Fatal Aberrant Parasite Migration of Echinuria uncinata in Two African Pygmy Geese (Nettapus auritus).

Two adult African pygmy geese (Nettapus auritus) were found dead with minimal clinical disease signs. Necropsy revealed aberrant migration of the nematode parasite Echinuria uncinata, as confirmed morphologically and through DNA sequencing. This common waterfowl parasite typically lives in the proventriculus, burying headfirst into the mucosa and laying eggs into the gastrointestinal lumen. In these geese, the parasites tunneled through the gastrointestinal tract wall to invade the coelomic cavity; from which, a substantial quantity of eggs found their way into the coelomic space and into the air sacs and lungs. This potential parasite migration should be monitored for in Anseriformes species that present with similar disease conditions, and the use of Daphnia species, the intermediate host, as a waterfowl feed source is not recommended.

The impact of socio-cultural factors on transmission of Taenia spp. and Echinococcus granulosus in Kosovo.

Echinococcus granulosus sensu latu (s.l.) and Taenia hydatigena are common parasites of ruminant intermediate hosts in the Balkans. Transmission is linked mainly to home slaughtering and the feeding of infected organs to dogs. In Kosovo, many old sheep are slaughtered particularly during Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice). To determine whether this tradition could affect parasite transmission, we compared the probability of 504 dogs to contract taenid infections after deworming during one period before Eid al-Adha and a similar period beginning with this event. Initially, taeniid eggs were detected in 6·2% (CI 4·2-8·6) of the dogs. The prevalence before Eid al-Adha was significantly lower (1·2%, CI 0·4-2·6) as compared with the prevalence after the event (4·3%, CI 2·6-6·3). A comparable trend was apparent at species level for T. hydatigena and E. granulosus. These results indicate that the pronounced increase of taeniid infections, including E. granulosus s.l., after Eid al-Adha is linked to traditional home slaughtering that occurs during this celebration. This particular epidemiological situation provides an opportunity for implementing focussed control activities.

Coprodiagnosis of Echinococcus granulosus infection in dogs from Ankara, Turkey.

The present study were undertaken to compare two isolation techniques (centrifugal flotation and sedimentation) for recovering taeniid eggs from faecal samples, to identify E. granulosus DNA from taeniid eggs by PCR, and to determine the prevalence of E. granulosus in dogs in villages. Faecal samples were collected from 100 dogs in Ankara province. Taenia spp. eggs were found in 27% of dogs faeces. Echinococcus granulosus-specific PCR was obtained in 14 (51.85%) of the taeniid eggs-positive samples. As well as finding Taenia eggs in dogs' faeces, we also found eggs of some helminthic parasites; such as Dipylidium caninum, Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina, Trichuris sp., Capillaria sp., Filaroides sp., Dioctophyme renale, Linguatula serrata, hookworm, Dicrocoelium sp., Fasciola sp. and Ascaridia galli. Significantly, more dogs excreting taeniid eggs were diagnosed with the sedimentation method (n=27) as compared to the flotation method (n=10).

Can the parasitic fauna on Nile tilapias be affected by different production systems?

This study compared the parasitic fauna on Nile tilapias kept with swine dejects and tilapia from fee fishing fed commercial ration. A total of 360 fish were analyzed from August 2003 to July 2004 in a facility situated in Nova Trento, Santa Catarina, Brazil. No significant difference was observed in both systems. The parasite fauna in both systems were slightly similar, with the presence of the following parasites: Trichodina magna and T compacta (Ciliophora); Cichlidogyrus sclerosus and Cichlidogyrus sp. (Monogenoidea); and Lamproglena sp. (Lernaeidae). Parasitological analyzes did not differ among fishes kept with swine dejects and in fee fishing with commercial diet (P >0.05). The total prevalence of trichodinids in the gills of fish kept with swine dejects was 1.7 percent as compared to the one kept in fee fishing with commercial diet (0.6 percent). The Monogenoidea prevalence and mean intensity in the gills and body of fish from fee fishing was 16.5 percent and 2.6, and compared to other system was 13.2 percent and 0.8, respectively. This study showed that low stocking density and low water temperature in that region were responsible for the maintenance of good health and lower parasitism rate.

