Detection of Hammondia heydorni and related coccidia (Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii) in goats slaughtered in Bahia, Brazil.

Hammondia heydorni is a coccidian parasite with an obligatory two host life cycle, with dogs and foxes as definitive hosts, and a number of intermediate hosts, including goats. While infection by this parasite seems to be unassociated with any clinical signs, infection by the closely related parasites Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii can result in abortion, stillbirths and low yielding in caprine herds. The aim of this work was to investigate the frequency of goats infected with H. heydorni using a nested PCR, specific to Toxoplasmatinae internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) of the rDNA, followed by sequencing of the purified PCR fragments. The same molecular techniques were used to determine the frequencies of N. caninum and T. gondii-infected animals. A total frequency of 13.72% (14/102) was obtained for Toxoplasmatinae DNA in goat tissues. After sequencing the PCR products from all positive tissues, a frequency of 3.92% (4/102), 1.96% (2/102) and 7.84% (8/102) were obtained for H. heydorni, N. caninum and T. gondii, respectively. All sequences shared 98-100% identity with sequences from other strains of these coccidia present in GenBank. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of H. heydorni DNA in tissues from naturally infected intermediate hosts.

Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in sparrows (Passer domesticus) in the Northeast of Brazil.

Toxoplasma gondii is a cosmopolitan protozoan parasite of warm-blooded animals that causes high rates of infection in mammals and birds. Sparrows (Passer domesticus) are synantropic birds which are distributed worldwide. They serve as intermediate hosts for the parasite but are quite resistant to toxoplasmosis. The aims of this study were to determine the frequency of T. gondii infection in sparrows using serologic and molecular tests, and to investigate related parasites, such as Neospora caninum and Hammondia sp., using a nested PCR for Toxoplasmatinae DNA followed by sequence analysis of the PCR amplicons. A total of 293 sparrows were trapped at the states of Bahia and Pernambuco, Brazil. Tissues of 40 animals were available for molecular tests. Antibodies to T. gondii were found in 1.02% (3/293) of animals using a hemagglutination test, with titers ranging from 1:32 to 1:128. Toxoplasmatinae DNA was detected in 10/40 (25%) sparrows; after nucleotide sequencing, T. gondii was confirmed in 7/40 (17.5%) birds and N. caninum in 3/40 (7.5%) animals. Sparrows from Brazil were confirmed as intermediate hosts of T. gondii, that reinforces the potential importance of these birds on the transmission of the parasite to cats and other animals that may predate sparrows. In addition, N. caninum was detected for the first time in sparrows. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first wild synantropic bird species identified as intermediate host of N. caninum. These findings seem to have a great epidemiologic impact because of the cosmopolitan distribution of sparrows and due to their increasing population in urban and rural areas.

[Occurence of ectoparasites in ostriches (Struthio camelus) reared in semi-arid region of Bahia]. / Ocorrência de ectoparasitos em avestruzes (Struthio camelus) criadas no semi-árido baiano.

In the period of May to August of 2005, 19 ostrich's farms were visited in the semi-arid area of the Irecê, Bahia, in order to describe the ectoparasites. The African Black ostriches were reared in intensive system, and distributed for age group, in colonies, trio, couple or cráche. In each farm, after visually inspection of the ostrich, the feathers were taken in several areas of the body and were kept in plastic bags. The screwworms found were collected and stored in 70% ethanol. In 74% (14/19) and 47% (04/19) of the flocks were found ostriches infested, respectively, for the Struthiopterolichus bicaudatus (acari) and Struthiolipeurus rheae (mallophaga). In only one flock (5.3%) it was found an animal with Cochliomyia hominivorax larvae.

Ocorrência de ectoparasitos em avestruzes (Struthio camelus) criadas no semi-árido baiano / Occurence of ectoparasites in ostriches (Struthio camelus) reared in semi-arid region of Bahia

No período de maio a agosto de 2005, foram visitados 19 planteis de avestruzes na região semi-árida do município de Irecê, Bahia, objetivando identificar os ectoparasitos. As aves, predominantemente da raça "African Black", eram criadas em sistema intensivo e distribuídas, por faixa etária, em colônias, trio, casal ou creche. Durante a inspeção das aves, as plumas colhidas aleatoriamente, de várias regiões do corpo, foram acondicionadas em sacos plásticos e as larvas, colhidas das miíases, em álcool etílico a 70 por cento. Em 74 por cento (14/19) e 47 por cento (04/19) dos plantéis encontravam-se avestruzes infestadas, respectivamente, pelas espécies Struthiopterolichus bicaudatus e Struthiolipeurus rheae. Somente em um plantel (5,3 por cento) foi encontrado um animal parasitado por larvas de Cochliomyia hominivorax.

In the period of May to August of 2005, 19 ostrich's farms were visited in the semi-arid area of the Irecê, Bahia, in order to describe the ectoparasites. The African Black ostriches were reared in intensive system, and distributed for age group, in colonies, trio, couple or crèche. In each farm, after visually inspection of the ostrich, the feathers were taken in several areas of the body and were kept in plastic bags. The screwworms found were collected and stored in 70 percent ethanol. In 74 percent (14/19) and 47 percent (04/19) of the flocks were found ostriches infested, respectively, for the Struthiopterolichus bicaudatus (acari) and Struthiolipeurus rheae (mallophaga). In only one flock (5.3 percent) it was found an animal with Cochliomyia hominivorax larvae.