Limited value of current and new predicted oocyst-specific proteins of for source-attributing serology.

is a zoonotic parasite infecting all warm-blooded animals, including humans. The contribution of environmental contamination by oocysts to infections is understudied. The aim of the current work was to explore serology as a means of attributing the source of infection using a robust stepwise approach.

Short-term culture adaptation of Toxoplasma gondii archetypal II and III field isolates affects cystogenic capabilities and modifies virulence in mice.

Most Toxoplasma gondii research has been carried out using strains maintained in the laboratory for long periods of time. Long-term passage in mice or cell culture influences T. gondii phenotypic traits such as the capability to produce oocysts in cats and virulence in mice.

Archetypal type II and III oocysts induce different immune responses and clinical outcomes in experimentally infected piglets.

Livestock animals, such as swine, are an important source of in the human population. Currently, there is limited knowledge regarding the potential influence that the genotype might exert on establishing infection in swine. Herein, we investigated the role of 2 isolates, type II and III, representative of the genotypes circulating in Europe, in the immune responses and infection dynamics in piglets.

A new inactivated vaccine that improves genital clearance of the infection and calving intervals in cattle.

Bovine trichomonosis is a sexually transmitted disease that is a primary cause of early reproductive failure in cattle. The aim of the present study was to develop a vaccine formulation based on s trophozoites inactivated by lyophilization and Quil-A-adjuvanted. The safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of this new vaccine formulation (Trichobovis) administered by two routes (subcutaneous: SC, and intravulvar: IVU) were compared with a commercial vaccine (TrichGuard) in a well-established experimental bovine model of genital infection.

Nc and Nc Play a Role in the Virulence of in a Pregnant Mouse Model.

The intraspecific variability among isolates in their in vitro behaviour and in vivo virulence has been widely studied. In particular, transcriptomic and proteomic analyses have shown a higher expression/abundance of specific genes/proteins in high-virulence isolates. Consequently, the dense granule protein NcGRA7 and the rhoptry protein NcROP40 were proposed as potential virulence factors.

Parasitemia and Associated Immune Response in Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Beef Cows Naturally Infected With .

The aim of this longitudinal study was to characterize the parasitemia of and the associated immunological parameters in naturally infected beef cows for 10 months. The following groups were established: seropositive pregnant cows (+Preg, = 7), seropositive non-pregnant cows (+Npreg, = 7), seronegative pregnant cows (-Preg, = 4), and seronegative non-pregnant cows (-Npreg, = 4). Several samples were obtained for absolute and relative leukocyte counting, cytokines IL-10, IL-12, α-TNF, and γ-IFN quantification, specific IgG, IgG1, and IgG2 and avidity and DNA molecular detection and quantification.

SARS-CoV-2 Infection in One Cat and Three Dogs Living in COVID-19-Positive Households in Madrid, Spain.

In this study, we describe SARS-CoV-2 infection dynamics in one cat and three dogs from households with confirmed human cases of COVID-19 living in the Madrid Community (Spain) at the time of expansion (December 2020 through June 2021) of the alpha variant (lineage B.1.1.

Dynamics of -Associated Abortions in a Dairy Sheep Flock and Results of a Test-and-Cull Control Programme.

is an apicomplexan parasite that can cause abortions and perinatal mortality in sheep. Although ovine neosporosis has been described worldwide, there is a lack of information about the relationship between serostatus and the reproductive performance. In this study, we described the infection dynamics in a dairy sheep flock with an abortion rate up to 25% and a seroprevalence of 32%.

Morphometric study of encephalic lesions in aborted bovine fetuses naturally infected by two subpopulations of Neospora caninum.

Neospora caninum is a major reproductive disease in cattle worldwide. In the Argentinian Humid Pampa, the seroprevalence, incidence of abortions, and economic losses due to neosporosis are considerably higher in dairy than in beef cattle. Despite this, we recently demonstrated that N.

Maternal and Foetal Cellular Immune Responses in Dams Infected With High- and Low- Virulence Isolates of at Mid-Gestation.

Bovine neosporosis is currently considered one of the main causes of abortion in cattle worldwide and the outcome of the infection is, in part, determined by isolate virulence. However, the dam and foetal immune responses associated with this factor are largely unknown. We used a model of bovine infection at day 110 of gestation to study the early infection dynamics (10- and 20-days post-infection, dpi) after experimental challenge with high- and low-virulence isolates of (Nc-Spain7 and Nc-Spain1H, respectively).

In vivo and in vitro models show unexpected degrees of virulence among Toxoplasma gondii type II and III isolates from sheep.

Toxoplasma gondii is an important zoonotic agent with high genetic diversity, complex epidemiology, and variable clinical outcomes in animals and humans. In veterinary medicine, this apicomplexan parasite is considered one of the main infectious agents responsible for reproductive failure in small ruminants worldwide. The aim of this study was to phenotypically characterize 10 Spanish T.