Este estudo comparou a fauna parasitária de tilápia do Nilo mantida em consorciação com suínos e alimentada com ração comercial mantida em pesque-pague. Um total de 360 peixes foi analisado, entre agosto de 2003 ejulhode2004, em uma propriedade de Nova Trento, Santa Catarina, Brasil. Não houve diferença significativa entre os dois sistemas de cultivo. A fauna parasitária em ambos foi ligeiramente semelhante com a presença de Trichodina magna e T compacta (Ciliophora); Cichlidogyrus sclerosus e Cichlidogyrus sp. (Monogenoidea) e Laproglena sp. (Lernaeidae). A análise parasitológica não mostrou diferença entre os peixes dos dois sistemas. A prevalência total de tricodinídeos nas brânquias dos peixes mantidos com dejetos de suínos foi de 1,7 por cento quando comparada com os do pesque-pague de 0,6 por cento. A taxa de prevalência e a intensidade média de Monogenoidea nas brânquias dos peixes do pesque-pague foi de 16,5 por cento e 2,6, respectivamente comparada com os mantidos com suínos de 13,2 por cento e 0,8, respectivamente. Este estudo demonstrou que a baixa densidade de estocagem de peixes nesta propriedade e a baixa temperatura na região colaboraram para que a saúde dos animais fosse mantida e o nível de parasitismo baixo.

Contaminação da pastagem com larvas infectantes de nematoides gastrintestinais após o pastejo de ovelhas resistentes ou susceptíveis à verminose / Pasture contamination with infective larvae of gastrointestinal nematodes after grazing by sheep resistant or susceptible to parasitic infection

O grau de contaminação da pastagem por larvas de terceiro estágio (L3) de nematoides gastrintestinais foi avaliado em piquetes pastejados por ovelhas resistentes ou susceptíveis à verminose. O experimento foi realizado de 23 de novembro de 2007 a 22 de julho de 2008. Inicialmente, realizou-se a contagem de ovos por grama de fezes (OPG) de amostras individuais de 130 ovelhas adultas da raça Bergamácia. Dessas, foram selecionadas as nove ovelhas com contagens mais elevadas de OPG (susceptíveis) e as 10 com as menores contagens (resistentes). As ovelhas resistentes apresentaram menor contagem de OPG, maiores valores de volume globular, de proteína plasmática total e de eosinófilos sanguíneos, do que as ovelhas susceptíveis. O peso também foi maior no grupo resistente. Na pastagem, foram identificadas larvas de Haemonchus spp., Trichostrongylus spp. e Oesophagostomum spp. Em média, as quantidades de L3 de Haemonchus spp. e de Trichostrongylus spp., na pastagem, foram 2,19 e 2,31 vezes, respectivamente, maiores nos piquetes pastejados pelo grupo susceptível do que nos do grupo resistente. Portanto, os animais susceptíveis devem ser eliminados do rebanho a fim de reduzir a contaminação da pastagem e otimizar a profilaxia das infecções por nematoides gastrintestinais.

The degree of contamination of herbage with third stage larvae of gastrointestinal nematodes was evaluated in paddocks grazed by resistant or susceptible ewes. The trial occurred from November 23, 2007 to July 22, 2008. Initially, fecal egg counts (FEC) were performed with individual samples of 130 adult ewes of the Bergamacia breed. Of those animals, nine ewes with the highest FEC (susceptible group) and 10 with the lowest counts (resistant group) were selected and moved to separate paddocks. The resistant ewes presented lower FEC, higher values of packed cell volume, total plasma protein and blood eosinophils than the susceptible ewes. The weight was also higher in the resistant group. Haemonchus spp., Trichostrongylus spp. and Oesophagostomum spp. third stage larvae were recovered from pasture. In average, the amount of Haemonchus spp. and Trichostrongylus spp. third stage larvae in the pasture were 2.19 and 2.31 times, respectively, higher in the paddocks grazed by susceptible group in comparison with those grazed by the resistant animals. Therefore, the susceptible animals should be eliminated from the flock in order to reduce pasture contamination and optimize the prophylaxis of gastrointestinal nematode infections.

[Risk of Echinococcus granulosus becoming endemic in Dutch cattle]. / Het risico van het endemisch worden van Echinococcus granulosus in rundvee in Nederland.

