanegra I. Risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infection in hunting, pet and watchdogs from southern Spain and northern Africa. Parasitol Int 2016; 65:363-6. [PMID: 27155133 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2016.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Revised: 04/30/2016] [Accepted: 05/02/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Dogs can act as reservoirs of Toxoplasma gondii infections for humans and other hosts. Here we determined seroprevalence and risk factors of T. gondii infection in dogs from Andalusia (Southern Spain) and Ceuta (Northern Africa). Antibodies to T. gondii were detected in 235 out of 769 dogs (30.6%; CI95%: 27.3-33.8) by the modified agglutination test (MAT, cut-off of 1:25) with titers of 1:25 in 91, 1:50 in 43, 1:100 in 84, and ≥1:500 in 17 dogs. The main risk factors associated with T. gondii infection in dogs were age (higher seroprevalence in older dogs), hunter activity and size (higher seroprevalence in larger and medium dogs). This is the first study on T. gondii infection in pet dogs from Spain and Ceuta. The results indicate that T. gondii is widespread in dogs in mainland Spain and Ceuta, which might have important implications for public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Cano-Terriza
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Córdoba-Agrifood Excellence International Campus (ceiA3), 14071 Córdoba, Spain
| | - María Puig-Ribas
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinaria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Saúl Jiménez-Ruiz
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Córdoba-Agrifood Excellence International Campus (ceiA3), 14071 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Óscar Cabezón
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinaria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain; Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sonia Almería
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Sanitat i d'Anatomia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Ángela Galán-Relaño
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Córdoba-Agrifood Excellence International Campus (ceiA3), 14071 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Jitender P Dubey
- Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agriculture Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Ignacio García-Bocanegra
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Córdoba-Agrifood Excellence International Campus (ceiA3), 14071 Córdoba, Spain.
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14
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Cabezón O, Cerdà-Cuéllar M, Morera V, García-Bocanegra I, González-Solís J, Napp S, Ribas MP, Blanch-Lázaro B, Fernández-Aguilar X, Antilles N, López-Soria S, Lorca-Oró C, Dubey JP, Almería S. Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Seagull Chicks Is Related to the Consumption of Freshwater Food Resources. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150249. [PMID: 26974667 PMCID: PMC4790883 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [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: 03/10/2015] [Accepted: 02/11/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the spread of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) in wild birds, particularly in those with opportunistic feeding behavior, is of interest for elucidating the epidemiological involvement of these birds in the maintenance and dissemination of the parasite. Overall, from 2009 to 2011, we collected sera from 525 seagull chicks (Yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) and Audouin's gull (L. audouinii)) from 6 breeding colonies in Spain and tested them using the modified agglutination test (MAT) for the presence of antibodies against T. gondii. Chick age was estimated from bill length. Main food source of seagull chicks was evaluated using stable isotope analyses from growing scapular feathers. Overall T. gondii seroprevalence was 21.0% (IC95% 17.5-24.4). A generalized linear mixed-effects model indicated that year (2009) and food source (freshwater) were risk factors associated to the individual risk of infection by T. gondii, while age (days) was close to significance. Freshwater food origin was related to the highest seroprevalence levels, followed by marine origin, supporting freshwater and sewages as important routes of dispersion of T. gondii. Year differences could indicate fluctuating rates of exposure of seagull chicks to T. gondii. Age ranged from 4 to 30 days and seropositivity tended to increase with age (P = 0.07), supporting that seropositivity is related to T. gondii infection rather than to maternal transfer of antibodies, which in gulls is known to sharply decrease with chick age. This study is the first to report T. gondii antibodies in Yellow-legged and Audouin's gulls, thereby extending the range of intermediate hosts for this parasite and underscoring the complexity of its epidemiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Cabezón
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinaria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA) - Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Marta Cerdà-Cuéllar
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA) - Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Virginia Morera
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) and Departament de Biologia Animal, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Jacob González-Solís
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) and Departament de Biologia Animal, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sebastian Napp
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA) - Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria P. Ribas
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinaria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Berta Blanch-Lázaro
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinaria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Xavier Fernández-Aguilar
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinaria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA) - Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Noelia Antilles
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA) - Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sergio López-Soria
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA) - Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Lorca-Oró
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA) - Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jitender P. Dubey
- Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agriculture Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD, United States of America
| | - Sonia Almería
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA) - Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Sanitat i d’Anatomia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
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15
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Serrano-Pérez B, Hansen PJ, Mur-Novales R, García-Ispierto I, de Sousa NM, Beckers JF, Almería S, López-Gatius F. Crosstalk between uterine serpin (SERPINA14) and pregnancy-associated glycoproteins at the fetal-maternal interface in pregnant dairy heifers experimentally infected with Neospora caninum. Theriogenology 2016; 86:824-30. [PMID: 27045629 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2016.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2015] [Revised: 03/02/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Infection with Neospora caninum is the leading cause of abortion in cattle. In cows naturally infected with N caninum, plasma concentrations of pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (PAG) 1 and 2 indicate fetal-placental well-being, whereas an excess of progesterone in the second trimester of gestation has been related to high abortion rate. The immunosuppressive action of progesterone on the uterus during gestation has been attributed in part to the uterine serpins (SERPINA14). This study examines expression patterns of the genes SERPINA14, PAG, and PAG2 at the fetal-maternal interface in dairy heifers experimentally infected with N caninum during the second trimester of pregnancy, when most abortions takes place in natural conditions. Irrespective of infection, expression of SERPINA14 was higher, and expression of PAG1 and PAG2 lower, for intercaruncular endometrium than for caruncles or cotyledons. Cotyledonary tissues showed the highest expression of both PAG genes but lowest expression of SERPINA14. The expression of SERPINA14 was significantly higher in intercaruncular endometrium of control dams than for infected animals, pointing to potential disruption of modulation of maternal immune function during infection. Dramatically reduced SERPINA14 was particularly apparent in infected dams with aborted fetuses. There was also a negative association between N caninum antibody titers with SERPINA14 and PAG expression in infected animals, further suggesting that N caninum infection downregulates the uterine immunosuppressive function of SERPINA14.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Serrano-Pérez
- Department of Animal Production, University of Lleida, 25198 Lleida, Spain; Agrotecnio Centre, University of Lleida, Spain
| | - P J Hansen
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, USA
