Murphy T M, Walochnik J, Hassl A, Moriarty J, Mooney J, Toolan D, Sanchez-Miguel C, O'Loughlin A, McAuliffe A
Central Veterinary Laboratory, Backweston Campus, Celbridge, Co. Kildare, Ireland.
Vet Parasitol. 2007 May 31;146(3-4):227-34. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2007.02.017. Epub 2007 Mar 21.
Thoracic fluid (pleural fluid and clotted blood) from 206 foxes were examined for antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii and 220 thoracic fluid samples were tested for Neospora caninum antibodies using indirect immunofluorescent antibody tests (IFAT). A total of 115 (56%) and six (3%) foxes had antibodies to T. gondii and N. caninum, respectively. The brains from 148 foxes were examined for histological lesions and pathological changes suggestive of parasitic encephalitis were observed in 33 (22%). Two thirds of these foxes had antibodies to T. gondii and one fox had antibodies to both T. gondii and N. caninum. PCR assays carried out on DNA extracted from the 33 brains with histological lesions were negative for N. caninum but one of the brains was positive for T. gondii. Microsporidian DNA was also amplified from the brains of two of these foxes. Sequencing these amplicons revealed 100% homology with Encephalitozoon (Septata) intestinalis in one fox and Encephalitozoon cuniculi in the second fox. This is the first report of Encephalitozoon infections in wildlife in Ireland.
对206只狐狸的胸液（胸水和凝血）进行检测，以检测弓形虫抗体，并使用间接免疫荧光抗体试验（IFAT）对220份胸液样本检测犬新孢子虫抗体。分别共有115只（56%）和6只（3%）狐狸有弓形虫和犬新孢子虫抗体。对148只狐狸的大脑进行组织学病变检查，在33只（22%）狐狸中观察到提示寄生虫性脑炎的病理变化。这些狐狸中有三分之二有弓形虫抗体，1只狐狸同时有弓形虫和犬新孢子虫抗体。对33只患有组织学病变的狐狸大脑提取的DNA进行PCR检测，结果犬新孢子虫为阴性，但其中1只狐狸大脑的弓形虫检测为阳性。在其中2只狐狸的大脑中也扩增出了微孢子虫DNA。对这些扩增子进行测序，结果显示其中1只狐狸与肠道脑炎微孢子虫（Septata）有100%的同源性，另一只狐狸与兔脑炎微孢子虫有100%的同源性。这是爱尔兰野生动物中脑炎微孢子虫感染的首次报道。