Echinococcus granulosus is rare in The Netherlands and most human patients originate from southern Europe and Africa, where E. granulosus is still endemic in sheep, cattle, and pigs. Since the accession of some south-eastern European countries to the European Union, a large number of cattle have been imported from this area, according to national import data. The objective of this study was to determine the risk of re-introduction of E. granulosus in The Netherlands via the import of cattle from these endemic areas. The number of infected imported cattle was determined by correcting the number of imported cattle with the national animal prevalence of E. granulosus in the country of origin. In 2007, the number of imported E. granulosus-infected cattle varied from 0 (Cyprus) to 4,934 (Romania, accounting for 90% of all positive cattle). The likelihood of detecting E. granulosus at slaughter is low--we assumed, based on confirmed cases, that only 10% of infected cattle will be detected during visual inspection at slaughter. In 2007, 542 infected cattle were probably culled in The Netherlands (assuming that cattle younger than 3 months were not infected). Since the lungs and livers of cattle approved for human consumption may be processed into dog food, there is a risk that dogs that eat E. granulosus-containing dog food may become infected and in turn infect humans. On the basis of a model that assumed that only cattle older than 3 months at the moment of importation were a risk, 23 dogs may have been exposed to E. granulosus in 2007. To reduce the risk of importing E. granulosus, measures should be taken, such as declaring the lungs and livers of Romanian cattle unfit for human consumption and banning the use of infected raw lung and liver in dog food.

Migration of gastrointestinal nematode larvae from cattle faecal pats onto grazable herbage.

This study investigated the effect of successive harvests of grazable herbage around cattle faecal pats on the population dynamics of infective gastrointestinal nematode larvae (L(3)). Faecal material, collected from naturally infected calves, was deposited as pats during summer, autumn and winter on three different topographical aspects within a moist, temperate region of New Zealand. Herbage was harvested four times (22-248 days) from around the faecal pats to a height of 2cm in three radial zones (0-20cm, 20-35cm and 35-45cm from the centre of the faecal pat) and L(3) extracted. Harvest date was determined by herbage mass to simulate grazing events. L(3) extracted from herbage were predominantly Cooperia spp. More L(3) were recovered from faeces deposited in summer and autumn, than those deposited during winter. L(3) concentration on herbage was highest (P<0.001) in the zone nearest the pat for all except the fourth harvest. Mean concentrations of L(3) on herbage were 11,447, 3154, 337 and 102 L(3)/kg dry matter herbage, for the four successive harvests, respectively. Microclimate differences as affected by aspect had a marked effect on herbage growth, but did not significantly affect L(3) concentration on herbage. In this study, L(3) remained aggregated close to the faecal pats they emerged from even after two successive harvests and significant rainfall. Successive harvests simulated the effect of repeated grazing events by a non-infective stock class. Two such grazings and the associated time, reduced L(3) presence on grazable herbage to <3% of the original population. Grazing strategies to generate clean pasture for vulnerable cattle are discussed in relation to these results.

Ovine toxoplasmosis: transmission, clinical outcome and control.

Toxoplasma gondii is a significant cause of abortion in sheep. Infection is picked up from the environment and if initiated during pregnancy may cause fetal mortality. Infected sheep remain persistently infected with tissue cysts in brain and muscle (meat), and are also immune and would not be expected to abort again. The live tachyzoite vaccine (Toxovax) protects against abortion and this allows the suggestion that it may also reduce or prevent tissue cyst development in muscle. If this were so it raises the question of whether the vaccine could be used to make meat safer for human consumption.

Sewage sludge or cattle slurry as pasture fertilisers: comparative cysticercosis and trichostrongylosis risk for grazing cattle.

Sewage sludge and slurry are used as fertilisers on pastures grazed by ruminants. The former may be a source of Taenia saginata, which causes cysticercosis in cattle and taeniosis in man. The latter is a source of digestive tract-strongyles, a major helminth infection in cattle. The interest of application on pastures of these two biowastes is environmental (optimal recycling of biowastes) and agronomic (fertilisation). The parasitic risk and the fertilisation value of such applications on pastures were evaluated during one grazing season. Liquid sewage sludge did induce higher herbage biomass, which corresponded to higher liveweight gains during the first 2 months of grazing, compared to slurry spread pastures and calves grazing them. The sludge group of calves did not acquire live cysticerci and thus the risk was nil under the conditions of the study (delay of 6 weeks between application and grazing). The slurry group of calves did become lightly infected with digestive-tract strongyles, mostly Ostertagia ostertagi. Under the conditions of this experiment, a 6-week delay between application and grazing strongly reduced the risk of infection: it renders compatible the agronomic use and requirements of public or animal health.

