scholarly journals Current trends in bovine abortion in Argentina

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleonora L. Morrell ◽  
Carlos M. Campero ◽  
Germán J. Cantón ◽  
Anselmo C. Odeón ◽  
Dadín P. Moore ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT: Bovine abortion is an important cause of significant economic losses in beef and dairy herds. This syndrome is usually difficult to diagnose. The aim of this study was to characterize bovine abortion causes in Argentina by standard diagnosis procedures (histology, bacterial and viral isolation) and other diagnostic tests like direct fluorescent antibody test (DFAT), fetal serology, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and PCR, showing their specific advantages and limitations. Necropsies were performed in 150 aborted bovine fetuses submitted to the diagnostic laboratories of Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) Balcarce, Argentina. Etiological diagnosis was confirmed in 78 fetuses (52% of the cases). Most causes of abortion were of infectious origin, being Neospora caninum (14.67%), Campylobacter fetus sp. (9.33%), Leptospira spp. (7.33%) and Brucella abortus (6.65%) the main microorganisms identified. Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) and bovine herpes virus (BHV) were diagnosed in 2 (1.33%) and 3 (2%) cases, respectively. This study showed a better characterization of bovine abortion compared with previous researches done on this topic.

2012 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Na Yang ◽  
Xia Cui ◽  
Weifeng Qian ◽  
Shanshan Yu ◽  
Qun Liu

Abortion in dairy cattle causes considerable economic losses to the dairy industry. Aborted fetuses and samples from the corresponding aborting dams from 12 dairy herds in Beijing were tested for 9 abortifacient infectious pathogens by PCR between 2008 and 2010. From a total of 80 abortion cases collected during this period, infectious agents were detected in 45 (56.3%) cases, 22 (48.9%) of which represented co-infections with two or three infectious agents. The detected pathogens included infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus (36.3%) andNeospora caninum(31.3%), followed by bovine viral diarrhoea virus (7.5%),Brucella abortus(6.3%),Tritrichomonas foetus(5%) andToxoplasma gondii(1.3%).Campylobacter fetus, Coxiella burnetiiandChlamydophila psittaciwere not detected in any abortion case. Findings from this study indicated that infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus andNeospora caninumwere the main potential causes of abortions in Beijing dairy herds, whereas the bacterial pathogens were not, in contrast to reports from other countries. This is the first study to test nine abortifacient infectious agents by PCR at the same time, and it is also the first time to report the involvement of a variety of infectious agents in bovine abortion cases in China.


2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 252 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. A. Pessoa ◽  
C. A. M. Silva ◽  
M. I. B. Rubin ◽  
F. S. F. Vogel ◽  
J. M. Trentin ◽  
...  

The aim of this research was to determine the influence of Neospora caninum (NC) infection on reproductive parameters of Holstein dairy cows. The study was performed at 32 farms in the south of Brazil, latitude 27°30′S to 31°S and longitude 51°30′W to 55°30 W Farms included in this study met rigorous vaccination schedule for infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, bovine viral diarrhea virus, leptospirosis, and brucellosis. Blood samples collected from the dairy cows were submitted to serologic testing by an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and were distributed into 2 groups: seropositive (GP; n = 160) and seronegative (GN; n = 558). The dogs (n = 51) of the farms were tested by IFAT. After abortion, fetuses were frozen at -80°C and submitted to PCR detection of NC in tissues. Seropositive cows that aborted were also tested by IFAT. Pregnancies of GP and GN cows were mon- itored by periodic ultrasound exams. After parturition or abortion all cows in GP and GN groups were submitted to gynecological exams. Cows that developed disease (clinical mastitis, metabolic disease, or laminitis) after parturition or abortion were excluded from the analysis to prevent any distortion of data. Farms were divided into 3 categories according to production technology, specifically, average milk production per cow per lactation: high (>25 kg), medium (15-25 kg), and low (< 15 kg). Data was analyzed by ANOVA using SAS® software (SAS Institute, Cary, NC, USA) at a level of 5% significance and Student’s t-test for average reproductive parameters. The alternative hypothesis of the study was that at least 1 reproductive parameter was influenced in GP after abortion compared with GN cows that aborted. The null hypothesis was that there was no influence of NC antibody titer on reproductive parameters. The prevalence of antibody for NC in dairy cows was 24.48%. There was no prevalence difference among production systems (P > 0.05). The prevalence in dogs was 48.6% and did not differ among production systems. Fifty-nine (41.37%) NC-seropositive cows aborted. This differs significantly from the seronegative cow abortion rate (n = 17; 2.6%; P < 0.001). Occurrence of retained fetal membranes (RFM), endometritis, absence of uterine infection after abortion, and days between abortion and first estrus can be observed in Table 1. Abortion occurred between the fifth and eighth month of pregnancy. Occurrence of RFM was more frequent in cows that were seropositive. The period between abortion and first estrus was 79.06 v. 65.8 days for seropositive and seronegative groups, respectively, which differed significantly (P < 0.001). The results suggest that the higher occurrence of RFM after abortion in dairy NC-seropositive cows affects uterine involution, resulting in a delay of ovarian activity. Table 1.Neospora caninum seropositive and seronegative cows that aborted and their reproductive parameters. This study was supported by CNPq graduate funding.


