Morphological and molecular identification of Sarcocystis spp. from the sika deer (Cervus nippon), including two new species Sarcocystis frondea and Sarcocystis nipponi

Parasitology Research - Diaphragm muscles of 25 sika deer (Cervus nippon) farmed in Lithuania were examined for sarcocysts of Sarcocystis species. Two new Sarcocystis species, Sarcocystis frondea...     

Microbiological characteristics of clinical isolates of Cryptococcus spp. in Bahia, Brazil: molecular types and antifungal susceptibilities

To determine the profiles of susceptibility to antifungal and the genotypes of clinical isolates of Cryptococcus in Bahia, Brazil, 62 isolates were collected from cases of meningitis in the period from 2006 to 2010. Their susceptibilities to fluconazole, itraconazole, amphotericin B and 5-flucytosine were determined by the broth microdilution technique described by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute and genotyping of the URA5 gene was accomplished by restriction fragment length polymorphism. C. neoformans accounted for 79% of the identified yeast and C. gattii represented the remaining 21%. Evaluation of the genotypes determined that 100% of the C. gattii isolates belong to the VGII genotype, and 98% of the C. neoformans isolates belong to the VNI genotype. Determination of susceptibility revealed isolates resistant to fluconazole (4.8%), 5-flucytosine (1.6%) and amphotericin B (3.2%); the stratification of sensitivity results for each species showed significant differences in susceptibility to azoles. This study is the first to describe the susceptibility profiles of molecular and clinical isolates of Cryptococcus in Bahia, Brazil. The high percentage of C. gattii isolates belonging to the VGII genotype and its lower susceptibility to antifungal agents highlight the importance of knowing which species are involved in cryptococcal infections in northeastern Brazil.     

Prevalence of Sarcocystis spp. and Hammondia spp. microcysts in esophagus tissue of sheep and cattle,emphasized on their morphological differences

Sarcocystis and Hammondia are two obligatory protozoan parasites. These genera belong to cyst-forming coccidia group of the phylum Apicomplexa. They both need two different hosts to complete their life cycles. Felids and canids can act as definitive hosts, while herbivores, such as sheep and cattle, are the most important intermediate hosts. Reports verify that no important disease has been caused by Hammondia spp.; on the other hand, Sarcocystis spp. can cause some severe infectious disease in livestock industry such as abortion. Economic losses are another concern due to carcass condemnation during meat inspection in abattoirs and decrease in the quality and quantity of milk and wool production. Due to the Sarcocystis and Hammondia tissue cysts being similar, the distinction between these different genera is so important. In this study, the prevalence of Sarcocystis and Hammondia in the esophagus tissue of sheep and cattle slaughtered in one of the industrial abattoir in Iran was reported and an easy and rapid method for accurate diagnosing of Sarcocystis and Hammondia bradyzoites was explained.     

Epidemiological observations on cryptosporidiosis and molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium spp. in sheep and goats in Kuwait

Parasitology Research - Molecular epidemiological analysis of cryptosporidiosis in Middle Eastern countries suggests that small ruminants could play a major role in the transmission of...     

云南宾川地区牛羊片形吸虫感染调查及分子鉴定

目的对云南宾川地区爆发人体片形吸虫病的村落进行牛羊的片形吸虫感染调查和检测,为当地片形吸虫病的研究提供数据。方法采用尼龙袋集卵法收集牛羊粪便中的虫卵,进行镜检。对检出的样本进行PCR扩增和测序;用MP法、NJ法及ML法进行种系发育分析。结果从134（28.63%）头牛和27（25.23%）头羊中查到了片形吸虫的虫卵,对所检到的虫卵进行线粒体pcox1基因的扩增和测序,比对后发现所检样本主要为肝片吸虫和大片吸虫两个种。采用MP法、NJ法及ML法进行种系发育分析表明,宾川地区牛羊感染的片形吸虫虫种主要为肝片吸虫和大片吸虫两种。结论宾川地区牛羊片形吸虫感染严重,云南宾川为肝片形吸虫及大片形吸虫混合感染地区,当地政府应重视该病的防治。     

Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae infection in Zimbabwean goats and sheep.

The prevalence of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (MO) in three Communal Lands flocks of goats on the outskirts of Harare is described. In a single sampling of nasal swabs from 172 randomly selected, apparently healthy goats, 112 animals were identified as carriers of MO. The three flocks had a history of occasional deaths, following chronic and subacute pneumonia associated with isolation of MO as the only identifiable pathogen. Attempts to induce clinical pneumonia in groups of 6 to 8-week-old kids and lambs with local isolates of MO were not successful. However, MO was consistently cultured from the trachea, lungs, lymph node and thymus of some test animals. Cuffing interstitial pneumonia was also observed in these animals. Infection of the thymus occurred; this has not previously been reported with any Mycoplasma sp. The animals did not produce detectable serum antibodies to MO nor were they reactive to MO antigen in a tuberculin-type hypersensitivity test. The possibility that a state of immunotolerance may have been responsible for failure to develop clinical pneumonia is discussed.     

