An Outbreak of Bovine Besnoitiosis in Beef Cattle Born in Central Italy

Manuali, Elisabetta; Lepri, Elvio; Salamida, Sonia; D’Avino, Nicoletta; Mangili, Piermario; Vitellozzi, G.; Grelloni, V.; Filippini, G.

doi:10.1111/j.1865-1682.2011.01220.x

Cited by 19 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Our findings agree with the observations made in natural infections, where the highest number of microscopic tissue cysts has been largely reported in chronically infected animals which showed severe clinical signs and lesions characteristic of chronic besnoitiosis (McCully, Basson, Van Niekerk, & Bigalkie, ; Pols, ). As expected, the parasite showed tropism for skin, eyes and mucous membranes of the upper respiratory and genital tracks, in agreement with previous reports in naturally (Diezma‐Díaz et al, ; Frey et al, ; Gentile et al, ; Manuali et al, ; Nobel, Neumann, Klopper, & Perl, ) and experimentally infected cattle (Diezma‐Díaz et al, ; Diezma‐Díaz et al, ). The cyst morphology and size were normal and compatible with that described for mature viable cysts (Frey et al, ; Langenmayer et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

A model for chronic bovine besnoitiosis: Parasite stage and inoculation route are key factors

Diezma-Díaz

Ferre

et al. 2019

Transbound Emerg Dis

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In this work, an experimental model for chronic besnoitiosis in bovine was developed and characterized. Using a previously established calf model, two new variables (parasite stage and inoculation route) were combined and used. Twelve Holstein Friesian 3‐month‐old male calves were randomly divided into four groups of three animals each. Bradyzoites were obtained from a chronically infected bull and used for inoculation via three different inoculation routes. Three groups were inoculated with 106 bradyzoites by intravenous (G1), subcutaneous (G2) and intradermal (G3) routes, and a non‐infected control group (G4) was inoculated with PBS. The trial lasted for 90 days and included daily clinical monitoring as well as weekly skin biopsies and blood sampling. Sera were obtained to analyse both cellular and humoral responses. Once the calves were euthanized, tissues from the skin, eyes, respiratory and reproductive tracts, among others, were collected to study presence of the parasite. Clinically, the infection was classified as mild to moderate for the acute stage since all infected calves showed lymphadenopathy from four days post‐infection (pi) and fever from one week pi until 24 days pi. However, the most relevant results were achieved during the chronic stage that was classified as moderate to severe. In fact, pathognomonic conjunctival cysts were observed in all infected calves from 40 days pi onwards and were more abundant in G3. Moreover, one calf from this group developed skin lesions (49 days pi). The microscopic tissue cysts and Besnoitia DNA were detected primarily in skin, reproductive tract and respiratory tissue samples, and parasite load was higher in G3. In conclusion, the parasite stage (bradyzoite) and the inoculation route are key factors that influence the outcome of an infection. In particular, the intradermal route led to more severe clinical signs of the chronic phase in the inoculated calves.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

A model for chronic bovine besnoitiosis: Parasite stage and inoculation route are key factors

Diezma-Díaz

Ferre

et al. 2019

Transbound Emerg Dis

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“…The most frequent cyst locations were the upper respiratory tract (rhinarium, larynx/pharynx), followed by the distal genital tract (vulva/vagina) and the skin of the neck. The classical sites of grossly visible tissue cysts in infected cows have been reported to be the skin/subcutis, scleral conjunctiva, vaginal mucosa (in particular the vestibulum vaginae), and the upper respiratory tract (Pols, 1960;McCully et al, 1966;Nobel et al, 1981;Majzoub et al, 2010;Rostaher et al, 2010;Manuali et al, 2011;Gentile et al, 2012;Schares et al, 2011). The same predilection sites have been reported for the closely related Besnoitia species B. bennetti (Ness et al, 2012) and B. tarandi (Ducrocq et al, 2012).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 54%

Chronic bovine besnoitiosis: Intra-organ parasite distribution, parasite loads and parasite-associated lesions in subclinical cases