2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandra Snak ◽  
Felipe Gustavo Garcia ◽  
Arielle Aparecida Lara ◽  
Hilda Fátima Jesus Pena ◽  
Silvia Cristina Osaki

Abstract Neospora caninum is a heteroxenous protozoa, whose definitive hosts are canids and intermediate hosts are herbivores, and is of great importance in cattle. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of N. caninum in dairy cattle and dogs, to detect the presence of the protozoa at the molecular level in aborted fetuses, and to identify the risk factors associated with infection in properties in the western region of the state of Paraná. For this study, 600 bovine serum samples from 60 properties, 163 canine serum samples from 52 properties and 17 bovine fetuses from nine properties were collected. Data were collected using an epidemiological questionnaire to verify the risk factors. Serum samples were analyzed using the indirect fluorescent antibody test. Fetal tissues were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction and subsequent DNA sequencing. Of the bovine samples, 23.67% were positive for N. caninum. Among the canine samples, 11.66% were positive for N. caninum. Risk factors in cattle were history of abortion, low milk production, extensive breeding, and Jersey breed (p<0.05). Protozoan DNA was detected in 52.94% of the 17 fetuses and the sequencing presented high similarity with N. caninum.


2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 148-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Fernandes Pinheiro ◽  
Sibele Borsuk ◽  
Maria Elisabeth Aires Berne ◽  
Luciano da Silva Pinto ◽  
Renato Andreotti ◽  
...  

Neosporosis is a disease caused by the protozoon Neospora caninum that leads to significant economic losses in many countries. In the present study, we report on use of the recombinant protein NcSRS2 of N. caninum expressed in Pichia pastoris in an indirect immunoenzymatic assay (ELISA) for diagnosing neosporosis infection in sheep and dogs. We observed that the ELISA test yielded specificity of 94.5% and sensitivity of 100% for sheep and specificity of 93.3% and sensitivity of 100% for dogs. We observed that the sensitivity was higher than shown by the indirect fluorescent antibody test, and this was confirmed by means of Western blot. The results from this study suggest that the recombinant protein expressed in P. pastoris is a suitable antigen for use in immunodiagnosis to detect N. caninum in two important species exposed to this parasitosis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriela Merker Breyer ◽  
Maria Eduarda Dias ◽  
Luan Cleber Henker ◽  
Marina Paula Lorenzett ◽  
Leticia Ferreira Baumbach ◽  
...  

