Application of polymerase chain reaction on cerebrospinal fluid for diagnosis of cerebral coenurosis in small ruminants

Abstract

Sheep and goats serve as intermediate hosts for the canine tapeworm Taenia multiceps. The cysts produced by the intermediate stage of parasite are usually found in the cerebral hemispheres of small ruminants, and the resulting disease is commonly known as coenurosis. Coenurosis is clinically manifested in the form of various nervous symptoms, depending on the exact location of the cyst. The variety of neurological symptoms contributes to the complexity of clinical diagnosis and reinforces the need for a more specific and acceptable diagnostic approach. We demonstrated here, for the first time, that the T. multiceps DNA is present in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of the infected sheep and goats. In addition, the molecular genetic marker of the mitochondrial DNA was applied phylogenetically to show that our isolates together with other T. multiceps strains comprised a monophyletic group that is a sister to Taenia krabbei. Pairwise comparison between the cox1 sequences of our study and other T. multiceps genotypes existing in the GenBank showed similarity ranging from 98 to 100%. Accordingly, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can be used for amplification of DNA of the parasite originated from the CSF and provides a valuable method for accurate identification of coenurosis cases.

GP50 as a promising early diagnostic antigen for Taenia multiceps infection in goats by indirect ELISA

“…Oryan et al [19] demonstrated that the DNA of T. multiceps presents in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of sheep and goats with this disease, and this can be diagnosed by amplification of the cox1 gene. This method suggested that PCR can be used to amplify parasite DNA from the CSF and is valuable for the accurate identification of coenurosis cases.…”

“…Various clinical manifestations increase the complexity of diagnosis. Thus, it is urgently necessary to develop a diagnostic approach which is both specific and practically acceptable [19]. In many areas, the prevalence of cerebral coenurosis is believed to be underestimated because of the lack of reliable diagnostic methods [20].…”

Non-Cerebral Coenurosis in Goats-A Case Study

“…Various authors were reported presence of cysts in different locations of goat's body; a cyst was found over the right mandible (Devasana et al, 1998), muscles of the thighs ( Jyothimol and Sangaran, 2015), hips and shoulders (Ramadan et al, 1973), neck region, in connective tissue near the splenic ligament and in intercostals and abdominal musculature (Shastri et al, 1985). It was also reported in visceral cavity including heart, diaphragm, thoracic cavity, abdominal cavity and pelvic inlet, pericardium and myocardium (ICAR, 2016-17), and in intramuscular and subcutaneous tissues of goats (Oryan et al, 2014). Shivapraksh and Reddy (2009) also found multiple subcutaneous coenuri in neck, prescapular region, abdomen and limbs in a herd of goats as C.gaigeri because of their extra-cranial locations.…”

Very low frequency waves as selective probe for Cysticercus tenuicollis, Hydatid cyst and Coenurus cerebralis bio-analysis using single cell-signal recording

“…Hence, more specific and reliable diagnostic tools are required. However, in humans, diagnosis is based on the identification of cysts in the brain by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computerized tomography (CT) scan 38 . When clinical signs of coenurosis were appeared, the prognosis of the disease is extremely poor and fatality rate may reach to 100%.…”