Vector-borne transmission of Besnoitia besnoiti by blood-sucking and secretophagous flies: epidemiological and clinicopathological implications
Abstract Background Bovine besnoitiosis has been recently diagnosed in a three-parted herd of 796 Aubrac and Charolais beef cattle in Hungary. A large scale serological, histological and molecular survey was initiated in order to uncover important factors in the local epidemiology of the disease. Fi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2015-09-01
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| Series: | Parasites & Vectors |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-015-1058-0 |
| _version_ | 1797811745197129728 |
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| author | Sándor Hornok András Fedák Ferenc Baska Walter Basso László Dencső Gergely Tóth Levente Szeredi Tamás Abonyi Béla Dénes |
| author_facet | Sándor Hornok András Fedák Ferenc Baska Walter Basso László Dencső Gergely Tóth Levente Szeredi Tamás Abonyi Béla Dénes |
| author_sort | Sándor Hornok |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Bovine besnoitiosis has been recently diagnosed in a three-parted herd of 796 Aubrac and Charolais beef cattle in Hungary. A large scale serological, histological and molecular survey was initiated in order to uncover important factors in the local epidemiology of the disease. Findings Blood samples were collected (three times from the whole herd, and repeatedly from selected animals) for serological screening by ELISA. In addition, various organs from aborted fetuses and newborn calves, skin and colostrum samples of seropositive heifers/cows, and ticks collected from the cattle were histologically and/or molecularly analysed for the presence of Besnoitia besnoiti. All fetal and calf tissues, as well as colostrum and tick samples from cows were PCR negative. Based on ELISA results, only very few local cows seroconverted after mating with imported, infected bulls, and not necessarily as a consequence of this event. Among calves that were born to seropositive, imported cows and stayed with their mother until weaning at seven months of age, seroprevalence decreased significantly, but remained high. At the same time, 28 calves born from seropositive cows, but separated from their dams immediately after receiving colostrum, were successfully reared and remained uninfected. Following a second herd-level screening, all Aubrac cattle (except for heifer calves) and all seropositive Charolais cows and bulls were culled. Manifestation of the disease is currently sporadic. Among chronically affected heifers two types of skin lesions were noted, and histological evaluation indicated marked distension of sweat gland ducts with membrane-bound structures (resembling cystozoites) in their contents. Conclusions Transmission through natural mating, as well as transplacental, colostral and tick-borne transmission of B. besnoiti was either unlikely or did not occur. However, the risk for spreading of the infection was high, when calves stayed with their mother during suckling, and if animals were kept in the same stable (although physically separated) during the main fly season. Herd replacement and generation exchange (i.e. early weaning and artificial feeding) appear to be the successful strategies for the local eradication of bovine besnoitiosis. Adding to the already known mechanical transmission of B. besnoiti by blood-sucking flies, results of the present study suggest that secretophagous flies should also be evaluated as potential vectors of this coccidium species. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T07:28:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-45cef97182c84412b8950f544d9e6fee |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1756-3305 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T07:28:15Z |
| publishDate | 2015-09-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | Parasites & Vectors |
| spelling | doaj.art-45cef97182c84412b8950f544d9e6fee2023-06-04T11:14:30ZengBMCParasites & Vectors1756-33052015-09-01811610.1186/s13071-015-1058-0Vector-borne transmission of Besnoitia besnoiti by blood-sucking and secretophagous flies: epidemiological and clinicopathological implicationsSándor Hornok0András Fedák1Ferenc Baska2Walter Basso3László Dencső4Gergely Tóth5Levente Szeredi6Tamás Abonyi7Béla Dénes8Department of Parasitology and Zoology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István UniversityVeterinary AuthorityDepartment of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István UniversityInstitute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of ZürichVeterinary Diagnostic Directorate, National Food Chain Safety Office (NFCSO)Veterinary Diagnostic Directorate, National Food Chain Safety Office (NFCSO)Veterinary Diagnostic Directorate, National Food Chain Safety Office (NFCSO)Veterinary Diagnostic Directorate, National Food Chain Safety Office (NFCSO)Veterinary Diagnostic Directorate, National Food Chain Safety Office (NFCSO)Abstract Background Bovine besnoitiosis has been recently diagnosed in a three-parted herd of 796 Aubrac and Charolais beef cattle in Hungary. A large scale serological, histological and molecular survey was initiated in order to uncover important factors in the local epidemiology of the disease. Findings Blood samples were collected (three times from the whole herd, and repeatedly from selected animals) for serological screening by ELISA. In addition, various organs from aborted fetuses and newborn calves, skin and colostrum samples of seropositive heifers/cows, and ticks collected from the cattle were histologically and/or molecularly analysed for the presence of Besnoitia besnoiti. All fetal and calf tissues, as well as colostrum and tick samples from cows were PCR negative. Based on ELISA results, only very few local cows seroconverted after mating with imported, infected bulls, and not necessarily as a consequence of this event. Among calves that were born to seropositive, imported cows and stayed with their mother until weaning at seven months of age, seroprevalence decreased significantly, but remained high. At the same time, 28 calves born from seropositive cows, but separated from their dams immediately after receiving colostrum, were successfully reared and remained uninfected. Following a second herd-level screening, all Aubrac cattle (except for heifer calves) and all seropositive Charolais cows and bulls were culled. Manifestation of the disease is currently sporadic. Among chronically affected heifers two types of skin lesions were noted, and histological evaluation indicated marked distension of sweat gland ducts with membrane-bound structures (resembling cystozoites) in their contents. Conclusions Transmission through natural mating, as well as transplacental, colostral and tick-borne transmission of B. besnoiti was either unlikely or did not occur. However, the risk for spreading of the infection was high, when calves stayed with their mother during suckling, and if animals were kept in the same stable (although physically separated) during the main fly season. Herd replacement and generation exchange (i.e. early weaning and artificial feeding) appear to be the successful strategies for the local eradication of bovine besnoitiosis. Adding to the already known mechanical transmission of B. besnoiti by blood-sucking flies, results of the present study suggest that secretophagous flies should also be evaluated as potential vectors of this coccidium species.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-015-1058-0Besnoitia besnoitiVenerealTransplacentalVector-borneFlyTick |
| spellingShingle | Sándor Hornok András Fedák Ferenc Baska Walter Basso László Dencső Gergely Tóth Levente Szeredi Tamás Abonyi Béla Dénes Vector-borne transmission of Besnoitia besnoiti by blood-sucking and secretophagous flies: epidemiological and clinicopathological implications Parasites & Vectors Besnoitia besnoiti Venereal Transplacental Vector-borne Fly Tick |
| title | Vector-borne transmission of Besnoitia besnoiti by blood-sucking and secretophagous flies: epidemiological and clinicopathological implications |
| title_full | Vector-borne transmission of Besnoitia besnoiti by blood-sucking and secretophagous flies: epidemiological and clinicopathological implications |
| title_fullStr | Vector-borne transmission of Besnoitia besnoiti by blood-sucking and secretophagous flies: epidemiological and clinicopathological implications |
| title_full_unstemmed | Vector-borne transmission of Besnoitia besnoiti by blood-sucking and secretophagous flies: epidemiological and clinicopathological implications |
| title_short | Vector-borne transmission of Besnoitia besnoiti by blood-sucking and secretophagous flies: epidemiological and clinicopathological implications |
| title_sort | vector borne transmission of besnoitia besnoiti by blood sucking and secretophagous flies epidemiological and clinicopathological implications |
| topic | Besnoitia besnoiti Venereal Transplacental Vector-borne Fly Tick |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-015-1058-0 |
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