Witold Stefanski Institute of Parasitology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia.
J Anim Sci. 2018 Jun 4;96(6):2468-2473. doi: 10.1093/jas/sky122.
Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum are coccidian parasites with a global distribution that cause reproductive failure and production losses in livestock. The seroprevalence of both parasite species in ruminants and Cervidae has been investigated worldwide and found to vary greatly. Studies carried out on mixed flocks with 3 ruminant species (sheep, goats, and fallow deer) living under the same conditions are excellent models for identifying any differences in the rate of infection with the 2 parasites between the animal species. Additionally, the species used in the present study differ in their feeding categories: grazers, browsers, and intermediate feeders. The aim of the study is to identify any variation in the prevalence of the 2 parasites in mixed flocks and to identify any possible relationships with food choice. The seroprevalence against T. gondii and N. caninum in 167 captive fallow deer, 64 sheep, and 39 goats were detected using commercially available ELISA. The seroprevalence for T. gondii achieved 10% in fallow deer, 21% in goats, and 47% in sheep. The seroprevalence for N. caninum achieved 13% in sheep and fallow deer and 21% in goats. Overall, 53% of the sheep, 33% of the goats, and 22% of the fallow deer were seropositive for both infections. Coinfection of T. gondii and N. caninum was detected in 6% of sheep, 8% of goats, and 2% of fallow deer. Statistical analyses of the seroprevalence levels observed between 2 parasites for each animal species revealed that only the results obtained for sheep were significant (P < 0.01). Additionally, the differences in the seroprevalence levels for T. gondii between sheep and goats and between sheep and fallow deer were statistically significant (P < 0.01). The results of the N. caninum seroprevalence levels observed among animal species were not significant. Although the variations in susceptibility to T. gondii and N. caninum infections demonstrated by the examined animals may affect the differences in seropositivity, these appear to be related to the feeding habits of the animal species. Therefore, the risk of infection by agents found close to the ground, such as coccidian oocysts, varies. Sheep as grazers are at a greater risk of infection by T. gondii than goats and fallow deer.
刚地弓形虫和新孢子虫是具有全球分布的球虫寄生虫，会导致家畜繁殖失败和生产损失。这两种寄生虫在反刍动物和鹿科动物中的血清流行率已在全球范围内进行了调查，发现差异很大。对生活在相同条件下的 3 种反刍动物（绵羊、山羊和黇鹿）的混合羊群进行的研究是确定两种寄生虫在动物物种之间感染率差异的极佳模型。此外，本研究中使用的物种在其摄食类别上有所不同：食草动物、食叶动物和中间食料动物。本研究的目的是确定混合羊群中这两种寄生虫的流行率是否存在差异，并确定与食物选择之间是否存在任何关系。使用市售 ELISA 检测了 167 只圈养黇鹿、64 只绵羊和 39 只山羊对刚地弓形虫和新孢子虫的血清流行率。黇鹿的刚地弓形虫血清流行率为 10%，山羊为 21%，绵羊为 47%。绵羊和黇鹿的新孢子虫血清流行率为 13%，山羊为 21%。总体而言，53%的绵羊、33%的山羊和 22%的黇鹿对这两种感染均呈血清阳性。在 6%的绵羊、8%的山羊和 2%的黇鹿中检测到刚地弓形虫和新孢子虫的混合感染。对每种动物物种中观察到的两种寄生虫的血清流行率水平进行的统计分析表明，只有绵羊的结果具有统计学意义（P<0.01）。此外，绵羊和山羊以及绵羊和黇鹿之间的刚地弓形虫血清流行率水平差异具有统计学意义（P<0.01）。动物物种之间观察到的新孢子虫血清流行率水平的结果没有统计学意义。尽管所检查的动物对刚地弓形虫和新孢子虫感染的易感性差异可能会影响血清阳性率的差异，但这些差异似乎与动物物种的摄食习惯有关。因此，感染靠近地面的病原体（如球虫卵囊）的风险各不相同。作为食草动物的绵羊感染刚地弓形虫的风险高于山羊和黇鹿。