| | - R Mur-Novales
- Department of Animal Production, University of Lleida, 25198 Lleida, Spain
| | - I García-Ispierto
- Department of Animal Production, University of Lleida, 25198 Lleida, Spain; Agrotecnio Centre, University of Lleida, Spain
| | - N M de Sousa
- Physiology of Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Belgium
| | - J F Beckers
- Physiology of Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Belgium
| | - S Almería
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain
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16
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Mur-Novales R, López-Gatius F, Serrano-Pérez B, García-Ispierto I, Darwich L, Cabezón O, de Sousa NM, Beckers JF, Almería S. ExperimentalNeospora CaninumInfection in Pregnant Dairy Heifers Raises Concentrations of Pregnancy-Associated Glycoproteins 1 and 2 in Foetal Fluids. Reprod Domest Anim 2016; 51:282-6. [DOI: 10.1111/rda.12678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2016] [Accepted: 01/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R Mur-Novales
- Department of Animal Production; University of Lleida; Lleida Spain
| | | | - B Serrano-Pérez
- Department of Animal Production; University of Lleida; Lleida Spain
- Agrotecnio Center; University of Lleida; Lleida Spain
| | - I García-Ispierto
- Department of Animal Production; University of Lleida; Lleida Spain
- Agrotecnio Center; University of Lleida; Lleida Spain
| | - L Darwich
- Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animals; Facultat de Veterinària; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB); Cerdanyola del Vallès Spain
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA); Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA); Cerdanyola del Vallès Spain
| | - O Cabezón
- SeFAS; UAB; Cerdanyola del Vallés; Spain Spain
| | - NM de Sousa
- Physiology of Reproduction; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; University of Liège; Liège Belgium
| | - JF Beckers
- Physiology of Reproduction; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; University of Liège; Liège Belgium
| | - S Almería
- Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animals; Facultat de Veterinària; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB); Cerdanyola del Vallès Spain
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA); Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA); Cerdanyola del Vallès Spain
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17
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Mur-Novales R, Serrano-Pérez B, García-Ispierto I, de Sousa NM, Beckers JF, Almería S, López-Gatius F. Experimental Neospora caninum infection modifies trophoblast cell populations and plasma pregnancy-associated glycoprotein 1 and 2 dynamics in pregnant dairy heifers. Vet Parasitol 2015; 216:7-12. [PMID: 26801588 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2015.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2015] [Revised: 11/28/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Neospora caninum is an obligate intracellular protozoan that causes abortion in cattle worldwide. Plasma concentrations of pregnancy-associated glycoprotein 1 (PAG-1), produced by binucleate trophoblast cells, are used for pregnancy diagnosis and as a marker of foetal-placental well-being, while PAG-2, produced by both mono- and binucleate trophoblast cells, may serve as an indicator of abortion risk. In prior work, natural N. caninum infection was found to modify plasma PAG-1 and PAG-2 patterns. The present study examines PAG-1 and PAG-2 dynamics and trophoblast cell populations following experimental infection with N. caninum. The study population was comprised of 17 N. caninum seronegative Holstein-Friesian heifers. On day 110 of gestation, 6 heifers were inoculated intravenously with 10(7) taquyzoites of N. canimum. Plasma samples for PAG-1 and PAG-2 determinations were collected on days 0, 7, 14, 21 and 42 post infection. During the study course, pregnancy was normally expressed in all controls while three infected heifers lost their foetuses. All heifers were euthanised on day 42 post infection and placentome samples from the 14 non-aborting heifers were collected to examine trophoblast cell populations. Plasma PAG-1 and PAG-2 concentrations in non-infected heifers increased until the day of euthanasia while non-aborting infected heifers showed a temporary fall in PAG-1 (P<0.004) and PAG-2 (P<0.002) concentrations from 7 to 14 days post infection (dpi). The two dams aborting at 14 and 21 dpi and a third dam with a mummified foetus upon euthanasia showed dramatic PAG-1 and PAG-2 reductions from 14 dpi to undetectable levels upon euthanasia. A stereological study of placentomes revealed significantly higher relative proportions of mono- (P=0.035) and binucleate (P=0.029) trophoblast cells at 42 dpi in non-infected heifers than infected non-aborting heifers. According to our findings, following experimental N. caninum infection on day 110 of gestation, non-aborting heifers showed a brief reversible drop in plasma PAG-1 and 2 concentrations two weeks later and reduced proportions of bi- and mono-nucleate trophoblast cells 42 days after infection. In aborting dams, dramatically reduced PAG levels were related to severe placental damage and a non-viable pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Mur-Novales
- Department of Animal Production, University of Lleida, Spain
| | - B Serrano-Pérez
- Department of Animal Production, University of Lleida, Spain; Agrotecnio Centre, University of Lleida, Spain
| | - I García-Ispierto
- Department of Animal Production, University of Lleida, Spain; Agrotecnio Centre, University of Lleida, Spain
| | - N M de Sousa
- Physiology of Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Belgium
| | - J F Beckers
- Physiology of Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Belgium
| | - S Almería
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA) and Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
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18
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Cano-Terriza D, Guerra R, Lecollinet S, Cerdà-Cuéllar M, Cabezón O, Almería S, García-Bocanegra I. Epidemiological survey of zoonotic pathogens in feral pigeons (Columba livia var. domestica) and sympatric zoo species in Southern Spain. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2015; 43:22-7. [PMID: 26616657 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2015.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2015] [Revised: 09/23/2015] [Accepted: 10/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the prevalence of pathogenic zoonotic agents (flaviviruses, avian influenza viruses (AIVs), Salmonella spp. and Toxoplasma gondii) in feral pigeons and sympatric zoo animals from Córdoba (Southern Spain) between 2013 and 2014. Antibodies against flaviviruses were detected in 7.8% out of 142 (CI95%: 3.7-11.8) pigeons, and 8.2% of 49 (CI95%: 0.9-15.4) of zoo animals tested. Antibodies with specificity against West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) were confirmed both in pigeons and in zoo birds. Even though seropositivity to AIVs was not detected in any of the analyzed pigeons, 17.9% of 28 (CI95%: 3.7-32.0) zoo birds tested showed positive results. Salmonella spp. was not isolated in any of 152 fecal samples collected from pigeons, while 6.8% of 44 zoo animals were positive. Antibodies against T. gondii were found in 9.2% of 142 (CI95%: 4.8-13.6) feral pigeons and 26.9% of 108 (CI95%: 19.6-34.1) zoo animals. This is the first study on flaviviruses and T. gondii in feral pigeons and captive zoo species in Spain. Antibodies against WNV and USUV detected in non-migratory pigeons and captive zoo animals indicate local circulation of these emerging pathogens in the study area. T. gondii was widespread in species analyzed. This finding could be of importance for Public Health and Conservation of endangered species present in zoo parks. Pigeons and zoo animals may be included as sentinel species for monitoring zoonotic pathogens in urban areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Cano-Terriza
- Department de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Córdoba-Agrifood Excellence International Campus (ceiA3), Campus de Rabanales, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Rafael Guerra
- Parque Zoológico Municipal de Córdoba (PZMC), Avenida Linneo s/n, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Sylvie Lecollinet
- ANSES, Laboratoire de Santé Animale de Maisons-Alfort, UMR 1161 Virologie, INRA, ANSES, ENVA, Maisons-Alfort F-94703, France
| | - Marta Cerdà-Cuéllar
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA)-Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Oscar Cabezón
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Department de Medicina i Cirugia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08193, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Sonia Almería
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA)-Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain; Department de Sanitat i d'Anatomia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08193, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Ignacio García-Bocanegra
- Department de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Córdoba-Agrifood Excellence International Campus (ceiA3), Campus de Rabanales, 14071 Córdoba, Spain.