Histopathological,morphological, and molecular characterization of Sarcocystis species in elk (Cervus elaphus) from Pennsylvania,USA

Parasitology Research - Sarcocystis sarcocysts are common in many species of domestic and wild animals. Here, we report sarcocystosis in muscles from 91 free range elk (Cervus elaphus) from...     

The high frequency of EBV infection in pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma is related to the classical type in Bahia, Brazil

Pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) occurring in developing regions is different from HL in industrialized countries due to the higher frequency of association with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection. This infection is related to classical HL (cHL) but is virtually absent in nodular lymphocyte predominant HL (nLPHL). We studied the phenotype and the expression of EBV gene products in 90 pediatric cases by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. EBV-positive tumor cells were found exclusively in cHL. The infection occurred with high frequency in all cHL subtypes, but it predominated in the mixed cellularity and lymphocyte depletion subtypes. These results reinforce the hypothesis that EBV plays a major role in the etiology of pediatric cHL in developing areas. Curiously, the frequency of EBV infection in HL was identical to the previously described for Burkitt’s lymphoma in the same pediatric population. As both lymphomas have a postulated precursor cell in the germinal center (GC), the pattern of latently EBV-infected GC cells previously described in Bahia may be related to the development of these lymphomas.     

Evidence of Rickettsia spp. infection in Sweden: a clinical, ultrastructural and serological study

Sweden is an area potentially endemic for spotted fever rickettsioses. Rickettsia helvetica has been isolated from its tick vector Ixodes ricinus, and in a handful of cases linked to human disease. This study demonstrates for the first time in Sweden the transmission of rickettsial infection after a tick bite and the attack rate in an endemic area. We present three cases of documented rickettsial infection and a prospective serological study of Swedish recruits who were trained in the area where the patients lived and showed seroconversion to spotted fever rickettsiae. All patients showed a four-fold increase in antibody titer to the spotted fever rickettsia, R. helvetica, and immunohistochemical examination revealed rickettsia-like organisms in the walls of skin capillaries and veins. Electron microscopy showed organisms resembling R. helvetica and immunogold labeling with two anti-rickettsial antibodies demonstrated specific labeling of the rickettsial organisms in the skin biopsy specimens. Eight of the thirty-five recruits showed a four-fold increase in IgG titer reflecting a high rate of exposure. The results of this study demonstrate that spotted fever rickettsioses should be taken into consideration in the diagnosis of tick-transmitted infections in Sweden.     

Morphological and molecular characteristics of four Sarcocystis spp. in Canadian moose (Alces alces), including Sarcocystis taeniata n. sp.

Individual sarcocysts were isolated from fresh or alcohol-fixed muscle samples of two moose from Alberta, Canada, and examined by light (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and molecular methods, comprising polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and sequencing of the complete18S rRNA gene and the partial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (cox1). By LM, four sarcocyst types were recognized, and the sequencing results showed that each type represented a distinct species, i.e. Sarcocystis alces, Sarcocystis alceslatrans, Sarcocystis ovalis and Sarcocystis taeniata n. sp. The finding of S. alceslatrans and S. ovalis has been reported briefly previously, but further details are provided here, including the ultrastructure of sarcoysts of S. alceslatrans as seen by SEM. The species S. alces was found for the first time in Canadian moose, whereas the finding of S. taeniata is the first record of this species in any host. The sarcocysts of S. taeniata were sac-like and about 1,000–1,100?×?60–80 μm in size. By LM, the cysts had a thin and smooth wall with no visible protrusions, whereas SEM revealed that the cyst surface had sparsely but regularly distributed, thin ribbon-like protrusions, about 2 μm long and 0.2 μm wide, lying flat against the surface and leaving most of the cyst surface naked. Similar protrusions have previously been reported from Sarcocystis grueneri in reindeer, which was found by sequence comparisons and phylogenetic analyses to be the species most closely related to S. taeniata. The phylogenetic analyses further suggested that S. taeniata, like S. alces and S. alceslatrans, use canids as definitive hosts, whereas corvid birds are known definitive hosts for S. ovalis. In contrast to the three other species found, S. taeniata displayed considerable intra-specific and intra-isolate sequence variation (substitutions, insertions/deletions) in certain regions of the 18S rRNA gene.     

Prevalence and molecular identification of Cryptosporidium spp. in pigs in Henan, China

The distribution and public health significance of Cryptosporidium species/genotypes in pigs differ among geographic areas and studies. To characterize the prevalence of cryptosporidiosis in pigs in Henan, China, a total of 1,350 fecal samples from 14 farms in ten prefectures in Henan Province were examined. The overall prevalence of Cryptosporidium was 8.2% (111/1,350), with the highest infection rate (79/383 or 20.6%) in 1–2-month-old piglets and the lowest infection rates in 3–6-month-old pigs. Cryptosporidium-positive samples from 108 animals were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the small subunit rRNA gene, and 35 were further analyzed by DNA sequencing of the PCR products. Two Cryptosporidium species/genotype were identified, including Cryptosporidium suis (94/108) and the Cryptosporidium pig genotype II (14/108). C. suis infection was more common in younger piglets whereas the pig genotype II was relatively common in older pigs. These findings suggest that pigs are not a major source of zoonotic Cryptosporidium in the study area.     

