Molecular survey of
            <i>Besnoitia</i>
            spp. (Apicomplexa) in faeces from European wild mesocarnivores in Spain

González‐Barrio, David; Köster, Pamela C.; Habela, M.; Martín-Pérez, Manuel; Fernández-García, José Luis; Balseiro, Ana; Barral, Marta; Nájera, Fernando; Figueiredo, Ana M.; Palacios, María Jesús; Mateo, Marta; Carmena, David; Álvarez‐García, Gema; Calero‐Bernal, Rafael

doi:10.1111/tbed.14206

Cited by 5 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Additionally, in a recent study, González‐Barrio, Köster et al. (2021) detected Besnoitia spp. DNA in four faecal samples from red foxes collected in western Spain.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Studies in other Iberian host species, including domestic (equids, small ruminants) and wild (carnivores, ruminants) animals, have been performed to elucidate their role in the life cycle of Besnoitia spp. (Gutiérrez-Expósito et al, 2016;Gutiérrez-Expósito, García-Bocanegra, et al, 2017;González-Barrio, Köster, et al, 2021;Millán et al, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Absence of anti‐ Besnoitia spp. specific antibodies in European wild lagomorphs from the Iberian Peninsula

González‐Barrio

Diezma-Díaz

Queirós

et al. 2022

Transbounding Emerging Dis

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Besnoitia besnoiti is an apicomplexan parasite whose life cycle is not completely understood. It is assumed that this parasite might have an indirect life cycle with a carnivore as a definitive host able to shed oocysts after the ingestion of mature cysts in tissues of an infected intermediate host. Cattle and wild cervids on the Iberian Peninsula can act as intermediate hosts of B. besnoiti, and exposure to the parasite has been demonstrated in equids. In this study, we aimed to assess the presence of members of the genera Besnoitia in wild lagomorphs from the Iberian Peninsula and the potential role of these host species in the life cycle of B. besnoiti, as all the animals were sampled from 19 regions of the Iberian Peninsula where cases of bovine besnoitiosis have been previously detected. Serum samples (Oryctolagus cuniculus: n = 552; Lepus europaeus: n = 122) were first analysed by ELISA and subsequently confirmed by Western blot (WB). Specific antibodies against B. besnoiti were not found in any sampled animal by WB. In addition, lung samples from a subset of wild rabbits (n = 16) were tested by PCR and Besnoitia spp. DNA was not detected. These results suggest that Besnoitia spp. are unlikely to circulate in wild lagomorphs in the Iberian Peninsula. Thus, lagomorphs are not expected to play a key role in the biological cycle of B. besnoiti. Further studies are necessary to assess whether different micromammal species, such as rodents, can serve as natural reservoirs of Besnoitia spp. in other European regions.

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“…Additionally, in a recent study, González‐Barrio, Köster et al. (2021) detected Besnoitia spp. DNA in four faecal samples from red foxes collected in western Spain.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Absence of anti‐ Besnoitia spp. specific antibodies in European wild lagomorphs from the Iberian Peninsula

González‐Barrio

Diezma-Díaz

Queirós

et al. 2022

Transbounding Emerging Dis

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“…Domestic and wild bovid as well as cervids are natural intermediary hosts of B. besnoiti in its heteroxenous life cycle ( 1 , 2 , 5 – 7 ). Although the definitive host is still unknown, the parasite or its DNA has been isolated from rodents ( 8 ), bats ( 9 ), felines ( 10 ), and foxes (Vulpes vulpes) ( 11 ). Transmission may occur by biting insects (e.g., Stomoxys or Tabanus species) or through the use of same needles in different animals ( 12 , 13 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epidemiological characteristics of bovine besnoitiosis (Besnoitia besnoiti) in a beef cattle farm: a cross-sectional serological assessment

Coelho¹,

Domingues²,

Waap

et al. 2023

Front. Vet. Sci.