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Almería S, López-Gatius F. Markers related to the diagnosis and to the risk of abortion in bovine neosporosis. Res Vet Sci 2015; 100:169-75. [PMID: 25841793 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2015.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [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: 02/12/2015] [Accepted: 03/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Bovine neosporosis has emerged as a main cause of abortion in cattle worldwide. An important question to understand the disease is why not all infected cows abort. In the present review we summarize the knowledge on markers related to the diagnosis and more importantly to the risk of abortion in the infected cow. Markers considered herein include those based on specific antibodies, antibody titers and antibody subtypes, cellular immunological markers, hormones and other proteins related to gestation. The identification of parasite molecules that are specifically identified in the aborting cows might help to understand the mechanism of parasite-associated abortion and control the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Almería
- Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Barcelona, Spain; Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA) - Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Campus UAB, 08193 Barcelona, Spain.
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20
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Serrano-Pérez B, Almería S, Tutusaus J, Jado I, Anda P, Monleón E, Badiola J, Garcia-Ispierto I, López-Gatius F. Coxiella burnetii total immunoglobulin G, phase I and phase II immunoglobulin G antibodies, and bacterial shedding in young dams in persistently infected dairy herds. J Vet Diagn Invest 2015; 27:167-76. [PMID: 25691508 DOI: 10.1177/1040638715571993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The current study examines Coxiella burnetii infection patterns in young dairy dams around the calving period in persistently infected high-producing dairy herds. Infection patterns were determined in terms of total immunoglobulin G (IgG) and phase-specific IgG antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and bacterial shedding by real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). On days 171-177 of gestation, at parturition, and on days 15-21 and 91-97 postpartum, 7 first-parity cows and 7 second-parity cows were sampled for serology and qPCR. Total phase-specific I (PhI) and II (PhII) IgG antibodies were detected in 2 animals at days 171-177 of gestation. Four additional animals underwent seroconversion on days 91-97 postpartum. Three of 6 seropositive dams according to total IgG, showed a PhI+/PhII+ profile, whereas dams that seroconverted exhibited a PhI-/PhII+ (2/6) or PhI+/PhII- (1/6) profile. An indirect fluorescent antibody test for PhI and PhII immunoglobulin M (IgM) was performed on plasma samples from the shedding dams, confirming seropositivity in a first-parity dam that seroconverted, and detecting a sudden spike of PhI-IgM antibodies in 1 further dam. No relationship was detected in young C. burnetii-infected animals between total IgG, PhI and/or PhII antibodies, and bacterial shedding throughout the study period. The highest bacterial load measured by qPCR was recorded in a second-parity dam. This animal presented abnormal peripheral blood counts, which would be an indication of severe peripheral blood alterations in some infected cattle. This study suggests that young shedder cows are mostly seronegative in early stages of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Serrano-Pérez
- Centre for Research in Agrotechnology, Animal Production Department, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain (Serrano-Pérez, Tutusaus, Garcia-Ispierto, López-Gatius)Centre for Research on Animal Health, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain (Almería)Department of Bacteriology, National Microbiology Centre, Carlos III Institute of Health, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain (Jado, Anda)Centre for Research on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies and Emergent Diseases, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain (Monleón, Badiola)
| | - Sonia Almería
- Centre for Research in Agrotechnology, Animal Production Department, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain (Serrano-Pérez, Tutusaus, Garcia-Ispierto, López-Gatius)Centre for Research on Animal Health, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain (Almería)Department of Bacteriology, National Microbiology Centre, Carlos III Institute of Health, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain (Jado, Anda)Centre for Research on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies and Emergent Diseases, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain (Monleón, Badiola)
| | - Joan Tutusaus
- Centre for Research in Agrotechnology, Animal Production Department, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain (Serrano-Pérez, Tutusaus, Garcia-Ispierto, López-Gatius)Centre for Research on Animal Health, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain (Almería)Department of Bacteriology, National Microbiology Centre, Carlos III Institute of Health, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain (Jado, Anda)Centre for Research on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies and Emergent Diseases, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain (Monleón, Badiola)
| | - Isabel Jado
- Centre for Research in Agrotechnology, Animal Production Department, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain (Serrano-Pérez, Tutusaus, Garcia-Ispierto, López-Gatius)Centre for Research on Animal Health, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain (Almería)Department of Bacteriology, National Microbiology Centre, Carlos III Institute of Health, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain (Jado, Anda)Centre for Research on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies and Emergent Diseases, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain (Monleón, Badiola)
| | - Pedro Anda
- Centre for Research in Agrotechnology, Animal Production Department, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain (Serrano-Pérez, Tutusaus, Garcia-Ispierto, López-Gatius)Centre for Research on Animal Health, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain (Almería)Department of Bacteriology, National Microbiology Centre, Carlos III Institute of Health, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain (Jado, Anda)Centre for Research on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies and Emergent Diseases, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain (Monleón, Badiola)
| | - Eva Monleón
- Centre for Research in Agrotechnology, Animal Production Department, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain (Serrano-Pérez, Tutusaus, Garcia-Ispierto, López-Gatius)Centre for Research on Animal Health, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain (Almería)Department of Bacteriology, National Microbiology Centre, Carlos III Institute of Health, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain (Jado, Anda)Centre for Research on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies and Emergent Diseases, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain (Monleón, Badiola)
| | - Juan Badiola
- Centre for Research in Agrotechnology, Animal Production Department, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain (Serrano-Pérez, Tutusaus, Garcia-Ispierto, López-Gatius)Centre for Research on Animal Health, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain (Almería)Department of Bacteriology, National Microbiology Centre, Carlos III Institute of Health, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain (Jado, Anda)Centre for Research on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies and Emergent Diseases, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain (Monleón, Badiola)
| | - Irina Garcia-Ispierto
- Centre for Research in Agrotechnology, Animal Production Department, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain (Serrano-Pérez, Tutusaus, Garcia-Ispierto, López-Gatius)Centre for Research on Animal Health, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain (Almería)Department of Bacteriology, National Microbiology Centre, Carlos III Institute of Health, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain (Jado, Anda)Centre for Research on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies and Emergent Diseases, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain (Monleón, Badiola)
| | - Fernando López-Gatius
