Prevalence of intestinal parasite infections in stray and farm dogs from Spain.

Dogs play a potential role as reservoirs for zoonotic parasites, being especially problematic uncontrolled dog populations such as stray and farm dogs with access to populated areas. In order to investigate the prevalence of canine intestinal parasites in at-risk dog populations, we tested a total of 233 faecal samples shed by stray and dairy farm dogs from northern Spain. Telemann method was used to detect the presence of eggs and (oo)cysts of common dog intestinal parasites and Cryptosporidium was detected by PCR.

Isolation and genetic characterization of Neospora caninum from naturally infected sheep.

Neospora caninum is considered one of the main causes of abortion in cattle but can also cause abortion in sheep. There is limited knowledge of the N. caninum population infecting sheep, and only one N.

Prevalence of bovine trichomonosis and associated risk factors in bulls from Spanish beef herds.

Bovine trichomonosis is a sexually transmitted disease considered as an important cause of early reproductive failure in beef cattle. To investigate the occurrence of the infection in different Spanish beef cattle-producing areas, retrospective data from the SALUVET veterinary diagnostic laboratory (Veterinary Faculty, Madrid, Spain) derived from the analysis of samples from beef bulls that were routinely tested for Tritrichomonas foetus infection, were compiled from 2011 to 2015. In addition, a number of potential risk factors were assessed.

Virulence in Mice of a Type II Isolate Does Not Correlate With the Outcome of Experimental Infection in Pregnant Sheep.

is an apicomplexan parasite that infects almost all warm-blooded animals. Little is known about how the parasite virulence in mice extrapolates to other relevant hosts. In the current study, phenotype and behavior in mice and sheep of a type II isolate (TgShSp1) were compared with the reference type II isolate (TgME49).

An Ibero-American inter-laboratory trial to evaluate serological tests for the detection of anti-Neospora caninum antibodies in cattle.

We carried out an inter-laboratory trial to compare the serological tests commonly used for the detection of specific Neospora caninum antibodies in cattle in Ibero-American countries. A total of eight laboratories participated from the following countries: Argentina (n = 4), Brazil (n = 1), Peru (n = 1), Mexico (n = 1), and Spain (n = 1). A blind panel of well-characterized cattle sera (n = 143) and sera representative of the target population (n = 351) was tested by seven in-house indirect fluorescent antibody tests (IFATs 1-7) and three enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs 1-3; two in-house and one commercial).

Development of a murine vertical transmission model for Toxoplasma gondii oocyst infection and studies on the efficacy of bumped kinase inhibitor (BKI)-1294 and the naphthoquinone buparvaquone against congenital toxoplasmosis.

Objectives: Establishment of a mouse model for congenital toxoplasmosis based on oral infection with oocysts from Toxoplasma gondii ME49 and its application for investigating chemotherapeutic options against congenital toxoplasmosis.

Methods: CD1 mice were mated, orally infected with 5, 25, 100, 500 or 2000 oocysts and monitored for clinical signs and survival of dams and pups until 4 weeks post partum . The parasite burden in infected mice was quantified by real-time PCR in lungs, brains and, in the case of surviving pups, also in eyes.

Placental thrombosis in acute phase abortions during experimental Toxoplasma gondii infection in sheep.

After oral administration of ewes during mid gestation with 2000 freshly prepared sporulated oocysts of T. gondii isolate M4, abortions occurred between days 7 and 11 in 91.6% of pregnant and infected ewes.