Abstract
Aim:The objective of the present study was to detect Neospora caninum DNA in the placenta of sheep and evaluate the association of risk factors to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positive and histopathological analysis of the placenta and fetal tissue samples of aborted fetuses.Materials and Methods:Fresh placenta from 51 aborted ewes was collected for PCR assay. Placental and fetal tissues of aborted fetuses, including brain, heart, liver, lung, and thymus, were collected for histopathological analysis, besides the risk factor data were obtained during the time of sampling.Results:From 51 placentas examined by PCR, 13.73% appeared positive to N. caninum DNA. The relationship between PCR positive and the risk factors revealed a significant difference (p<0.05) in age of the dam, fetal age, feed source, water source, and the presence of other animals at farm, whereas the type of birth, stillbirth, and size of flock showed insignificant difference (p>0.05). Histopathological investigation of placental and fetal tissues of positive samples showed tissue cyst-like structure, necrotic foci, and infiltration of mononuclear cells. Other lesions were thickening in chorionic plate in placenta, severe vacuolization and death of neurons, microgliosis, demyelination, edema, and proliferation of astrocytes in brain. In addition, fibrous and fat deposition with stenosis in the heart, parenchymal necrosis, severe atrophy, vacuolization and hyalinization of hepatocytes, megakaryocyte, portal fibrosis in the liver, and interlobular septal thickening in lung without obvious lesions is seen in the thymus tissue samples.Conclusion:This is a unique study that confirmed N. caninum DNA in the placenta of aborted ewes in Iraq using PCR assay. Histopathological analysis of some aborted fetuses organs could provide a more confirmatory and reliable data for a significant role of neosporosis in increasing the rate of abortion in sheep, while the clinical data of risk factors could be used to control the transmission of N. caninum infection.
Highlights
Neosporosis caused by Neospora caninum is one of the most important parasitic diseases which distributed globally among a variety of domesticated and wild animals resulting in high economic losses [1]
Histopathological analysis of some aborted fetuses organs could provide a more confirmatory and reliable data for a significant role of neosporosis in increasing the rate of abortion in sheep, while the clinical data of risk factors could be used to control the transmission of N. caninum infection
The present study identified the precise prevalence of N. caninum in sheep in Iraq based on DNA screening (13.73%) which made this study unique
Summary
Neosporosis caused by Neospora caninum is one of the most important parasitic diseases which distributed globally among a variety of domesticated and wild animals resulting in high economic losses [1]. N. caninum is detected first in England in 1990 in congenitally infected lambs with the parasite tissue cysts in the brain and spinal cord [3]. The life cycle of the parasite, typified by three known infectious stages (tachyzoite, tissue cyst, and oocyst), involving mainly the ruminants and other ungulates as intermediate. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated
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