- Centre for Research in Agrotechnology, Animal Production Department, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain (Serrano-Pérez, Tutusaus, Garcia-Ispierto, López-Gatius)Centre for Research on Animal Health, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain (Almería)Department of Bacteriology, National Microbiology Centre, Carlos III Institute of Health, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain (Jado, Anda)Centre for Research on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies and Emergent Diseases, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain (Monleón, Badiola)
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21
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Almería S, Serrano-Pérez B, Darwich L, Araujo RN, Lopez-Gatius F, Dubey JP, Gasbarre LC. Maternal and fetal immune response patterns in heifers experimentally infected with Neospora caninum in the second trimester of pregnancy--a descriptive study. Vet Parasitol 2014; 204:146-52. [PMID: 24880649 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2014.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2014] [Revised: 04/11/2014] [Accepted: 05/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Fetal and maternal immune responses 3, 6 and 9 weeks post infection (wpi) were investigated in cows experimentally infected with Neospora caninum on day 110 of gestation. Descriptive analysis showed that the fetuses had lower percentages of spleen T cell subpopulations (CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+) at 6 wpi compared to 3 wpi and/or 9 wpi, with the lowest percentages observed in a dead fetus found upon euthanasia at that time. Increased expression of most cytokines over levels recorded at 3 and 9 wpi were found in fetuses that were alive at 6 wpi. Up-regulated Th1, Th2 and Treg expression was also observed at 6 wpi in the spleen and in the lymph nodes draining the placenta of the cows. At the placental level, while most cytokines were down-regulated from 6 wpi, up-regulation of IL-4 expression was observed at 6 wpi in the caruncle. Our results suggest that the immune response at 6 wpi was crucial for fetal survival in this model of bovine neosporosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Almería
- Departament de Sanitat i d'Anatomia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària and Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | | | - L Darwich
- Departament de Sanitat i d'Anatomia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària and Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - R N Araujo
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, ICB, Bloco I4, Sala 177, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | | | - J P Dubey
- Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - L C Gasbarre
- Bovine Functional Genomic Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
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Serrano-Pérez B, Garcia-Ispierto I, de Sousa NM, Beckers JF, Almería S, López-Gatius F. Gamma interferon production and plasma concentrations of pregnancy-associated glycoproteins 1 and 2 in gestating dairy cows naturally infected with Neospora caninum. Reprod Domest Anim 2014; 49:275-80. [PMID: 24456132 DOI: 10.1111/rda.12267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2013] [Accepted: 11/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Gamma interferon (IFN-γ) production and cross-breed pregnancy have been attributed a role in protecting dairy cows infected with Neospora caninum against abortion. Plasma levels of pregnancy-associated glycoproteins-1 (PAG-1) are a marker of placental/foetal well-being and of PAG-2 is an abortion risk indicator in chronically N. caninum-infected animals. The present study examines, in cross-breed pregnancies, interactions between IFN-γ production and levels of PAG-1 and PAG-2 in non-aborting naturally Neospora-infected dairy cows. Data were obtained from 60 pregnant Holstein-Friesian cows: 44 Neospora-seropositive and 16 Neospora-seronegative; 12 became pregnant using Holstein-Friesian semen and 48 using Limousin semen. Blood samples were collected on Days 40, 90, 120, 150, 180 and 210 of gestation. Gamma interferon was only detected in the plasma of nine of the 44 Neospora-seropositive cows, all of them became pregnant using Limousin semen. Through GLM procedures, in cows inseminated with Limousin semen and Neospora-seropositive cows showing no IFN-γ production, PAG-1 concentrations were high and increased throughout gestation compared to the levels detected in cows inseminated with Holstein-Friesian semen and Neospora-seropositive cows producing IFN-γ, respectively. In Neospora-seronegative cows and in Neospora-seropositive cows showing no IFN-γ production, significantly increased PAG-2 concentrations were observed on gestation Day 120. Our findings indicate that IFN-γ production correlates negatively and the production of antibodies against N. caninum is uncorrelated with plasma PAG concentrations during gestation in Neospora-infected dairy cows. Accordingly, IFN-γ production could be linked to the transplacental migration of tachyzoites, which may cause a reduction in PAG levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Serrano-Pérez
- Department of Animal Production, Agrotecnio Center, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain
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23
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Tutusaus J, López-Gatius F, Almería S, Serrano B, Monleón E, José Badiola J, García-Ispierto I. No detectable precolostral antibody response in calves born from cows with cotyledons positive for Coxiella burnetii by quantitative PCR. Acta Vet Hung 2013; 61:432-41. [PMID: 23974927 DOI: 10.1556/avet.2013.026] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Samples from 45 dams (milk/colostrum, faeces, vaginal fluid and blood on days 171-177 of gestation and at parturition, and cotyledons at parturition) and their calves (blood collected before colostrum intake and weekly until days 29-35) were analysed to examine the vertical transmission of Coxiella burnetii and links between shedding and seropositivity. All calves were born C. burnetii seronegative. Only those born to seropositive dams seroconverted following colostrum intake. Logistic regression analyses indicated that the likelihood of dam seropositivity was 21 and 4.85 times higher for multiparous than for primiparous (65.6% vs. 8.3%, P = 0.006) and for prepartum shedding cows (75% vs. 38.2%, P = 0.03) compared to the remaining animals, respectively. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate no detectable precolostral antibody response in calves born from dams with cotyledons positive for C. burnetii by qPCR. In order to analyse the possibility of persistent infection due to immunotolerance to an early in utero infection, further studies will need to test for C. burnetii DNA. In addition, in the present study multiparous cows showed a significantly higher seroprevalence than primiparous cows and heifers, colostral antibodies were efficiently transferred to newborn calves, and there was a link between bacterial shedding on days 171-177 of gestation and Coxiella seropositivity of the dam.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan Tutusaus
- 1 University of Lleida Centre for Research into Animal Production Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191 25198 Lleida Spain
| | - Fernando López-Gatius
- 1 University of Lleida Centre for Research into Animal Production Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191 25198 Lleida Spain
| | - Sonia Almería
- 2 Autonomous University of Barcelona Department of Anatomy and Animal Health, and Animal Health Research Center (CReSA) Barcelona Spain
| | - Beatriz Serrano
- 1 University of Lleida Centre for Research into Animal Production Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191 25198 Lleida Spain
| | - Eva Monleón
- 3 University of Zaragoza Centre for Research on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies and Emergent Diseases Zaragoza Spain
| | - Juan José Badiola
- 3 University of Zaragoza Centre for Research on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies and Emergent Diseases Zaragoza Spain
| | - Irina García-Ispierto
- 1 University of Lleida Centre for Research into Animal Production Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191 25198 Lleida Spain
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Millán J, Chirife AD, Kalema-Zikusoka G, Cabezón O, Muro J, Marco I, Cliquet F, León-Vizcaíno L, Wasniewski M, Almería S, Mugisha L. Serosurvey of dogs for human, livestock, and wildlife pathogens, Uganda. Emerg Infect Dis 2013; 19:680-2. [PMID: 23750507 PMCID: PMC3647413 DOI: 10.3201/eid1904.121143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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González-Barrio D, Almería S, Caro MR, Salinas J, Ortiz JA, Gortázar C, Ruiz-Fons F. Coxiella burnetiiShedding by Farmed Red Deer (Cervus elaphus). Transbound Emerg Dis 2013; 62:572-4. [DOI: 10.1111/tbed.12179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- D. González-Barrio
