Prevalence and risk factors of Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii infection in breeding ewes from central western Mexico

Alcalá-Gómez, J; Medina-Esparza, Leticia; Vitela-Mendoza, Irene; Cruz-Vázquez, Carlos; Tristán, Teódulo Quezada; Gómez-Leyva, Juan Florencio

doi:10.1007/s11250-022-03221-8

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Similarly, in another region of the world, only about 1.6% of lost lambs were attributed to T. gondii in a prospective cohort study in primiparous ewes from southern Australia, albeit at an overall much lower seroprevalence than in our study [ 53 ]. Moreover, in a study performed with breeding ewes from Mexico, seroprevalence for T. gondii (61.96%) and N. caninum (15.22%) was similar to our study, and T. gondii seroprevalence was not associated with a history of abortion, but N. caninum seroprevalence was [ 54 ]. However, although our results suggest an involvement of Brucella in the abortions, they do not negate the role of T. gondii or N. caninum as aborting agents.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Seroprevalence of Specific Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum, and Brucella spp. in Sheep and Goats in Egypt

Fereig

Wareth

Abdelbaky³

et al. 2022

Animals

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Toxoplasmosis, neosporosis, and brucellosis are devastating diseases causing infectious abortion and, therefore, substantial economic losses in farm animals. Toxoplasmosis and neosporosis are caused by the intracellular protozoan parasites Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) and Neospora caninum (N. caninum), respectively. Brucellosis is a bacterial disease caused by numerous Brucella species in multiple hosts. Toxoplasmosis and brucellosis are also considered foodborne zoonotic diseases. In the current study, specific antibodies to T. gondii and N. caninum, in addition to those to Brucella spp., were detected to gain a better understanding of the epidemiological situation for these three pathogens. Sheep and goat sera from Egypt (n = 360) of animals with and without a history of abortion were tested using commercial ELISAs. Seropositivity rates of 46.1%, 11.9%, and 8.6% for T. gondii, N. caninum, and Brucella spp., respectively, were revealed. Mixed infections with T. gondii and Brucella spp. (4.4%), T. gondii and N. caninum (4.2%), N. caninum and Brucella spp. (1.4%), and even some triple infections (0.6%) have been observed. Animals with a history of abortion had a significantly higher seroprevalence for Brucella spp. infection than those without abortion (12.6%; 28/222 vs. 2.2%; 3/138) (p = 0.0005; Odds ratio = 1.9–21.8), while none of the other pathogens showed a similar effect. This result suggests brucellosis as a possible cause of abortion in the study population. However, the high seroprevalence for T. gondii and N. caninum revealed in our study warrants further investigations.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Seroprevalence of Specific Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum, and Brucella spp. in Sheep and Goats in Egypt

Fereig

Wareth

Abdelbaky³

et al. 2022

Animals

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“…The overall prevalence in ewe-lambs prior to first insemination was 49.7% (95% CI: 41.5 57.9%). This rate is significantly higher than most surveys conducted not solely on aborting ewes [23][24][25][26][27][28], which ranged between 0.16% in Australia [25] to 32% in Spain [28], in a flock with a high occurrence of abortions. Two previous studies reported similar or higher seroprevalence, one from Brazil that reported 78% seropositivity using IFAT [29], and the other from neighboring Jordan that detected 63% seropositivity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 61%

Neosporosis in Naturally Infected Sheep Herds, a Prospective Cohort Study over Three Years

Tirosh-Levy,

Asher,

Peri Markovich

et al. 2024

Parasitologia

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Background: Neospora caninum is a protozoan parasite and a main cause of abortions in cattle worldwide. However, its role in abortions and decreased fertility in sheep is not completely understood, especially due to the complex, multifactorial etiology of abortions. This study aimed to perform a longitudinal field study to investigate the epidemiology of neosporosis and its effect on fertility in endemic sheep herds. Methods: Serological (IFAT) and clinical (outcome of pregnancy) data from 153 ewe-lambs was collected in four intensive management farms in Israel during three consecutive pregnancies. Results: The seroprevalence in ewe-lambs at different farms varied between 24% and 93%. The overall seroprevalence increased from 50% in ewe-lambs to 96.6% at the end of the third pregnancy. Horizontal infection was observed in all farms, with seroconversion in 59% of seronegative sheep. Abortion rates were lower (p = 0.004) in seropositive ewes in the first pregnancy and not significantly higher in seropositive sheep in consecutive pregnancies. Seropositivity or seroconversion were not associated with abortions or repeated abortions; however, many aborting ewes were removed from the flock. Conclusions: No direct short- or long-term association was found between Neopsora infection and abortions. The variations between flocks and pregnancies suggest a more complex etiology.

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“…Although most diagnostic investigations have used fetal and placental tissues, other samples from adult sheep—such as blood, brain, and muscle—have been used in epidemiological studies. For example, three studies undertaken in Mexico and one in New Zealand analyzed whole blood to detect the parasite [ 7 , 23 , 47 , 48 ]. Surprisingly, prevalence rates in two of the Mexican studies based on the detection of parasite DNA showed greater prevalence than shown by serology (25% vs. 5.5% and 27% vs. 13.5%, respectively).…”

Section: Diagnosismentioning

confidence: 99%

Ovine Neosporosis: The Current Global Situation

Benavides

González-Warleta

Arteche-Villasol

et al. 2022

Animals

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In the past 20 years, Neospora caninum infection in sheep has been reported in at least 31 countries worldwide from all sheep-rearing continents (Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa, and Oceania), and its role as an abortifacient agent is becoming more evident. Most studies of ovine neosporosis have focused on its epidemiology, based primarily on serological analysis, with only a few studies investigating the actual presence of the parasite by PCR and/or IHC. Individual seroprevalence rates were highly variable between countries, and even between regions within the same country, ranging from 0.0% to 67.4% positive. Furthermore, most of the studies were not directly comparable due to differences in experimental designs, sample sizes, husbandry systems, ecological factors, and serological tests (e.g., IFAT, ELISA, MAT, Western blot). The latter, along with the scarcity of studies on the relevance of N. caninum as an abortifacient agent, may bias the perception of the importance of this disease. This review summarizes the situation of N. caninum infection in sheep using all available published studies describing natural ovine neosporosis. The epidemiology shows that ovine neosporosis is found worldwide, and it poses a relevant risk to the sustainability of sheep flocks.

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Prevalence and risk factors of Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii infection in breeding ewes from central western Mexico

Cited by 4 publications

References 36 publications

Seroprevalence of Specific Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum, and Brucella spp. in Sheep and Goats in Egypt

Seroprevalence of Specific Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum, and Brucella spp. in Sheep and Goats in Egypt

Neosporosis in Naturally Infected Sheep Herds, a Prospective Cohort Study over Three Years

Ovine Neosporosis: The Current Global Situation

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