Gondim Leane S Q, Jesus Rogério F, Ribeiro-Andrade Müller, Silva Jean C R, Siqueira Daniel B, Marvulo Maria F V, Aléssio Felipe M, Mauffrey Jean-François, Julião Fred S, Savani Elisa San Martin Mouriz, Soares Rodrigo M, Gondim Luís F P
Departamento de Anatomia, Patologia e Clínicas, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Escola de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Avenida Adhemar de Barros, 500, Ondina, Salvador 40170-110, Bahia, Brazil.
Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n, Dois Irmãos, Recife 52171-900, Pernambuco, Brazil; Instituto Brasileiro para Medicina da Conservação - Tríade, Rua Silveira Lobo 32, Caixa Postal 38, Casa Forte, Recife 532061-030, Pernambuco, Brazil.
Vet Parasitol. 2017 Aug 30;243:192-198. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2017.07.002. Epub 2017 Jul 5.
Sarcocystis neurona and Neospora spp. are protozoan parasites that induce neurological diseases in horses and other animal species. Opossums (Didelphis albiventris and Didelphis virginiana) are definitive hosts of S. neurona, which is the major cause of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). Neospora caninum causes abortion in cattle and infects a wide range of animal species, while N. hughesi is known to induce neurologic disease in equids. The aims of this study were to investigate S. neurona and N. caninum in tissues from opossums in the northeastern Brazil, and to isolate Brazilian strains of Sarcocystis spp. from wild opossums for comparison with previously isolated strains. Carcasses of 39 opossums from Bahia state were available for molecular identification of Sarcocystis spp. and N. caninum in their tissues, and for sporocyst detection by intestinal scraping. In addition, Sarcocystis-like sporocysts from nine additional opossums, obtained in São Paulo state, were tested. Sarcocystis DNA was found in 16 (41%) of the 39 opossums' carcasses; N. caninum DNA was detected in tissues from three opossums. The sporocysts from the nine additional opossums from São Paulo state were tested by bioassay and induced infection in nine budgerigars, but in none of the gamma-interferon knockout mice. In vitro isolation was successful using tissues from all nine budgerigars. The isolated strains were maintained in CV-1 and Vero cells. Three of nine isolates presented contamination in cell culture and were discarded. Analysis of six isolates based on five loci showed that these parasites were genetically different from each other and also distinct from S. neurona, S. falcatula, S. lindsayi, and S. speeri. In conclusion, opossums in the studied regions were infected with N. caninum and Sarcocystis spp. and represent a potential source of infection to other animals. This is the first report of N. caninum infection in tissues from black-eared opossum (D. aurita or D. marsupialis) and white-eared opossum (D. albiventris). Brazilian opossums are probably infected by different Sarcocystis spp. distinct from S. neurona and S. falcatula, or present a high level of genetic recombination.
犬新孢子虫和肉孢子虫属是可在马和其他动物物种中引发神经系统疾病的原生动物寄生虫。负鼠（白腹袋鼹和北美负鼠）是肉孢子虫的终末宿主，肉孢子虫是马属动物原生动物脑脊髓炎（EPM）的主要病因。犬新孢子虫可导致牛流产，并感染多种动物物种，而休氏新孢子虫已知可在马科动物中引发神经系统疾病。本研究的目的是调查巴西东北部负鼠组织中的肉孢子虫和犬新孢子虫，并从野生负鼠中分离巴西肉孢子虫属菌株，以便与先前分离的菌株进行比较。来自巴伊亚州的39只负鼠尸体可用于对其组织中的肉孢子虫属和犬新孢子虫进行分子鉴定，以及通过肠道刮片检测孢子囊。此外，还对从圣保罗州获得的另外9只负鼠的类似肉孢子虫的孢子囊进行了检测。在39只负鼠尸体中的16只（41%）中发现了肉孢子虫DNA；在3只负鼠的组织中检测到了犬新孢子虫DNA。对来自圣保罗州的另外9只负鼠的孢子囊进行了生物测定，9只虎皮鹦鹉被感染，但γ-干扰素基因敲除小鼠均未感染。使用所有9只虎皮鹦鹉的组织成功进行了体外分离。分离出的菌株在CV-1和Vero细胞中进行培养。9个分离株中有3个在细胞培养中出现污染，被丢弃。基于5个基因座对6个分离株的分析表明，这些寄生虫彼此在基因上不同，也与肉孢子虫、镰状肉孢子虫、林氏肉孢子虫和斯氏肉孢子虫不同。总之，研究区域的负鼠感染了犬新孢子虫和肉孢子虫属，是其他动物潜在的感染源。这是首次关于犬新孢子虫在黑耳负鼠（D. aurita或D. marsupialis）和白耳负鼠（D. albiventris）组织中感染的报告。巴西负鼠可能感染了与肉孢子虫和镰状肉孢子虫不同的肉孢子虫属，或者存在高水平的基因重组。