- Health and Biotechnology (SaBio) Group; Spanish National Wildlife Research Institute IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM); Ciudad Real Spain
| | - S. Almería
- Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animals; Facultat de Medicina Veterinaria; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Barcelona Spain
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CreSA); UAB-IRTA; Barcelona Spain
| | - M. R. Caro
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal; Facultad de Veterinaria; Universidad de Murcia; Murcia Spain
| | - J. Salinas
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal; Facultad de Veterinaria; Universidad de Murcia; Murcia Spain
| | | | - C. Gortázar
- Health and Biotechnology (SaBio) Group; Spanish National Wildlife Research Institute IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM); Ciudad Real Spain
| | - F. Ruiz-Fons
- Health and Biotechnology (SaBio) Group; Spanish National Wildlife Research Institute IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM); Ciudad Real Spain
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Abstract
Bovine neosporosis caused by Neospora caninum is among the main causes of abortion in cattle nowadays. At present there is no effective treatment or vaccine. Serological evidence in domestic, wild, and zoo animals indicates that many species have been exposed to this parasite. However, many aspects of the life cycle of N. caninum are unknown and the role of wildlife in the life cycle of N. caninum is still not completely elucidated. In North America, there are data consistent with a sylvatic cycle involving white tailed-deer and canids and in Australia a plausible sylvatic cycle could be occurring between wild dogs and their macropod preys. In Europe, a similar sylvatic cycle has not been established but is very likely. The present review is a comprehensive and up to date summary of the current knowledge on the sylvatic cycle of N. caninum, species affected and their geographical distribution. These findings could have important implications in both sylvatic and domestic cycles since infected wildlife may influence the prevalence of infection in cattle farms in the same areas. Wildlife will need to be taken into account in the control measures to reduce the economical losses associated with this important disease in cattle farms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Almería
- Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animals and Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CreSA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
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Abstract
Neospora caninum is a protozoan parasite with a wide host range but with a preference for cattle and dogs. Since the description of N. caninum as a new genus and species in 1988, bovine neosporosis has become a disease of international concern as it is among the main causes of abortion in cattle. At present there is no effective treatment or vaccine. This review focuses on the epidemiology of the disease and on prospects for its control in cattle. Finally, based on the implications of clinical findings reported to date, a set of recommendations is provided for veterinarians and cattle farmers.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Almería
- Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animals and Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CreSA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona-IRTA, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
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Fernández-Aguilar X, Alzaga V, Villanúa D, Cabezón O, García-Bocanegra I, Dubey JP, Almería S. Epidemiology and prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in the Iberian hare (Lepus granatensis). Vet Parasitol 2013; 196:194-8. [PMID: 23462253 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2013.01.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2012] [Revised: 01/14/2013] [Accepted: 01/16/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Hares are important game species in Europe and their meat is consumed by humans. Toxoplasmosis is an important cause of mortality in hares in Nordic countries but little is known of Toxoplasma gondii infection in the Iberian hare (Lepus granatensis). Sera from 298 Iberian hares from Navarra (North Spain) were assayed for antibodies against T. gondii by the modified agglutination test. The samples were collected at necropsy during three consecutive years (2009-2011). Titers of 1:25 and higher were found in 34 hares (11.4%; CI95%: 7.8-14.9). Significant differences in seroprevalence were observed among geographical areas, years of sampling and age groups. The highest seroprevalence and the highest titers were observed in 2009, indicating fluctuating rates of transmission. Significantly higher seroprevalence was observed in the juvenile age group compared to the adult hare group. More than 40% of juvenile hares were seropositive the first year of study, seroprevalence drastically decreased in the juvenile animals sampled in the second year and was negligible in those sampled in the third year in this group. No clinical cases were detected in the study area and T. gondii was not detected by PCR in the liver of the 34 seropositive hares tested. These data may indicate that most juvenile seropositive hares did not survive as adults in the consecutive year or that there is a short-term humoral immune response against T. gondii in Iberian hares.
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Affiliation(s)
- X Fernández-Aguilar
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinaria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
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García-Bocanegra I, Arenas-Montes A, Hernández E, Adaszek Ł, Carbonero A, Almería S, Jaén-Téllez JA, Gutiérrez-Palomino P, Arenas A. Seroprevalence and risk factors associated with Babesia caballi and Theileria equi infection in equids. Vet J 2013; 195:172-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2012.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2012] [Revised: 06/08/2012] [Accepted: 06/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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García-Ispierto I, Almería S, Serrano B, de Sousa NM, Beckers JF, López-Gatius F. Plasma concentrations of pregnancy-associated glycoproteins measured using anti-bovine PAG-2 antibodies on day 120 of gestation predict abortion in dairy cows naturally infected with Neospora caninum. Reprod Domest Anim 2012; 48:613-8. [PMID: 23228018 DOI: 10.1111/rda.12134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2012] [Accepted: 11/07/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The present study sought to determine: (i) the effects of Neospora caninum infection and twin pregnancy on plasma pregnancy-associated glycoprotein-2 (PAG-2) concentrations throughout pregnancy and (ii) whether plasma PAG-2 concentrations could predict abortion in N. caninum-infected cows. The study was performed on a commercial Holstein-Friesian dairy herd in northeastern Spain and the final data included those recorded in 53 non-aborting and 19 aborting animals. Blood samples were collected immediately before pregnancy diagnosis (on Days 40, 90, 120, 150, 180 and 210 post-insemination) in non-aborting cows or until the time of abortion detection in aborting cows. General lineal models (GLM) repeated measures anova revealed the different behaviour of PAG-1 and PAG-2, and significant effects of Neospora seropositivity, cool season and twin pregnancy on plasma PAG-2 concentrations throughout gestation (between-subject effects). In addition, based on the odds ratios, the likelihood of abortion increased in Neospora-seropositive cows (by a factor of 7.0) compared to seronegative animals and decreased in cows with a high plasma PAG-2 concentration (>4.5 ng/ml) on Day 120 of pregnancy (by a factor of 0.24), compared to the remaining cows. In conclusion, there is a relationship between plasma PAG-2 concentrations and the risk of abortion in Neospora-infected dairy cows. Thus, plasma PAG concentrations measured using anti-boPAG-2 antiserum on Day 120 of gestation could serve as an indicator of the abortion risk in N. caninum infected animals; values <4.5 ng/ml indicating a high risk of abortion in chronically infected animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- I García-Ispierto
- Department of Animal Production, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain.
