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Waap H, Volkart de Oliveira U, Nunes T, Gomes J, Gomes T, Bärwald A, Dias Munhoz A, Schares G. Serological survey of Neospora spp. and Besnoitia spp. in horses in Portugal. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports 2020; 20:100391. [PMID: 32448546 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2020.100391] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Equine neosporosis is regarded to be caused either by Neospora hughesi or Neospora caninum and equine besnoitiosis is caused by Besnoitia bennetti, both of which are apicomplexan parasites. N. caninum is the only known Neospora species in Europe, where equine N. caninum infections have been reported as being associated to abortion and reproductive failure. N. hughesi is prevalent in North America and was predominantly linked to neurological disorders. B. bennetti is considered an emergent disease in donkeys in North America and evidence for B. bennetti infection was recently reported in Europe. Though N. caninum and Besnoitia besnoiti are prevalent in cattle in Portugal, little is known about neosporosis in horses and, to the best of our knowledge, no information was hitherto available for Besnoitia spp. The aim of this study was thus to carry out a serological survey to determine the seroprevalence of these parasites in naturally exposed horses in Portugal. A total of 385 animals were screened by the Indirect Fluorescent Antibody Test at the cut-off value 1:50 and positive results were confirmed by Western blot. Exposure to Neospora spp. and Besnoitia spp. was confirmed in 9.1% (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 6.6-12.4%) and 0.3% (95% CI: 0.0-1.5%) of horses, respectively. Considering the putative economic and animal health impact of neosporosis in horses and the consequences of a possible spread of equine besnoitiosis in Europe and elsewhere, more comprehensive studies are needed to characterize the species detected in serological surveys, evaluate the geographical distribution and assess possible risk factors that could favor transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helga Waap
- Laboratório de Parasitologia, Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês 2780-157, Oeiras, Portugal; CIISA, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida da Universidade Técnica 1300-477, Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Uillians Volkart de Oliveira
- Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, 45662-900 Ilhéus, BA, Brazil; Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Aplicadas, Santo Antônio Monte, Itamaraju 45836-000, BA, Brazil
| | - Telmo Nunes
- CIISA, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida da Universidade Técnica 1300-477, Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Jacinto Gomes
- Laboratório de Parasitologia, Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês 2780-157, Oeiras, Portugal; CIISA, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida da Universidade Técnica 1300-477, Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Tiago Gomes
- Escola Profissional de Desenvolvimento Rural de Serpa, Herdade da Bemposta 7830-909, Serpa, Portugal
| | - Andrea Bärwald
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Institute of Epidemiology, 17493 Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany.
| | - Alexandre Dias Munhoz
- Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, 45662-900 Ilhéus, BA, Brazil.
| | - Gereon Schares
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Institute of Epidemiology, 17493 Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany.
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Villa L, Gazzonis AL, Álvarez-García G, Diezma-Díaz C, Zanzani SA, Manfredi MT. First detection of anti-Besnoitia spp. specific antibodies in horses and donkeys in Italy. Parasitol Int 2018; 67:640-643. [PMID: 29935266 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2018.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [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: 04/26/2018] [Revised: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Among Apicomplexa protozoa infecting equids, Besnoitia spp., Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora spp. represent important issues from a sanitary and zootechnical viewpoint. However, only scarce epidemiological data are available on the spread of the infections in horses and donkeys in Europe. Therefore, a serosurvey was planned to estimate the prevalence of these Sarcocystidae species in Italian equids. Serum samples from 268 horses and 18 donkeys raised in Italy were collected and serologically analyzed to detect anti-Besnoitia spp., anti-T. gondii and anti-Neospora spp. antibodies: an approach based on an initial screening by in-house ELISA followed by a confirmatory WB was used. Two horses (0.7%) and four donkeys (22.2%), showed antibodies anti-Besnoitia spp. Ten horses (3.7%) resulted positive to T. gondii and one of these (0.4%) was seropositive also to Neospora spp. This is the first detection of anti-Besnoitia spp. specific antibodies in Italian horses and donkeys. The study confirmed the circulation of Besnoitia spp. among equids in Europe. Low prevalence of T. gondii and Neospora spp. in horses raised in Italy was reported. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy to consider that consumption of horse meat could represent a source for human toxoplasmosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Villa
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, Italy.
| | - Alessia Libera Gazzonis
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, Italy.
| | - Gema Álvarez-García
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Carlos Diezma-Díaz
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Sergio Aurelio Zanzani
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, Italy.
| | - Maria Teresa Manfredi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, Italy.