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BackgroundBovine besnoitiosis is an emerging disease caused by the protozoa Besnoitia besnoiti that can have a serious economic impact on affected farms. The fact that there is no effective vaccine nor treatment, along with the lack of consistent epidemiologic data, renders the implementation of preventive medicine and control strategies much harder.ObjectivesA cross-sectional serological assessment was performed to better understand the distribution and prevalence of this parasite in a large beef cattle farm in Portugal and to establish some epidemiological characteristics of besnoitiosis.MethodsA random blood sampling of 450 animals from a farm that keeps around 2,000 cattle head was performed and sera were submitted to an indirect immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT). Data on breed, age, sex, and birthplace of the tested animals and their mothers were recorded.ResultsThe overall prevalence of positive animals was 16.89%, with significant differences between under 1-year-old calves (4.8%) and adults (19.67%). A higher antibody prevalence was shown in animals 1–2 years and >7 years old, in Salers breed and in cows imported from France or whose mothers had come from this country. Calves under 1 year old and crossbreed animals with ancestry born in the current farm presented the lowest antibody prevalence.Discussion and conclusionsThe most significant risk factors revealed were age (>7 years old) and breed (Salers). Genetic studies should be carried out in order to confirm whether indeed there is a breed susceptibility to bovine besnoitiosis. We suggest that similar studies should be performed across southern Europe to establish strong epidemiologic data that would allow a rigorous transnational control program to be launched.

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“…The life cycle of the parasite species infecting ruminants is not completely known, especially with regard to the definitive host [ 6 ]. In addition, a recent survey reported a B. besnoiti -like sequence (99.57% homology) from 4 out of 187 red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ) feces tested in Spain, necessitating further investigation to confirm or refute the role of this species in the epidemiology of B. besnoiti in Europe [ 7 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

First Expert Elicitation of Knowledge on Drivers of Emergence of Bovine Besnoitiosis in Europe

Saegerman

Evrard²,

Houtain³

et al. 2022

Pathogens

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Bovine besnoitiosis (BB) is a chronic and debilitating parasitic disease in cattle caused by the protozoan parasite Besnoitia besnoiti. South European countries are affected and have reported clinical cases of BB. However, BB is considered as emerging in other countries/regions of central, eastern and northern Europe. Yet, data on drivers of emergence of BB in Europe are scarce. In this study, fifty possible drivers of emergence of BB in cattle were identified. A scoring system was developed per driver. Then, the scoring was elicited from eleven recognized European experts to: (i) allocate a score to each driver, (ii) weight the score of drivers within each domain and (iii) weight the different domains among themselves. An overall weighted score was calculated per driver, and drivers were ranked in decreasing order of importance. Regression tree analysis was used to group drivers with comparable likelihoods to play a role in the emergence of BB in cattle in Europe. Finally, robustness testing of expert elicitation was performed for the seven drivers having the highest probability to play a key role in the emergence of BB: i.e., (i) legal/illegal movements of live animals from neighbouring/European Union member states or (ii) from third countries, (iii) risk of showing no clinical sign and silent spread during infection and post infection, (iv) as a consequence, difficulty to detect the emergence, (v) existence of vectors and their potential spread, (vi) European geographical proximity of the pathogen/disease to the country, and (vii) animal density of farms. Provided the limited scientific knowledge on the topic, expert elicitation of knowledge, multi-criteria decision analysis, cluster and sensitivity analyses are very important to prioritize future studies, e.g., the need for quantitative import risk assessment and estimation of the burden of BB to evidence and influence policymaking towards changing (or not) its status as a reportable disease, with prevention and control activities targeting, firstly, the top seven drivers. The present methodology could be applied to other emerging animal diseases.

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Molecular survey of Besnoitia spp. (Apicomplexa) in faeces from European wild mesocarnivores in Spain

Cited by 5 publications

References 33 publications

Absence of anti‐ Besnoitia spp. specific antibodies in European wild lagomorphs from the Iberian Peninsula

Absence of anti‐ Besnoitia spp. specific antibodies in European wild lagomorphs from the Iberian Peninsula

Epidemiological characteristics of bovine besnoitiosis (Besnoitia besnoiti) in a beef cattle farm: a cross-sectional serological assessment

First Expert Elicitation of Knowledge on Drivers of Emergence of Bovine Besnoitiosis in Europe

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