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Molina-López R, Cabezón O, Pabón M, Darwich L, Obón E, Lopez-Gatius F, Dubey J, Almería S. High seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in the Common raven (Corvus corax) in the Northeast of Spain. Res Vet Sci 2012; 93:300-2. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2011.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2011] [Revised: 05/05/2011] [Accepted: 05/12/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Nogareda C, Almería S, Serrano B, García-Ispierto I, López-Gatius F. Dynamics of Coxiella burnetii antibodies and seroconversion in a dairy cow herd with endemic infection and excreting high numbers of the bacterium in the bulk tank milk. Res Vet Sci 2012; 93:1211-2. [PMID: 22475008 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2012.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [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: 10/28/2011] [Revised: 03/03/2012] [Accepted: 03/11/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Possible factors related to seropositivity and seroconversion to Coxiella burnetii were examined in a dairy herd with a high Coxiella-seroprevalence and high excretion levels of the bacterium in the bulk tank milk. Antibodies were detected by using a commercial ELISA test in 50.7% of 603 parous cows. The likelihood of C. burnetii seropositivity significantly increased by factors of 1.87 and 1.61 for cows in their first and second terms of pregnancy, respectively, compared to non-pregnant cows. In 478 cows tested twice 12 months apart, the seroconversion rate was 5%. The likelihood of C. burnetii-seroconversion was 2.27 times lower in multiparous than in primiparous cows and 6.88 times higher in cows during their first 90 days in milk than dry-off cows. Our findings indicated a higher seroprevalence in the first and second terms of pregnancy, and that seroconversion mainly occurred in primiparous cows during their first 90 days in milk.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Nogareda
- Department of Animal Production and Animal Production Research Center (CIPA), University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain
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Abdelfatah-Hassan A, Almería S, Serrano B, de Sousa N, Beckers J, López-Gatius F. The inseminating bull and plasma pregnancy-associated glycoprotein (PAG) levels were related to peripheral leukocyte counts during the late pregnancy/early postpartum period in high-producing dairy cows. Theriogenology 2012; 77:1390-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2011.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2011] [Revised: 10/24/2011] [Accepted: 11/03/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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García-Bocanegra I, Cabezón O, Arenas-Montes A, Carbonero A, Dubey JP, Perea A, Almería S. Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in equids from Southern Spain. Parasitol Int 2012; 61:421-4. [PMID: 22366344 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2012.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2011] [Revised: 02/09/2012] [Accepted: 02/11/2012] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii were determined in serum samples from 616 equids (454 horses, 80 mules and 82 donkeys) in a cross-sectional study of 420 herds in Andalusia (Southern Spain), the region with the highest number of equids in Spain. Antibodies to T. gondii were found in 10.8% horses, 15.0% mules and 25.6% donkeys by using the modified agglutination test (MAT) at a cut-off of 1:25. Herd seroprevalence for horses, mules and donkeys was 14.7% (48/327), 23.9% (11/46) and 34.0% (16/47), respectively, and 75 herds (17.8%) had at least one seropositive animal. Significant differences in T. gondii seroprevalence were observed among species, with donkeys having the highest seroprevalence and horses the lowest (P=0.04). Seroprevalence was significantly higher in herds with presence of domestic ruminants. This study is the first report of the presence of T. gondii antibodies in equine species in Spain and the first reporting T. gondii infection in donkeys in Europe. The presence of antibodies is indication of contact with the parasite and therefore, consumption of equine meat could be a potential source of human infection in Spain.
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Affiliation(s)
- I García-Bocanegra
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Córdoba-Agrifood Excellence International Campus (ceiA3), Córdoba, Spain.
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García-Bocanegra I, Cabezón O, Pabón M, Gómez-Guillamón F, Arenas A, Alcaide E, Salas-Vega R, Dubey J, Almería S. Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum antibodies in Spanish ibex (Capra pyrenaica hispanica). Vet J 2012; 191:257-60. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2010.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2010] [Revised: 11/04/2010] [Accepted: 11/13/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Cabezón O, García-Bocanegra I, Molina-López R, Marco I, Blanco JM, Höfle U, Margalida A, Bach-Raich E, Darwich L, Echeverría I, Obón E, Hernández M, Lavín S, Dubey JP, Almería S. Seropositivity and risk factors associated with Toxoplasma gondii infection in wild birds from Spain. PLoS One 2011; 6:e29549. [PMID: 22216311 PMCID: PMC3245288 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0029549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [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: 10/14/2011] [Accepted: 11/30/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic intracellular protozoan parasite of worldwide distribution that infects many species of warm-blooded animals, including birds. To date, there is scant information about the seropositivity of T. gondii and the risk factors associated with T. gondii infection in wild bird populations. In the present study, T. gondii infection was evaluated on sera obtained from 1079 wild birds belonging to 56 species (including Falconiformes (n=610), Strigiformes (n=260), Ciconiiformes (n=156), Gruiformes (n=21), and other orders (n=32), from different areas of Spain. Antibodies to T. gondii (modified agglutination test, MAT titer ≥1:25) were found in 282 (26.1%, IC(95%:)23.5-28.7) of the 1079 birds. This study constitute the first extensive survey in wild birds species in Spain and reports for the first time T. gondii antibodies in the griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus), short-toed snake-eagle (Circaetus gallicus), Bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasciata), golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), osprey (Pandion haliaetus), Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus), Western marsh-harrier (Circus aeruginosus), peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), long-eared owl (Asio otus), common scops owl (Otus scops), Eurasian spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia), white stork (Ciconia ciconia), grey heron (Ardea cinerea), common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus); in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) "vulnerable" Spanish imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti), lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) and great bustard (Otis tarda); and in the IUCN "near threatened" red kite (Milvus milvus). The highest seropositivity by species was observed in the Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo) (68.1%, 98 of 144). The main risk factors associated with T. gondii seropositivity in wild birds were age and diet, with the highest exposure in older animals and in carnivorous wild birds. The results showed that T. gondii infection is widespread and can be at a high level in many wild birds in Spain, most likely related to their feeding behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Cabezón
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinaria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
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Almería S, Araujo RN, Darwich L, Dubey JP, Gasbarre LC. Cytokine gene expression at the materno-foetal interface after experimental Neospora caninum infection of heifers at 110 days of gestation. Parasite Immunol 2011; 33:517-23. [PMID: 21711362 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3024.2011.01307.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Neospora caninum is a major cause of abortion in cattle, but the reasons why only some animals abort remain unclear. The immunological control of the parasite in the placenta or by the foetus could be the key to determining the mechanism of abortion and/or transplacental transmission to the foetus. In this study, cytokine gene expression, analysed by real-time RT-PCR, at the maternal (caruncle) and foetal placenta (cotyledon) of heifers infected at 110 days of gestation by intravenous inoculation of N. caninum tachyzoites was compared with the responses in uninfected heifers. Animals were euthanized 3 weeks after infection. Upregulated Th1, Th2 and T-regulatory (Treg) cytokine gene expression was observed in both the maternal and the foetal placenta in the infected group. In the caruncle of infected animals, the main changes included upregulation of IFN-γ, IL-12p40, IL-6 and IL-10. In the cotyledon, the main changes included upregulation of IFN-γ and downregulation of TGF-β, being the later the only cytokine downregulated in the infected group. The observed cytokine expression pattern was associated with alive but transplacentally infected foetuses, suggesting that such cytokine pattern is beneficial to foetal survival, but could have a role in the transplacental transmission of the parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Almería
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), UAB-IRTA, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