Efecto de la adición de la semilla de paprika en la dieta para la infección por Salmonella enteritidis en pollos de engorda / Effect of the administration of dietary paprika seed on Salmonella enteritidis infection in broiler chicks

En el presente trabajo se evaluó el efecto protectivo de la semilla de parpika en la dieta para la colonización e invasión de Salmonella enteritidis en órganos, peso corporal y pH del contenido cecal. Los pollos se pesaron al momento de la llegada y se evaluó el peso a los 7 y 15 días de edad, no encontrándose diferencias estadísticamente significativas (P>0.05). A los 15 días de edad, todas las aves se desafiaron con 10 8 ufc/ml de S. enteritidis resistente a la novobiocina (NO) y al ácido nalidíxico (AN). Las aves fueron sacrificadas 24 horas posinoculación y se tomaron muestras de hígado, bazo y tonsilas cecales. En relación con el número total de aves positivas a S. enteritidis en tonsilas cecales, no se observaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas (P>0.05) en todos los grupos experimentales; sin embargo, en hígado y bazo, la invasión disminuyó significativamente (P<0.05) en los grupos tratados con 18 ppm de ácido cápsico (AC) puro (26/39) y con 18 ppm de AC a partir de semillas de paprika (25/37) comparados con el grupo testigo (34/39). En el grupo con 27 ppm de AC de semilla de paprika (25/39) se observó una diferencia estadísticamente significativa (P<0.025) en relación con el grupo testigo. El pH del contenido cecal decreció significativamente (P<0.05) en todos los grupos tratados con respecto al grupo testigo. Los resultados obtenidos en este trabajo concuerdan con estudios previos y demuestran que el ácido cápsico presente en la semilla de paprika también resultó efectivo en la disminución de la viabilidad de S. enteritidis para colonizar e invadir órganos internos

Epidemiologic findings from an outbreak of cysticercosis in feedlot cattle.

An outbreak of cysticercosis in a south-central Idaho custom feedlot reached a peak prevalence of 11% in January 1993 and extended from October 1992 through March 1993. Of 5,164 cattle slaughtered from this feedlot during the outbreak, 457 (9%) were cysticercosis infected. Total discounts on the infected cattle at slaughter cost the feedlot $154,400. Most evidence was suggestive of feed-borne transmission of Taenia saginata eggs to the cattle in the feedlot. By use of logistic regression analysis of feedlot records, significant (P = 0.004) association of cysticercosis prevalence at slaughter with days on feed was revealed. Similarly, a decline in cysticercosis prevalence was significantly (P < 0.001) related to the number of days cattle were fed a ration not containing potato byproduct. Although sources other than potato byproduct were systematically evaluated during the investigation, findings suggested that potato byproduct fed in this feedlot was contaminated with T saginata eggs.

Persistence of tissue cysts in edible tissues of cattle fed Toxoplasma gondii oocysts.

Four 1-year-old steers were each inoculated orally with 10,000 Toxoplasma gondii oocysts of the GT-1 strain and euthanatized on postinoculation days (PID) 350, 539, 1191, and 1201. Samples (500 g) of tongue, heart, semimembranosus and semitendinosus muscles (roast), intercostal muscles (ribs), longismus muscles (tenderloin), brain, kidneys, liver, and small intestine were bioassayed for T gondii by feeding to cats and examination of cat feces for shedding of oocysts. Toxoplasma gondii was recovered by bioassays in cats for the 3 steers necropsied PID 350, 539, and 1191, but not from the steer euthanatized on PID 1201. Cats shed oocysts after ingesting tongue from 2 steers, heart from 3 steers, liver from 2 steers, and roast, ribs, brain, and intestines from 1 steer each. Toxoplasma gondii was not isolated from any of the other bovine tissues. In addition to tissues bioassayed in cats, homogenates of mesenteric lymph nodes, lungs, spinal cord, spleen, and eyes were bioassayed in mice for T gondii infection. Toxoplasma gondii was not recovered from the 135 mice inoculated with tissue from each of the 4 steers. All 4 inoculated steers developed high T gondii antibody titers (> or = 1:8,000) in the agglutination test, using formalin-fixed whole tachyzoites. In the steer euthanatized on PID 1201, agglutinating T gondii antibody titers decreased from 1:4,000 to 1:320 between 2 and 5 months after inoculation and to 1:20 by 19 months after inoculation.