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Sheep abortions associated with Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii infections in multiple flocks from Southern Brazil

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Abstract

Neosporosis and toxoplasmosis are important parasitic causes of abortions in small ruminants. This study verified the occurrence of these diseases in sheep fetuses from Santa Catarina State, Southern Brazil from 2015 to 2022. Sheep fetuses were necropsied with organ sampling for histopathology, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii using the Nc5 and SAG2 targets, respectively, in frozen brain tissue. Microbiological culture and RT-PCR for Pestivirus were conducted to discard other abortion causes. One positive fetus for toxoplasmosis was genotyped using multiplex multilocus nested PCR-RFLP (Mn-PCR-RFLP) with ten genetic markers. Fifty-five sheep fetuses were evaluated, with 10 (18.2%) cases of neosporosis and 7 (12.7%) cases of toxoplasmosis, comprising six and four flocks, respectively. Macroscopically, neosporosis abortions exhibited fetal mummification, maceration, and arthrogryposis. Toxoplasmosis abortions showed fetal mummification and maceration. The neosporosis abortions included lymphoplasmacytic myositis (70%; 7/10) and myocarditis (60%; 6/10), in addition to necrotizing encephalitis and gliosis (50%; 5/10). Toxoplasmosis abortions included lymphoplasmacytic necrotizing encephalitis (71.4%; 5/7), lymphoplasmacytic myositis (42.8%, 3/7), and myocarditis (14.3%; 1/7). Through PCR, N. caninum and T. gondii were detected in 6 (60%) and 5 (71.4%) fetuses, respectively. In one fetus, T. gondii genotyping was conducted, which was characterized as atypical genotype ToxoDB #98. All of the cases were negative for Pestivirus and bacterial agents. This study establishes the occurrence of these diseases as causes of abortions, malformations, mummification, and fetal maceration in sheep, with the characterization of an atypical T. gondii genotype in one of the fetuses.

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Funding

Funding for this work was obtained from the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e Inovação do Estado de Santa Catarina (FAPESC, 05/2018 – No.: 2019TR702) and by the Programa de Apoio à Pós-Graduação maintained by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (PROAP/CAPES, Finance code 001).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Patologia Animal, Centro de Ciências Agroveterinárias (CAV), Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (UDESC), Av. Luís de Camões, 2090, Conta Dinheiro, Lages, SC, 88520-000, Brasil

    Jéssica Aline Withoeft, Lucas Marian, Leonardo Silva da Costa & Renata Assis Casagrande

  2. Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Centro de Ciências Rurais, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Av. Roraima, 1000, Prédio 63D, Bairro Camobi, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, 97105-900, Brasil

    Fagner D’ambroso Fernandes & Fernanda Silveira Flores Vogel

  3. Laboratório de Bioquímica de Hemoparasitas e Vetores, CAV/UDESC, Av. Luís de Camões, 2090, Conta Dinheiro, Lages, SC, 88520-000, Brasil

    Gabriela Bassi das Neves & Luiz Cláudio Miletti

Authors
  1. Jéssica Aline Withoeft
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  2. Lucas Marian
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  3. Leonardo Silva da Costa
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  4. Fagner D’ambroso Fernandes
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  5. Fernanda Silveira Flores Vogel
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  6. Gabriela Bassi das Neves
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  7. Luiz Cláudio Miletti
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  8. Renata Assis Casagrande
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Contributions

J.A. Withoeft, L. Marian and R.A. Casagrande: wrote the main text and produced the images.

J.A. Withoeft, L. Marian, L.S. Costa, G.B. das Neves, M.G.L. Pinto, L.C. Miletti, R.A. Casagrande: performed the clinical, anatomopathological and molecular examination and diagnostic.

F.D. Fernandes and F.S.F Vogel: performed the genotyping of the samples. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Renata Assis Casagrande.

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An Informed Consent Form was applied to sheep farmers to provide epidemiological information about their farm.

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The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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Withoeft, J.A., Marian, L., da Costa, L.S. et al. Sheep abortions associated with Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii infections in multiple flocks from Southern Brazil. Vet Res Commun (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11259-024-10390-4

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