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Almería S, Serrano B, Yàniz JL, Darwich L, López-Gatius F. Cytokine gene expression profiles in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from Neospora caninum naturally infected dams throughout gestation. Vet Parasitol 2011; 183:237-43. [PMID: 21846584 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2011.07.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2011] [Revised: 07/13/2011] [Accepted: 07/21/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Neospora caninum is a major cause of abortion in cattle but it is not known why some infected animals suffer abortion while others do not. An essential role in protective immunity against N. caninum has been proposed for Th1 cytokines such as IFN-γ and IL-12 although cytokine patterns in N. caninum infected pregnant cattle have been scarcely addressed. In this study, gene expression of the cytokines IFN-γ, IL-12, IL-10, IL-4 and TNF-α was analyzed by real time RT-PCR in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in N. caninum naturally infected dams throughout pregnancy. Blood samples were drawn from 18 cows (13 N. caninum seropositive and 5 N. caninum seronegative) on Days 45, 90, 120, 150, 180 and 210 of pregnancy or until abortion. Four seropositive animals aborted. Compared to the seronegative animals, N. caninum infected dams showed up-regulated mRNA levels of the Th1 cytokines, IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-12p40, along with up-regulation of the T regulatory (Treg) cytokine IL-10. In contrast, expression levels of IL-4 (Th2 cytokine) did not differ significantly among the different groups throughout the study period. Our findings indicate clear differences in peripheral blood cytokine gene expression levels during pregnancy between animals naturally infected with N. caninum and seronegative control animals. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the gene expression of Th1, Th2 and regulatory cytokines in the peripheral blood of pregnant cows naturally infected with N. caninum.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Almería
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), UAB-IRTA, Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
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Santolaria P, Almería S, Martínez-Bello D, Nogareda C, Mezo M, Gonzalez-Warleta M, Castro-Hermida J, Pabón M, Yániz J, López-Gatius F. Different humoral mechanisms against Neospora caninum infection in purebreed and crossbreed beef/dairy cattle pregnancies. Vet Parasitol 2011; 178:70-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2010] [Revised: 12/04/2010] [Accepted: 12/09/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Garcia-Ispierto I, Almería S, López-Gatius F. Coxiella burnetii seropositivity is highly stable throughout gestation in lactating high-producing dairy cows. Reprod Domest Anim 2011; 46:1067-72. [PMID: 21507080 DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0531.2011.01788.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The aims of this study were to analyse, in high-producing dairy cows, plasma Coxiella burnetii antibody titres and seroconversion throughout gestation, along with possible factors affecting such titres. The study was performed on 65 lactating pregnant non-aborting animals in a commercial Holstein-Friesian dairy herd in northeastern Spain. Blood samples for antibody determinations were collected on days 40, 90, 120, 150, 180 and 210 of gestation. By General Linear Model (GLM) repeated measures analysis of variance, the effects of milk production and reproductive variables as well as Neospora caninum-seropositivity on C. burnetii antibody levels for all animals and for seropositive animals were established. Significant effects were observed of day of gestation, parity and N. caninum-seropositivity (between subject effects) on the C. burnetii antibody levels recorded for the whole population of animals throughout the gestation period. C. burnetii antibody levels were higher in primiparous than in multiparous cows, with titres in primiparous cows diminishing during the post-partum period. In seropositive cows, significant effects were observed of milk production and inseminating bull on gestational C. burnetii antibody levels. When the data were subjected to binary logistic regression considering C. burnetii-seropositivity as the dependent variable, the resultant odds ratios indicated that the likelihood of C. burnetii-seropositivity was lower in N. caninum-seropositive animals (OR 0.12) compared to N. caninum-seronegative animals, and in multiparous cows (OR 0.12) compared to primiparous cows. In conclusion, Coxiella-infected dams remained seropositive during the whole gestation period, though primiparous cows showed a drop in antibody titres post-partum. No seronegative cow suffered seroconversion. Presence of both, N. caninum and C. burnetii antibodies in the same animal, was associated with a decrease in antibody titres against C. burnetii, perhaps indicating some cross-protection in animals infected by both pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Garcia-Ispierto
- Department of Animal Production. University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain.
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41
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García-Bocanegra I, Simon-Grifé M, Dubey JP, Casal J, Martín GE, Cabezón O, Perea A, Almería S. Seroprevalence and risk factors associated with Toxoplasma gondii in domestic pigs from Spain. Parasitol Int 2010; 59:421-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2010.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2010] [Revised: 06/02/2010] [Accepted: 06/02/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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42
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Serrano B, Almería S, García-Ispierto I, Yániz JL, Abdelfattah-Hassan A, López-Gatius F. Peripheral white blood cell counts throughout pregnancy in non-aborting Neospora caninum-seronegative and seropositive high-producing dairy cows in a Holstein Friesian herd. Res Vet Sci 2010; 90:457-62. [PMID: 20801467 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2010.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2010] [Revised: 07/11/2010] [Accepted: 07/20/2010] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Pregnancy is characterized by transient changes in the maternal immune system, also evident at peripheral level. The present study analyzes the kinetics and possible factors affecting peripheral white blood cell populations throughout pregnancy in a herd of high-producing dairy cows chronically infected or not with Neospora caninum. We examined 54 pregnant parous cows: 29 Neospora-seronegative and 25 Neospora-seropositive cows. Blood samples were collected on Days 90, 120, 150, 180 and 210 of gestation. General Linear Model (GLM) repeated measures analysis of variance showed that the interaction Neospora-seropositivity × parity significantly affected total leukocyte, neutrophil and monocyte counts with lower levels of total leukocytes, lower neutrophil and higher monocyte counts recorded in primiparous Neospora-seropositive cows. In addition, N. caninum-seropositive cows had significantly increased monocyte counts on Day 180 of gestation compared to seronegative ones. Other factors significantly associated with changes in total and/or differential leukocyte profiles were period of pregnancy, season, twin pregnancy and milk production. In conclusion, a parity-associated effect of chronic N. caninum infection was observed on peripheral blood cell profiles in dairy cattle during gestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Serrano
- Department of Animal Production, University of Lleida, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agraria, Lleida, Spain.
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Cabezón O, Millán J, Gomis M, Dubey JP, Ferroglio E, Almería S. Kennel dogs as sentinels of Leishmania infantum, Toxoplasma gondii, and Neospora caninum in Majorca Island, Spain. Parasitol Res 2010; 107:1505-8. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-010-2015-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2010] [Accepted: 07/23/2010] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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García-Bocanegra I, Dubey J, Simon-Grifé M, Cabezón O, Casal J, Allepuz A, Napp S, Almería S. Seroprevalence and risk factors associated with Toxoplasma gondii infection in pig farms from Catalonia, north-eastern Spain. Res Vet Sci 2010; 89:85-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2010.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2009] [Revised: 12/17/2009] [Accepted: 01/29/2010] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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García-Bocanegra I, Simon-Grifé M, Sibila M, Dubey JP, Cabezón O, Martín G, Almería S. Duration of maternally derived antibodies in Toxoplasma gondii naturally infected piglets. Vet Parasitol 2010; 170:134-6. [PMID: 20189311 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.01.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2009] [Revised: 01/04/2010] [Accepted: 01/27/2010] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
A longitudinal study was performed to analyze the dynamics of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in naturally infected piglets from 1 to 25 weeks of age. Seventy-three piglets from 20 seronegative sows (modified agglutination test, MAT <1:25) and 20 naturally infected T. gondii seropositive sows (MAT >or=1:25) were analyzed at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 22 and 25 weeks of age. Twenty-six of the 73 piglets analyzed (35.6%; CI 95%: 25.5-45.7) were seropositive at some point during the study. Seroprevalence in piglets at 1 and 3 weeks of age was significantly higher in animals born from seropositive sows (P<0.001 and P=0.02, respectively) as an indication of maternally derived antibodies. The longest persistence (up to 6 weeks of age) was observed in piglets whose dam had high T. gondii antibody level (MAT >or=1:500), while persistence of maternally derived antibodies in the piglets born from sows with low antibody titers (maximum 1:50) was shorter and lasted only up to 3 weeks of age, when the piglets were weaned. The risk of horizontal transmission in piglets increased with age and was higher in piglets during the finishing period. The present results indicate that the decline of T. gondii maternally derived antibodies in naturally infected piglets is associated with the titers of their dams.
