Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-94d59 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-28T19:26:30.666Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Detection of Neospora caninum DNA in cases of bovine and ovine abortion in the South-West of Scotland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2019

P. M. Bartley*
Affiliation:
Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, EH26 0PZ, Scotland, UK
S. Guido
Affiliation:
Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, EH26 0PZ, Scotland, UK University of Edinburgh, Veterinary Scientific Services, The Chancellor's Building, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB, Scotland, UK
C. Mason
Affiliation:
SRUC Veterinary Services, St. Marys Industrial Estate, Dumfries, DG1 1DX, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
H. Stevenson
Affiliation:
SRUC Veterinary Services, St. Marys Industrial Estate, Dumfries, DG1 1DX, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
F. Chianini
Affiliation:
Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, EH26 0PZ, Scotland, UK
H. Carty
Affiliation:
SRUC Veterinary Services, Auchincruive, Ayr, KA6 5AE, Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
E. A. Innes
Affiliation:
Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, EH26 0PZ, Scotland, UK
F. Katzer
Affiliation:
Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, EH26 0PZ, Scotland, UK
*
Author for correspondence: P. M. Bartley, E-mail: paul.bartley@moredun.ac.uk

Abstract

Neospora caninum is a commonly diagnosed cause of reproductive losses in farmed ruminants worldwide. This study examined 495 and 308 samples (brain, heart and placenta) which were collected from 455 and 119 aborted cattle and sheep fetuses, respectively. DNA was extracted and a nested Neospora ITS1 PCR was performed on all samples. The results showed that for bovine fetuses 79/449 brain [17.6% (14.2–21.4)], 7/25 heart [28.0% (12.1–49.4)] and 5/21 placenta [23.8% (8.2–47.2)] were PCR positive for the presence of Neospora DNA. Overall 82/455 [18.0% (14.6–21.7)] of the bovine fetuses tested positive for the presence of N. caninum DNA in at least one sample. None (0/308) of the ovine fetal samples tested positive for the presence of Neospora DNA in any of the tissues tested. The results show that N. caninum was associated with fetal losses in cattle (distributed across South-West Scotland), compared to sheep in the same geographical areas where no parasite DNA was found. Neospora is well distributed amongst cattle in South-West Scotland and is the potential cause of serious economic losses to the Scottish cattle farming community; however, it does not appear to be a problem amongst the Scottish sheep flocks.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Barr, BC, Anderson, ML, Woods, LW, Dubey, JP and Conrad, PA (1992) Neospora-like protozoal infections associated with abortion in goats. The Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation 4, 365367.Google Scholar
Bartley, PM, Wright, SE, Zimmer, IA, Roy, S, Kitchener, AC, Meredith, A, Innes, EA and Katzer, F (2013) Detection of Neospora caninum in wild carnivorans in Great Britain. Veterinary Parasitology 192, 279283.Google Scholar
Basso, W, More, G, Quiroga, MA, Balducchi, D, Schares, G and Venturini, MC (2014) Neospora caninum is a cause of perinatal mortality in axis deer (Axis axis). Veterinary Parasitology 199, 255258.Google Scholar
Bjorkman, C, Johansson, O, Stenlund, S, Holmdahl, OJ and Uggla, A (1996) Neospora species infection in a herd of dairy cattle. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 208, 14411444.Google Scholar
Brickell, JS, McGowan, MM and Wathes, DC (2010) Association between Neospora caninum seropositivity and perinatal mortality in dairy heifers at first calving. The Veterinary Record 167, 8285.Google Scholar
Buxton, D, Caldow, GL, Maley, SW, Marks, J and Innes, EA (1997) Neosporosis and bovine abortion in Scotland. The Veterinary Record 141, 649651.Google Scholar
Davison, HC, French, NP and Trees, AJ (1999) Herd-specific and age-specific seroprevalence of Neospora caninum in 14 British dairy herds. The Veterinary Record 144, 547550.Google Scholar
Dubey, JP (2003) Review of Neospora caninum and neosporosis in animals. Korean Journal of Parasitology 41, 116.Google Scholar
Dubey, JP, Buxton, D and Wouda, W (2006) Pathogenesis of bovine neosporosis. Journal of Comparative Pathology 134, 267289.Google Scholar
Dubey, JP, Schares, G and Ortega-Mora, LM (2007) Epidemiology and control of neosporosis and Neospora caninum. Clinical Microbiology Reviews 20, 323367.Google Scholar
Gonzalez-Warleta, M, Castro-Hermida, JA, Regidor-Cerrillo, J, Benavides, J, Alvarez-Garcia, G, Fuertes, M, Ortega-Mora, LM and Mezo, M (2014) Neospora caninum infection as a cause of reproductive failure in a sheep flock. Veterinary Research 45, 88.Google Scholar
Helmick, B, Otter, A, McGarry, J and Buxton, D (2002) Serological investigation of aborted sheep and pigs for infection by Neospora caninum. Research in Veterinary Science 73, 187189.Google Scholar
Hemphill, A, Aguado-Martinez, A and Muller, J (2016) Approaches for the vaccination and treatment of Neospora caninum infections in mice and ruminant models. Parasitology 143, 245259. doi: 10.1017/S0031182015001596. Epub 2015 Dec 2.Google Scholar
Holmdahl, OJ and Mattsson, JG (1996) Rapid and sensitive identification of Neospora caninum by in vitro amplification of the internal transcribed spacer 1. Parasitology 112(Pt 2), 177182.Google Scholar
Howe, L, Collett, MG, Pattison, RS, Marshall, J, West, DM and Pomroy, WE (2012) Potential involvement of Neospora caninum in naturally occurring ovine abortions in New Zealand. Veterinary Parasitology 185, 6471.Google Scholar
Hughes, JM, Thomasson, D, Craig, PS, Georgin, S, Pickles, A and Hide, G (2008) Neospora caninum: detection in wild rabbits and investigation of co-infection with Toxoplasma gondii by PCR analysis. Experimental Parasitology 120, 255260.Google Scholar
McAllister, MM, Bjorkman, C, Anderson-Sprecher, R and Rogers, DG (2000) Evidence of point-source exposure to Neospora caninum and protective immunity in a herd of beef cows. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 217, 881887.Google Scholar
Reichel, MP, Alejandra Ayanegui-Alcerreca, M, Gondim, LF and Ellis, JT (2013) What is the global economic impact of Neospora caninum in cattle – the billion dollar question. International Journal for Parasitology 43, 133142. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2012.10.022. Epub 2012 Dec 12.Google Scholar
Reichel, MP, McAllister, MM, Pomroy, WE, Campero, C, Ortega-Mora, LM and Ellis, JT (2014) Control options for Neospora caninum – is there anything new or are we going backwards? Parasitology 141, 14551470.Google Scholar
Sanchez, GF, Banda, RV, Sahagun, RA, Ledesma, MN and Morales, SE (2009) Comparison between immunohistochemistry and two PCR methods for detection of Neospora caninum in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded brain tissue of bovine fetuses. Veterinary Parasitology 164, 328332.Google Scholar
Schock, A, Buxton, D, Spence, JA, Low, JC and Baird, A (2000) Histopathological survey of aborted bovine fetuses in Scotland with special reference to Neospora caninum. The Veterinary Record 147, 687688.Google Scholar
Trees, AJ, Guy, F, Low, JC, Roberts, L, Buxton, D and Dubey, JP (1994) Serological evidence implicating Neospora species as a cause of abortion in British cattle. The Veterinary Record 134, 405407.Google Scholar