Background: Pregnancy losses are a major concern in livestock industry due to their economic impact on producers. Campylobacter fetus subspecies fetus (Cff) and C. fetus subspecies venerealis (Cfv) are directly related to reproductive failures in ruminants. Cff colonizes the gastrointestinal tract of a wide range of hosts leading to abortion, while Cfv is restricted to genital tract being generally associated to infertility in bovine. Considering the great economic losses related to campylobacteriosis in cattle and ovine herds, this study aims to investigate the occurrence of C. fetus, considering Cff and Cfv subspecies, in bovine and ovine spontaneously aborted fetuses in state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.Materials, Methods & Results: In this study, samples of abomasal fluid collected from 30 spontaneously aborted bovine (n = 18) and ovine (n = 12) fetuses were investigated for the detection of Campylobacter fetus throughout conventional PCR. Positive fetuses for C. fetus presence were further analyzed by molecular assays for Cff and Cfv detection, in order to determine subspecies identification. When available, samples of the main organs of the thoracic and abdominal cavities, as well as the brain, skeletal muscle, eyelid, skin, and placenta were collected for further histopathological analyses and bacterial culture, aiming to assess the presence of infection lesions and pathogens in those sites, respectively. Additionally, RT-qPCR assays were also performed for the detection of ruminant pestivirus, in order to detect bovine viral diarrhea cases. Throughout the present methodology, C. fetus was detected in the abomasal fluid samples of 2 bovine fetuses, being both identified as Cfv subspecies by PCR. Histopathological analyses demonstrated that macroscopic and microscopic changes found in the Cfv-positive animals were not either specific or directly related to Campylobacter infections. Moreover, no significant bacterial growth was observed in microbiological culture from the collected tissues, and both fetuses were negative for ruminant pestivirus. Differently, there was no detection of C. fetus in any of the analyzed ovine fetuses.Discussion: Considering that abortion diagnosis rates reported in cattle and sheep industry are highly variable among the published studies, and that abortion diagnoses are commonly inconclusive due to difficulties in sampling methodology and inadequate identification of the pathogen involved, it is important to investigate the etiological causes of abortion the herds for better understanding the causes of pregnancy issues and monitoring their occurrence. In addition, the absence of pathognomonic lesions in the tissues investigated in the histopathological analyses observed in this study strongly suggests that well-known etiological agents commonly associated to abortion, such as Leptospira spp., Toxoplasma spp., Chlamydia spp. and Neospora caninum, are unlikely to be the cause of infection of the analyzed fetuses. Taking this into account, the presence of C. fetus in the abomasal fluid samples from two bovine fetuses demonstrated in the present study suggests the possible association of Cfv not only with infertility, but also with cases of bovine abortion, highlighting the importance of investigating unusual causal agents of abortions in sheep and cattle. Overall, an adequate diagnosis is essential for establishing better prevention strategies to avoid the circulation of abortion-related infectious agents in the herds.Keywords: campylobacteriosis, molecular diagnosis, venereal disease, abortion, reproductive disease.


2011 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 202-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolle Fridlund Plugge ◽  
Fabiano Montiani Ferreira ◽  
Rosária Regina Tesoni de Barros Richartz ◽  
Adriana de Siqueira ◽  
Rosangela Locatelli Dittrich

This study aimed to evaluate occurrences of antibodies against Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii in dogs with neurological signs. Blood samples from 147 dogs were collected: 127 from owned dogs (attended at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the Federal University of Paraná (HV-UFPR) and at private veterinary clinics in the city of Curitiba), and 20 from stray dogs found in Curitiba's metropolitan region. The dogs presented one or more of the following neurological signs: seizures, paresis or paralysis, ataxia, behavioral abnormalities, sensory and somatic disorders and chorioretinitis. The samples were analyzed by means of the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT), at a cutoff dilution of 1:50. Out of the 147 samples obtained, 17 (11.56%) were seropositive for N. caninum, 31 (21.08%) for T. gondii and four (2.72%) for both protozoa. Serum titration on the positive animals showed that 54.83% (17/31) and 41.18% (7/17) had titers > 1:200 against T. gondii and N. caninum, respectively. A significant difference in seropositivity for T. gondii (P = 0.021; OR = 2.87; CI = 1.1 > 2.8 > 7.4) was observed between owned dogs (18.11%) and stray dogs (40%). Inclusion of serological tests for neosporosis and toxoplasmosis is recommended in diagnosing neurological diseases in dogs.


2008 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 222-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolle Fridlund-Plugge ◽  
Fabiano Montiani-Ferreira ◽  
Rosária R. T. B. Richartz ◽  
Juliano Dal Pizzol ◽  
Pedro C. Machado Jr ◽  
...  

Antibodies to Neospora caninum were analyzed by an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT), in stray and domiciled dogs from urban, periurban and rural areas from Curitiba, Paraná State, Brazil. Of the total of 556 dogs, 18.17% (101) were positive for N. caninum (titer 50). Frequency of antibody was 12.71 in urban, 15.73 in periurban, and 25.38% in rural dogs. Rural dogs had a significantly higher frequency of antibodies than urban dogs (P< 0.05). There were no significant differences between the frequencies of antibodies in urban and periurban dogs (P>0.05), and between dogs from periurban and rural areas (P>0.05). Antibodies to N. caninum were detected in 34 of 233 domiciled dogs (14.59%) and in 17 of 126 stray dogs (13.49%). No statistical differences were observed considering life-style and geographic location of origin (P>0.05). Neospora caninum is widespread among dogs from urban, periurban and rural areas of the municipal district of Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.