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Gutiérrez-Expósito D, García-Bocanegra I, Howe DK, Arenas-Montes A, Yeargan MR, Ness SL, Ortega-Mora LM, Álvarez-García G. A serosurvey of selected cystogenic coccidia in Spanish equids: first detection of anti-Besnoitia spp. specific antibodies in Europe. BMC Vet Res 2017; 13:128. [PMID: 28490374 PMCID: PMC5424396 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-017-1046-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Equine besnoitiosis, caused by Besnoitia bennetti, and equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), caused by Sarcocystis neurona and Neospora hughesi are relevant equine diseases in the Americas that have been scarcely studied in Europe. Thus, a serosurvey of these cystogenic coccidia was carried out in Southern Spain. A cross-sectional study was performed and serum samples from horses (n = 553), donkeys (n = 85) and mules (n = 83) were included. An in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to identify a Besnoitia spp. infection and positive results were confirmed by an a posteriori western blot. For Neospora spp. and Sarcocystis spp., infections were detected using in-house ELISAs based on the parasite surface antigens N. hughesi rNhSAG1 and S. neurona rSnSAG2/3/4. Risk factors associated with these protozoan infections were also investigated. Results Antibodies against Besnoitia spp., Neospora spp. and Sarcocystis spp. infections were detected in 51 (7.1%), 46 (6.4%) and 20 (2.8%) of 721 equids, respectively. The principal risk factors associated with a higher seroprevalence of Besnoitia spp. were the host species (mule or donkey), the absence of shelter and the absence of a rodent control programme. The presence of rodents was the only risk factor for Neospora spp. infection. Conclusions This study was the first extensive serosurvey of Besnoitia spp. infection in European equids accomplished by two complementary tests and gives evidence of the presence of specific antibodies in these populations. However, the origin of the infection is still unclear. Further parasite detection and molecular genotyping are needed to identify the causative Besnoitia and Neospora species. Finally, cross-reactions with antibodies directed against other species of Sarcocystis might explain the positive reactions against the S. neurona antigens. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12917-017-1046-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Gutiérrez-Expósito
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio García-Bocanegra
- Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Cordoba-Agrifood Excellence International Campus (ceiA3), Cordoba, Spain
| | - Daniel K Howe
- Department of Veterinary Science, M.H. Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40546-0099, USA
| | - Antonio Arenas-Montes
- Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Cordoba-Agrifood Excellence International Campus (ceiA3), Cordoba, Spain
| | - Michelle R Yeargan
- Department of Veterinary Science, M.H. Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40546-0099, USA
| | - SallyAnne L Ness
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Box 52, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Luis M Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - G Álvarez-García
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
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Talafha AQ, Abutarbush SM, Rutley DL. Seroprevalence and Potential Risk Factors Associated with Neospora spp. Infection among Asymptomatic Horses in Jordan. Korean J Parasitol 2015; 53:163-7. [PMID: 25925174 PMCID: PMC4416377 DOI: 10.3347/kjp.2015.53.2.163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2014] [Revised: 01/19/2015] [Accepted: 01/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence and to identify risk factors associated with Neospora spp. infection in horses in Jordan. Management related data were collected from each farm and individual horses. Sera from 227 horses from 5 of 6 climatic regions in Jordan were analyzed for the presence of antibodies to Neospora spp. by ELISA kit. The study was performed during spring of 2010. The association between seropositivity and risk factors was analyzed. A total of 7 (3%) of 227 sera had antibodies for Neospora spp. There was a significant regional difference (P=0.018) between the 5 climatic regions. Positive cases were located in Amman and Irbid, while the other regions (Zarqa, Jordan Valley, and Wadi Mousa) had zero prevalence. The use of anthelmintics at least once a year resulted in a significant reduction of the seroprevalence to Neospora spp. (1.6% vs 9.8%). However, this might be a phenomenon by chance and a better hygiene since owners can invest in anthelmintics. Other risk factors such as age, gender, breed, usage, body condition score, grazing, presence of other animals mixed with the horses in the same property, and a history of previous diseases were not significantly associated with the seroprevalence to Neospora spp. infection. This is the first study to report on the presence of Neospora seropositive horses in Jordan. Further studies are warranted to better understand the role of certain risk factors in the transmission of Neospora spp. among horse population and to determine which Neospora spp. are responsible for the infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdelsalam Q Talafha
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid 22110, Jordan
| | - Sameeh M Abutarbush
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid 22110, Jordan