Frey

Gutiérrez-Expósito

Ortega‐Mora

et al. 2013

Veterinary Parasitology

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Bovine besnoitiosis caused by Besnoitia besnoiti is a chronic and debilitating disease. The most characteristic clinical signs of chronic besnoitiosis are visible tissue cysts in the scleral conjunctiva and the vagina, thickened skin and a generally poor body condition. However, many seropositive animals remain subclinically infected, and the role that these animals may play in spreading the disease is not known. The aim of the present study was to assess the intra-organ parasite distribution, the parasite load and the parasite-associated lesions in seropositive but subclinically infected animals. These animals were seropositive at the time of several consecutive samplings, had visible tissue cysts in the past and, at time of slaughter, had detectable specific anti-Besnoitia spp. antibody levels, but they did not show evident clinical signs at culling. Thus, histopathological, immunohistochemical and molecular analyses of several samples from the respiratory tract, reproductive tract, other internal organs and skin from six cows were performed. The tissue cysts were located primarily in the upper respiratory tract, i.e., in the rhinarium and larynx/pharynx (four cows), followed by the distal genital tract (vulva/vagina) and the skin of the neck (three and two cows, respectively, out of the four cows with cysts in the respiratory tract). We were unable to detect any parasites in the two remaining cows. Cysts were associated with a significant non-purulent inflammatory infiltrate consisting predominantly of T lymphocytes and activated monocytes/macrophages in two cows. The parasite burden, estimated by quantitative real-time PCR, was very low. It is noteworthy that the only animal that showed a recent increase in the antibody titre had the highest parasite burden and the most conspicuous inflammatory reaction against the cysts. In conclusion, although these cows no longer displayed any visible signs of besnoitiosis, they remained infected. Therefore, cows without visible signs of disease may still be able to transmit the parasite.

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“…As expected, a higher parasite intra‐organic distribution was found by PCR compared with histopathological results. PCR‐positive tissues were predilection sites for B. besnoiti that show tropism for the connective tissue of the superficial skin layers, scleral, conjunctiva and mucous membranes of distal genital tract (Frey et al., ; Gentile et al., ; Manuali et al., ; Nobel, Neumann, Klopper, & Perl, ). The DNA detected is expected to belong to the bradyzoite stage according to the infection dynamics as it was detected at 70–110 days pi during the chronic phase of the disease (Álvarez‐García et al., ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of parasite dose and host age on the infection with Besnoitia besnoiti tachyzoites in cattle

Diezma-Díaz

Jiménez-Meléndez

et al. 2018

Transbound Emerg Dis

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Bovine besnoitiosis is continuing to spread in Europe. Therefore, the development of ruminant animal models of infection is urgently needed to evaluate therapeutic and prophylactic tools. Herein, we studied the effect of parasite dose and host age on the infection dynamics with Besnoitia besnoiti tachyzoites in cattle in two independent experimental infections. In experiment A, twelve 3-month-old male calves were inoculated intravenously with either three different doses of tachyzoites (G1: 10 ; G2: 10 ; G3: 10 ) or with PBS (G4). In experiment B, six 14-month-old bulls were inoculated with 10 tachyzoites based on results obtained in experiment A. In both trials, clinical signs compatible with acute and chronic besnoitiosis were monitored daily; blood and skin samples were collected regularly for 70-115 days post-infection (pi). Finally, animals were killed, and tissues were collected for lesion and parasite detections. Infected animals developed mild-moderate signs compatible with acute besnoitiosis. Lymphadenopathy and fever were observed in both calves (from 12 hr until 7 days pi) and bulls (from 6 days until 9 days pi). Seroconversion was detected at 16-19 days pi, and antibody levels remained high. Infected animals did not developed characteristic clinical signs and macroscopic lesions of chronic besnoitiosis. However, successfully, parasite-DNA was detected in a reduced number of target tissues: conjunctiva, ocular sclera, epididymis, skin of the scrotum and carpus in calves (n = 10, 6 of which belonged to G3), and pampiniform plexus and testicular parenchyma in bulls. Remarkably, one tissue cyst and mild microscopic lesions were also detected. In summary, inoculated animals developed the acute besnoitiosis and chronic infection was evidenced by microscopic findings. However, our results suggest that tachyzoite dose and host age are not key variables for inducing clinical signs and macroscopic lesions characteristic of chronic besnoitiosis. Thus, a further refinement of this model should evaluate other parasite- and host-dependent variables.

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An Outbreak of Bovine Besnoitiosis in Beef Cattle Born in Central Italy

Cited by 19 publications

References 7 publications

A model for chronic bovine besnoitiosis: Parasite stage and inoculation route are key factors

A model for chronic bovine besnoitiosis: Parasite stage and inoculation route are key factors

Chronic bovine besnoitiosis: Intra-organ parasite distribution, parasite loads and parasite-associated lesions in subclinical cases

Effect of parasite dose and host age on the infection with Besnoitia besnoiti tachyzoites in cattle

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