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Affiliation(s)
- I García-Bocanegra
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, UCO, Campus Universitarios de Rabanales, Apdo. 14071, Córdoba, Spain
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Almería S, Araujo R, Tuo W, López-Gatius F, Dubey JP, Gasbarre LC. Fetal death in cows experimentally infected with Neospora caninum at 110 days of gestation. Vet Parasitol 2010; 169:304-11. [PMID: 20089361 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2009.12.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2009] [Revised: 12/16/2009] [Accepted: 12/30/2009] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Neospora caninum is a major cause of abortion in cattle, but the reasons why some animals abort and not others remain unclear. Most of the N. caninum experimental primary infections in cattle late in gestation, after 120 days of pregnancy, result in birth of full-term congenitally infected fetuses. In the present study, the distribution of parasites and pathogenesis of infection in both dams and fetuses after inoculation with 10(7) culture derived tachyzoites of N. caninum NC-Illinois cattle strain at 110 days of gestation were analyzed at 3 weeks, 6 weeks and 9 weeks after infection (WAI) in eight Angus heifers. One dam from the group euthanized at 6 WAI had a dead fetus at necropsy. Extensive lesions were observed in the placenta and tachyzoites were detected in both the placenta and the fetus. The fetus was seropositive and had high IFN-gamma g production in fetal fluids. Another fetus, still alive when euthanized at 3 WAI, had severe lesions and high IFN-gamma production and a similar fate could have been expected if the experimental period would have been longer. Lesions in the placenta of the remaining six dams that had live fetuses at necropsy were mild. In those dams, the fetal and maternal placentas had not separated and contained focal areas of placentitis at the materno-fetal junction. Transplacental infection took place on all fetuses based on detection of parasitic DNA in fetal tissues. The present study shows that experimental N. caninum infection of naïve dams after 110 days of pregnancy can lead to fetal death. The results suggest that the severity of placental lesions and the strong IFN-gamma response in some fetuses, possibly as part of the immune response trying to control the high parasitemia, might, in fact, be the cause of their death.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Almería
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), UAB-IRTA, and Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
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Almería S, Adelantado C, Charlier J, Claerebout E, Bach A. Ostertagia ostertagi antibodies in milk samples: Relationships with herd management and milk production parameters in two Mediterranean production systems of Spain. Res Vet Sci 2009; 87:416-20. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2009.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2009] [Revised: 03/25/2009] [Accepted: 05/01/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Serrano B, López-Gatius F, Santolaria P, Almería S, García-Ispierto I, Bech-Sabat G, Sulon J, de Sousa NM, Beckers JF, Yániz JL. Factors affecting plasma pregnancy-associated glycoprotein 1 concentrations throughout gestation in high-producing dairy cows. Reprod Domest Anim 2009; 44:600-5. [PMID: 18992084 DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0531.2007.01025.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
This study was designed to establish the factors, if any, which could affect plasma pregnancy-associated glycoprotein-1 (PAG-1) expression in a study population of 87 pregnant, high-producing dairy cows. The factors examined were: semen providing breed (Holstein-Friesian vs Limousin), outcome of gestation (male vs female newborn, and singleton vs twin pregnancies), lactation number, milk production at pregnancy diagnosis, plasma progesterone concentration, season of gestation (warm period, March-November vs cool period, December-February), and day of gestation (40, 90, 120, 150, 180 and 210). Pregnancy was diagnosed by transrectal ultrasound on day 40 post-insemination and by palpation per rectum on days 90, 120, 150, 180 and 210. Blood samples were collected from each animal immediately before each pregnancy diagnosis. The relative contributions of the different factors on PAG-1 concentrations were evaluated by GLM repeated measures analysis of variance. No significant effects of the herd, foetal sex, milk production, lactation number and plasma progesterone concentrations were observed. In contrast, twin pregnancy, the use of Limousin semen and conception during the cool period were correlated with significantly increased plasma PAG-1 concentrations throughout gestation. Our data indicate that both cow well-being during early placental development, determined in our conditions by reduced heat stress when conception occurred in the cool season, and crossbreed pregnancies lead to improved PAG-1 production throughout the gestation period.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Serrano
- Department of Animal Production, CITA, Zaragoza, Spain.
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Yániz J, López-Gatius F, Almería S, Carretero T, García-Ispierto I, Serrano B, Smith R, Dobson H, Santolaria P. Dynamics of heat shock protein 70 concentrations in peripheral blood lymphocyte lysates during pregnancy in lactating Holstein-Friesian cows. Theriogenology 2009; 72:1041-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2009.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2009] [Revised: 06/08/2009] [Accepted: 06/24/2009] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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García-Bocanegra I, Dubey JP, Martínez F, Vargas A, Cabezón O, Zorrilla I, Arenas A, Almería S. Factors affecting seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in the endangered Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus). Vet Parasitol 2009; 167:36-42. [PMID: 19879052 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2009.09.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2009] [Revised: 08/26/2009] [Accepted: 09/24/2009] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Wild felids are considered important in maintaining the sylvatic cycle of Toxoplasma gondii. Although, T. gondii antibodies have been reported in several species of wild felids, little is known of the epidemiology and risk factors associated with T. gondii infection in wild cats. The Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) is the most endangered felid species in the world. In the present study, seroprevalence and associated risk factors for T. gondii infection in a large population of Iberian lynx in Spain were determined. Serum samples from 129 Iberian lynx collected from 2005 to 2009 and 85 wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), sharing the habitat with the Iberian lynx, were tested for antibodies to T. gondii by the modified agglutination test (MAT) using a cut-off value of 1:25. Antibodies to T. gondii were found in 81 of 129 (62.8%) Iberian lynx. Seroprevalence to T. gondii in Iberian lynx significantly increased with age (P<0.001). T. gondii seroprevalences were similar in free-ranging (66.7% of 93) and wild-caught captive lynx (69% of 84) but significantly lower in captive-born lynx (22.5% of 40). Seroprevalence was higher in lynx with concurrent Cytauxzoonfelis (88% of 25) but not with concurrent Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) infection (53.8% of 13). There were no significant differences in seroprevalence between sexes, geographic region and year of sample collection (2005-2009). Oocysts of T. gondii were not detected microscopically in fecal samples from 58 lynx. Wild rabbits are considered the most important food for the lynx. Antibodies to T. gondii were found in 14 (11.9%) of 85 rabbits tested. The present results indicate that T. gondii infection is widespread in the two areas where Iberian lynx survive in Spain. The fact that four captive-born lynx seroconverted was indication of contact with T. gondii also in the Captive Breeding Centers, hence, control measures to prevent T. gondii infection would be necessary in these centers.
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Affiliation(s)
- I García-Bocanegra
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, UCO, Campus Universitarios de Rabanales, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
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