| | - David L Rutley
- School of Animal and Veterinary Science, The University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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Chiebao DP, Valadas SYOB, Minervino AHH, Castro V, Romaldini AHCN, Calhau AS, De Souza RAB, Gennari SM, Keid LB, Soares RM. Variables Associated with Infections of Cattle by Brucella abortus., Leptospira spp. and Neospora spp. in Amazon Region in Brazil. Transbound Emerg Dis 2013; 62:e30-6. [PMID: 26302373 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.12201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [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: 06/29/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The frequency of Neospora spp., Leptospira spp. and Brucella abortus infections in adult cattle was determined in herds of the State of Pará, Brazil, which is an important region for cattle production located in the Amazon region. A total of 3466 adult female cattle from 176 herds were tested, leading to a frequency of seropositive animals of 14.7%, 3.7% and 65.5% and a herd positivity of 87.4%, 41.3% and 98.8% for infections caused by Neospora spp., B. abortus and Leptospira spp., respectively. The five most frequently diagnosed serologic responses to Leptospira spp. were those against serovars hardjo, wolfii, grippotyphosa, hebdomadis and shermani. The following associations were found: practice of artificial insemination, large farm size, large herd size, large number of dogs and high number of total abortions per year with the presence of antibodies against serovar hardjo; positive results to serovar grippotyphosa with the presence of dogs; inappropriate disposal of aborted foetuses with positivity to serovar hebdomadis. Serovar grippotyphosa was also associated with number of episodes of abortions. Neospora spp. positive herds were associated with episodes of abortion and B. abortus infection with the disposal of dead animals and aborted foetuses on pastures and with the use of artificial insemination. In conclusion, the high frequency of brucellosis, leptospirosis and neosporosis in the region may be a consequence of social, natural and raising conditions as: (i) climate conditions that favour the survival and spread of pathogens in the environment; (ii) farms located in regions bordering forest areas; (iii) farms in areas of difficult access to the veterinary service; (iv) extensive beef herds raised at pastures with different age and productive groups inter-mingled; and (v) minimal concerns regarding hygiene practices and disease prevention measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- D P Chiebao
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - S Y O B Valadas
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - A H H Minervino
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - V Castro
- Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios, Instituto Biológico, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - A H C N Romaldini
- Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios, Instituto Biológico, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - A S Calhau
- Empresa Brasileira de Extensão Rural do Pará, Marituba, PA, Brasil
| | | | - S M Gennari
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - L B Keid
- Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos, Universidade de São Paulo, Pirassununga, SP, Brasil
| | - R M Soares
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
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Hosseini MH, Moraveji M, Tahamtan Y, Rahimian A, Mohammadi G, Namavari MM. Seroprevalence of Neospora spp. in Horses in North East of Iran. Iran J Parasitol 2011; 6:64-8. [PMID: 22347290 PMCID: PMC3279880] [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] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2010] [Accepted: 05/19/2011] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neospora caninum, an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite, is recognized as a major cause of abortion in cattle, while limited information is presently available on the seroprevalence of Neospora antibodies in horses' worldwide. The aim of the present study was to determine serologic prevalence of Neospora infection in horses in Iran. METHODS Sera from 150 horses from Mashhad suburb in Razavi Khorasan Province, northeast Iran were examined for antibodies to Neospora spp. using Neospora modified direct agglutination test (N-MAT). RESULTS Antibodies to this parasite were detected in 45 (30%) of the examined serum samples. Thirty four percent of the samples had titer of 1:40 while then reduced to 30% when 1:80 serum dilution was applied as significant cut off titer. CONCLUSION This study is the first investigation carried out on the Neospora in horses in Iran and indicates that horses in Iran are exposed to this parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- MH Hosseini
- Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Shiraz, Iran
| | - M Moraveji
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Y Tahamtan
- Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Shiraz, Iran
| | - A Rahimian
- Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Gh Mohammadi
- Department of Clinical study, School of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University, Mashhad, Iran
| | - MM Namavari
- Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Shiraz, Iran,Corresponding author:E-mail:
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