Dataset Information

Co-Infection of L. monocytogenes and Toxoplasma gondii in a Sheep Flock Causing Abortion and Lamb Deaths.

ABSTRACT: Abortion in livestock is a public health burden, and the cause of economic losses for farmers. Abortion can be multifactorial, and a deep diagnostic investigation is important to reduce the spread of zoonotic disease and public health prevention. In our study, a multidisciplinary investigation was conducted to address the cause of increased abortion and lamb mortality on a farm, which detected a co-infection of Listeria monocytogenes and Toxoplasma gondii. Hence, it was possible to conclude that this was the reason for a reduced flock health status and the cause of an increased abortion rate. Furthermore, the investigation work and identification of the L. monocytogenes infection root allowed the reduction of economic loss.

SUBMITTER: De Angelis ME

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9415574 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Co-Infection of L. monocytogenes and Toxoplasma gondii in a Sheep Flock Causing Abortion and Lamb Deaths.

De Angelis Maria Elisabetta ME Martino Camillo C Chiaverini Alexandra A Di Pancrazio Chiara C Di Marzio Violeta V Bosica Serena S Malatesta Daniela D Salucci Stefania S Sulli Nadia N Acciari Vicdalia Aniela VA Pomilio Francesco F

Microorganisms 20220815 8

Abortion in livestock is a public health burden, and the cause of economic losses for farmers. Abortion can be multifactorial, and a deep diagnostic investigation is important to reduce the spread of zoonotic disease and public health prevention. In our study, a multidisciplinary investigation was conducted to address the cause of increased abortion and lamb mortality on a farm, which detected a co-infection of Listeria monocytogenes and Toxoplasma gondii. Hence, it was possible to ...[more]

PMID: 36014064

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Project description:BackgroundToxoplasmosis is a widespread zoonosis caused by the intracellular protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Limited epidemiological information is available about the prevalence of T. gondii in sheep in Romania, and a high incidence would have implications for both the economy and public health. To our knowledge, no studies are available about the T. gondii strains circulating in lambs. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of T. gondii in sheep (serology), lambs (serology, bioassay, PCR) and sheep abortions (PCR) in Romania. Moreover, the study aimed to perform the genetic characterization of T. gondii isolates from lambs.MethodsSerum samples collected from 2650 sheep (2067 adults and 583 lambs) were tested for anti-T. gondii antibodies (IgG) using a commercial ELISA kit. Likewise, 328 pairs of diaphragmatic muscle-serum samples were collected from lambs aged between 2 and 4 months. Lamb serum samples were analyzed using MAT for anti-T. gondii antibody detection. The diaphragm tissue samples from MAT-positive lambs (at a dilution ≥ 1:25) were bioassayed in mice. The T. gondii strains were genotyped using 15 microsatellites markers. Additionally, brain and heart samples from 76 sheep abortions were analyzed for T. gondii DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the 529-bp repeat region (REP529).ResultsThe results showed that more than half of the tested sheep were T. gondii seropositive (53.5%). The seroprevalence was significantly higher in adults (61.1%) than in lambs (26.4%). The seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in slaughtered lambs, by MAT, was 37.5% (123/328). There were bioassayed in mice 56 diaphragmatic tissues from 123 seropositive lambs. Toxoplasma gondii strains were isolated from 18 (32.1%) lambs intended for human consumption. All T. gondii strains were confirmed by PCR. Six strains were genotyped using 15 microsatellite markers and belonged to genotype II. Toxoplasma gondii DNA was detected in 11.8% (9/76) of sheep abortions.ConclusionsThe present study showed the presence of T. gondii in sheep in all the regions considered in the study. The high prevalence of T. gondii infection in sheep and lambs, demonstrated by serology, molecular analysis and bioassay, highlighted that there is an important risk of human infection in consuming raw or undercooked sheep/lamb meat.

Project description:BackgroundToxoplasma gondii is a major cause of abortion in small ruminants and presents a zoonotic risk when undercooked meat containing cysts is consumed. The aim of the present study was to investigate the genetic diversity among the T. gondii strains circulating in ovine livestock in Spain.MethodsSelected samples collected from abortion outbreaks due to toxoplasmosis (n = 31) and from chronically infected adult sheep at slaughterhouses (n = 50) in different Spanish regions were bioassayed in mice, aiming at parasite isolation. In addition, all original clinical samples and the resulting isolates were genotyped by multi-nested PCR-RFLP analysis of 11 molecular markers and by PCR-DNA sequencing of portions of the SAG3, GRA6 and GRA7 genes.ResultsAs a result, 30 isolates were obtained from 9 Spanish regions: 10 isolates from abortion-derived samples and 20 isolates from adult myocardial tissues. Overall, 3 genotypes were found: ToxoDB#3 (type II PRU variant) in 90% (27/30) of isolates, ToxoDB#2 (clonal type III) in 6.7% (2/30), and ToxoDB#1 (clonal type II) in 3.3% (1/30). When T. gondii-positive tissue samples (n = 151) were directly subjected to RFLP genotyping, complete restriction profiles were obtained for 33% of samples, and up to 98% of the specimens belonged to the type II PRU variant. A foetal brain showed a clonal type II pattern, and four specimens showed unexpected type I alleles at the SAG3 marker, including two foetal brains that showed I + II alleles as co-infection events. Amplicons of SAG3, GRA6 and GRA7 obtained from isolates and clinical samples were subjected to sequencing, allowing us to confirm RFLP results and to detect different single-nucleotide polymorphisms.ConclusionsThe present study informed the existence of a predominant type II PRU variant genotype (ToxoDB#3) infecting domestic sheep in Spain, in both abortion cases and chronic infections in adults, coexisting with other clonal (ToxoDB#1 and ToxoDB#2), much less frequent genotypes, as well as polymorphic strains as revealed by clinical sample genotyping. The use of multilocus sequence typing aided in accurately estimating T. gondii intragenotype diversity.

Dataset Information

Co-Infection of L. monocytogenes and Toxoplasma gondii in a Sheep Flock Causing Abortion and Lamb Deaths.

Publications

Co-Infection of <i>L. monocytogenes</i> and <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> in a Sheep Flock Causing Abortion and Lamb Deaths.

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