First molecular detection and characterization of Hepatozoon and Sarcocystis spp. in field mice and voles from Japan

Sarcocystis and Hepatozoon species are protozoan parasites that are frequently detected in domestic and wild animals. Rodents are considered common intermediate and paratenic hosts for several Sarcocystis and Hepatozoon species. Here, blood DNA samples from a total of six rodents, including one Myodes rutilus, one Myodes rufocanus, and four Apodemus speciosus, collected from Hokkaido, Japan, were shown by conventional PCR of the 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene to contain Sarcocystis and Hepatozoon DNA. Sequencing of the DNA detected one Sarcocystis sp. in the M. rufocanus sample and two different Hepatozoon spp. in the M. rutilus and A. speciosus samples. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the detected Sarcocystis sp. sequence grouped with GenBank Sarcocystis sequences from rodents, snakes, and raccoons from Japan and China. The 18S rRNA partial gene sequences of both detected Hepatozoon spp. clustered with GenBank Hepatozoon sequences from snakes, geckos and voles in Europe, Africa, and Asia. This study provides evidence that wild rodents have a role in the maintenance of Sarcocystis and Hepatozoon species on the island of Hokkaido.

     

Seroprevalence and serum profile of cytomegalovirus infection among patients with hematologic disorders in Bahia State, Brazil

Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a ubiquitous herpesvirus with from 30% to 100% of the general population exhibiting prior exposure by serology. This cross‐sectional study evaluated the serological profile of anti‐CMV antibodies and two acute‐phase reaction proteins in Haematologic Disorder Patients (HDPs) from Bahia State, Brazil. Immuno‐chemiluminescence assays were performed to detect anti‐CMV IgM and IgG antibodies. Serological levels of High Sensitivity C‐Reactive Protein (CRPH) and Alpha‐1‐Acid Glycoprotein (AAG) were measured using immunonephelometry. A total of 470 HDPs were enrolled, 238 (50.6%) males and 232 (49.4%) females. The overall seroprevalence of CMV was 89.4%, directly proportional to age and to the amount of blood units transfused. There was no difference between seroprevalence rates according to gender (P = 0.12). Four HDPs (0.9%) were seropositives for anti‐CMV IgM, only one could be characterized as recent acute infection. The most CMV seropositive HDPs had anti‐CMV IgG in low titers. There was a tendency for females to have higher anti‐CMV IgG titers than men (P < 0.05). CRPH levels were different among HDPs CMV negative and positive groups (P < 0.001). There was no difference in the AAG levels between groups (P = 0.15). The high CMV seroprevalence found underscores the importance of using strategies to provide “CMV safe” blood to HDPs who are at high risk of developing severe CMV infection. CRPH can be used as a biomarker associated with CMV seropositivity; however, more efforts are needed to better characterize the clinical profile of active CMV infection in this group of patients. J. Med. Virol. 83:298–304, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Renal trematode infection in wild birds: histopathological,morphological, and molecular aspects

Parasitology Research - Paratanaisia are eucotylidae digeneans that affect the upper urinary tract of birds. This genus contains three species (Paratanaisia bragai, P. robusta, and P. confusa) with...     

Inter- and intraspecific placentae in sheep, goats and sheep-goat chimaeras.

These studies compared inter- and intraspecific placentae during implantation and at full-term in sheep, goats and interspecific sheep-goat chimaeras. Histological sections prepared from intra- and interspecific day-26, 32 and 36 placentae in ewes and does indicated an altered ability of the trophoblast to invade the maternal caruncle in interspecific pregnancies. Two sheep-in-goat pregnancies were less, and two goat-in-sheep pregnancies were more, invasive than homologous pregnancies. Caprine pregnancies in chimaeras generally terminated before timed samples could be obtained, but biopsy samples collected at laparotomy between days 42 and 48 demonstrated both normal and abnormal placentation in chimaeras after breedings to rams. In six of 11 full-term fetal placentae from ovine pregnancies in chimaeras, there was abnormal retention of maternal caruncular tissue to the extent that macroscopic lesions were visible on the surface of the fetal cotyledons. Histological observations indicated that proliferation of maternal septa and hyalinization of maternal vessels had occurred at the expense of the fetal villi. Overall, the results suggested that the physiological events that regulate implantation are different in the two species, despite anatomical similarities between the ovine and caprine placenta. The caprine conceptus is likely to be rejected in the ovine or chimaeric uterus because of its over-invasiveness in the early stages of implantation, whereas the ovine conceptus can survive in the potentially chimaeric uterus.