Parasitology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 146 (07) ◽  
pp. 979-982 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. M. Bartley ◽  
S. Guido ◽  
C. Mason ◽  
H. Stevenson ◽  
F. Chianini ◽  
...  

AbstractNeospora caninum is a commonly diagnosed cause of reproductive losses in farmed ruminants worldwide. This study examined 495 and 308 samples (brain, heart and placenta) which were collected from 455 and 119 aborted cattle and sheep fetuses, respectively. DNA was extracted and a nested Neospora ITS1 PCR was performed on all samples. The results showed that for bovine fetuses 79/449 brain [17.6% (14.2–21.4)], 7/25 heart [28.0% (12.1–49.4)] and 5/21 placenta [23.8% (8.2–47.2)] were PCR positive for the presence of Neospora DNA. Overall 82/455 [18.0% (14.6–21.7)] of the bovine fetuses tested positive for the presence of N. caninum DNA in at least one sample. None (0/308) of the ovine fetal samples tested positive for the presence of Neospora DNA in any of the tissues tested. The results show that N. caninum was associated with fetal losses in cattle (distributed across South-West Scotland), compared to sheep in the same geographical areas where no parasite DNA was found. Neospora is well distributed amongst cattle in South-West Scotland and is the potential cause of serious economic losses to the Scottish cattle farming community; however, it does not appear to be a problem amongst the Scottish sheep flocks.


2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 459-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur Willian de Lima Brasil ◽  
Roberta Nunes Parentoni ◽  
Thais Ferreira Feitosa ◽  
Camila de Sousa Bezerra ◽  
Vinicius Longo Ribeiro Vilela ◽  
...  

Abstract The aims of this survey were to determine the frequency of anti-Toxoplasma gondii and anti-Neospora caninum antibodies and to identify the risk factors associated with seropositivity among buffaloes in the state of Paraíba, Brazil. This survey included 136 buffaloes belonging to 14 herds. To detect anti-T. gondii and anti-N. caninum antibodies, the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) was used. Among the 136 samples analyzed, 17 (12.5%) were positive for anti-T. gondii antibodies with titers ranging from 64 to 1,024, and 26 (19.1%) for anti-N. caninum with titers from 200 to 1,600. Animals seropositive for both T. gondii and N. caninum were found in 10 of the 14 herds (71.4%). Semi-intensive management systems (odds ratio = 2.99) and presence of pigs (odds ratio = 4.33) were identified as risk factors for T. gondii and N. caninum, respectively. It can be suggested that T. gondii and N. caninum are widespread in buffaloes in Paraíba, and that additional surveys are needed in order to ascertain the importance of these agents for this species and for pigs, and the influence of the farming type on occurrences of seropositive animals.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
O. O. Nwankiti ◽  
E. I. Ikeh ◽  
O. A. Arowolo ◽  
A. J. Nwankiti ◽  
M. O. Odugbo ◽  
...  

Scrapie, a disease of sheep and goats with a progressive course and fatal outcome, has not been identified in Nigeria. Anecdotal scrapie reports by livestock workers abound. Livestock diseases like scrapie form huddles in livestock economics of countries. For 8 months we surveyed for scrapie targeting emergency/casualty slaughter sheep and goats in Jos, Nigeria. We clinically examined 510 sheep and 608 goats of local breeds, aged from 12 months to 5 years. In total 31 (5.10%) goats and no sheep were clinically suspicious for scrapie. Caudal brainstem tissues of suspect animals collected postmortem were analyzed for the disease specific form of the prion protein, PrPSc, using Bio-Rad’s TeSeE ELISA rapid test kit. No sample was positive for scrapie. Fluorescent antibody test for rabies and H&E staining on samples were carried out for differential diagnosis. These showed no pathological lesions indicative for neurological disease. While our findings do not exclude the presence of scrapie in Jos, we demonstrate that targeted sampling of small ruminants for neuroinfectious disease is feasible in developing countries, pointing to the possibility of implementing such a monitoring scheme in Nigeria to prevent economic losses in small ruminant livestock as scrapie caveats from endemic countries have shown.


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