Isolation, Genotyping, and Mouse Virulence Characterization of From Free Ranging Iberian Pigs.

The present study aimed to isolate and perform molecular and phenotypic characterization of strains infecting Iberian pigs bred under semi-free conditions and destined for human consumption. Blood and heart tissue samples from 361 fattening pigs from 10 various herds selected in the main areas of Iberian pig production were collected at a slaughterhouse; the sera were tested for anti- antibodies using a commercial indirect ELISA kit, and a mouse bioassay was carried out using heart muscle of seropositive individual representatives from each geographical location. Seventy-nine (21.

Correction to: Isolation and genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii in Spanish sheep flocks.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Microsatellite genotyping reveals extensive genetic diversity in bovine Neospora caninum from the humid Pampa region in Argentina.

Neospora caninum is an apicomplexan protozoan and a major cause of abortion in cattle worldwide. In the Argentinian Humid Pampa, bovine neosporosis causes severe economic losses. Despite this, information on the genetic structure of N.

Proteomic Characterization of Host-Pathogen Interactions during Bovine Trophoblast Cell Line Infection by .

Despite the importance of bovine neosporosis, relevant knowledge gaps remain concerning the pathogenic mechanisms of . Infection of the placenta is a crucial event in the pathogenesis of the disease; however, very little is known about the relation of the parasite with this target organ. Recent studies have shown that isolates with important variations in virulence also show different interactions with the bovine trophoblast cell line F3 in terms of proliferative capacity and transcriptome host cell modulation.

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 Toxoplasma gondii in Spanish sheep flocks.

Background: Toxoplasma gondii is a major cause of abortion in small ruminants and presents a zoonotic risk when undercooked meat containing cysts is consumed. The aim of the present study was to investigate the genetic diversity among the T. gondii strains circulating in ovine livestock in Spain.

Neospora caninum infection induces an isolate virulence-dependent pro-inflammatory gene expression profile in bovine monocyte-derived macrophages.

Background: Neospora caninum is an obligate intracellular parasite, and its ability to survive inside host immune cells may be a key mechanism for the establishment of infection in cattle. In vitro studies carried out by our group have shown that N. caninum is able to replicate in bovine macrophages (MØs), alter their microbicidal mechanisms and exploit their motility.

Crosstalk between Neospora caninum and the bovine host at the maternal-foetal interface determines the outcome of infection.

Neospora caninum is an apicomplexan cyst-forming parasite that is considered one of the main causes of abortion. The pathogenic mechanisms associated with parasite virulence at the maternal-foetal interface that are responsible for the outcome of infection are largely unknown. Here, utilizing placentomes from cattle experimentally infected with high-virulence (Nc-Spain7) and low-virulence (Nc-Spain1H) isolates, we studied key elements of the innate and adaptive immune responses, as well as components of the extracellular matrix (ECM), at 10 and 20 days post-infection (dpi).

Comparative tachyzoite proteome analyses among six Neospora caninum isolates with different virulence.

The biological variability among Neospora caninum isolates has been widely shown, however, the molecular basis that determines this diversity has not been thoroughly elucidated to date. The latest studies have focused on a limited number of isolates. Therefore, the goal of the present study was to compare the proteome of a larger number of N.

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.

Genetic characterization of Neospora caninum from Northern Italian cattle reveals high diversity in European N. caninum populations.

Recent studies have revealed extensive genetic variations among Neospora caninum, a cyst-forming protozoan parasite that is one of the main causes of bovine abortion in the cattle industry worldwide. Previous genetic studies based on multilocus microsatellite genotyping (MLGs) of different Ibero-American populations showed a high genetic diversity. These studies provided clear clues of a predominant clonal propagation in cattle and population sub-structuring partially associated with geographical origin.

Gene Expression Profiling of in Bovine Macrophages Reveals Differences Between Isolates Associated With Key Parasite Functions.

Intraspecific differences in biological traits between isolates have been widely described and associated with variations in virulence. However, the molecular basis underlying these differences has been poorly studied. We demonstrated previously that Nc-Spain7 and Nc-Spain1H, high- and low-virulence isolates, respectively, show different invasion, proliferation and survival capabilities in bovine macrophages (boMØs), a key cell in the immune response against , and modulate the cell immune response in different ways.

Global selective sweep of a highly inbred genome of the cattle parasite .

, a cyst-forming apicomplexan parasite, is a leading cause of neuromuscular diseases in dogs as well as fetal abortion in cattle worldwide. The importance of the domestic and sylvatic life cycles of , and the role of vertical transmission in the expansion and transmission of infection in cattle, is not sufficiently understood. To elucidate the population genomics of , we genotyped 50 isolates collected worldwide from a wide range of hosts using 19 linked and unlinked genetic markers.