Venereal transmission of Toxoplasma gondii in goats after a buck was experimentally infected

Abstract

a b s t r a c tThe aim of the present study was to assess the venereal transmission of Toxoplasma gondii in goats. Two bucks of reproductive age were used. One of them was infected orally with 2 × 10 5 oocysts of the ME-49 strain of T. gondii, whereas the other buck was not infected (control). Ten does were randomly allocated into two groups (G1 and G2), each with five animals. The does in G1 were mated with the buck that had been experimentally infected with T. gondii oocysts. Those in G2 (control) were mated with the serologically negative buck. Infection of the buck and does from G1 was confirmed based on clinical, serological, molecular and histopathological findings. Seroconversion (Indirect Immunofluorescence Reaction) occurred in the infected buck on the 7th day post-infection (d.p.i.) and T. gondii DNA was present (Polymerase Chain Reaction) in the blood and semen on the 3rd d.p.i. In G1, two of the five females seroconverted. T. gondii DNA was found in the blood of two does. The buck in G2 and all of the females that mated with him were negative in all tests. With regard to gestational development among the females in G1, the following results were recorded: embryonic reabsorption occurred in one animal on day 34 after mating; one animal aborted on day 42 after mating; the three other females gave birth to full-term healthy kids. One of these kids exhibited PCR-positive blood at birth. In total, 40% of the does in G1 and 80% of the kids born alive in G1 were PCR-positive in at least one organ. The present study demonstrated that venereal transmission of T. gondii occurs in goats, with vertical transmission occurring from does mated with an infected buck to their kids.

Occurrence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibody and evaluation of risk infection factors in goats raised in Sergipe state, Brazil

“…It has clinical and economic importance as it is a congenital, abortive, and zoonotic disease (Medeiros et al 2014, Silva et al 2015. Toxoplasmosis is caused by Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite mandatory intracellular coccid whose primary host is felines, which eliminate oocysts in feces, contaminating soil, food, and water (Soares et al 2010, Silva et al 2015), leading to oral or aerosol infections, in addition to congenital (Silva et al 2015) and venereal in goats (Wanderley et al 2015). In humans, other forms of infection are the ingestion of raw milk, tissues, and organs of infected animals, direct contact with intrauterine secretions, and to a lesser extent by blood transfusion and organ transplants (Hill & Dubey 2002).…”

Toxoplasma gondii infection and testosterone alteration: A systematic review and meta-analyses

“…As such, secretion of T . gondii in semen and sexual transmission of the parasite have been reported in dogs [ 62 ], goats [ 63 – 65 ], sheep [ 66 , 67 ], cattle [ 68 ], and pigs [ 69 ]. Notably, T .…”

Investigation of Lesions In Goat Brain Collected From Abattoirs in Rajshahi Metropolitan Area

“…Perivascular cuffing is found in Toxoplasma gondii infection (Matos et al 2015, Nunes et al 2015. Perivascular cuffing and gliosis in cerebrum have been documented in association with Toxoplasma gondii infection in goats (Moreno et al 2012, Wanderley et al 2015. Perivascular cuffing is also found in the Listeriosis in goats (Allen et al 2013).…”

“…One goat (7.14%) in the present study was diagnosed with hemorrhage and congestion in cerebrum. Hemorrhage could be found in the Toxoplasma gondii infection in goats (Wanderley et al 2015). However, how the vascular congestion develops in the brain of the encephalitic Listeriosis in small ruminants require further clarification.…”