Apicomplexan Protozoa Responsible for Reproductive Disorders: Occurrence of DNA in Blood and Milk of Donkeys () and Minireview of the Related Literature.

Donkeys may be susceptible to many pathological agents and may act as carriers of pathogens for other animal species and humans. This study evaluated the occurrence of potentially abortifacient apicomplexan protozoa DNA in blood and milk samples collected at different time periods during lactation (1, 6, and 10 months) from 33 healthy dairy jennies. A total of 73 blood and 73 milk samples were used for DNA extraction and analysis. Blood specimens from 11/33 (33%) jennies scored positive for , while milk samples scored negative. Blood and milk of 3/33 jennies yielded DNA of at 6 months (n. 1) and 10 months (n. 2) after parturition. DNA was found in four milk and in five blood samples only at one month after parturition. This study is the first report about the presence of DNA in milk of naturally infected jennies. Moreover, the excretion of DNA in some of these jennies at 30 days from the parturition may suggest a possible occurrence of an endogenous cycle, while the presence of DNA in the milk collected at 6 and 10 months after parturition may be suggestive of a discontinuous excretion.