Parasite prevalence in intermediate hosts increases with waterbody age and abundance of final hosts

Oecologia - Prevalence of a parasite may be influenced by age of the habitat (= time available for hosts and parasites to colonize habitats), assemblage composition of host and non-host...     

Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli in faeces of healthy dairy cows, sheep and goats: prevalence and virulence properties

The prevalence of Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in healthy dairy ruminants was investigated between 1996 and 1998 by a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR) technique. A total of 13 552 E. coli colonies from 726 cows, 28 sheep and 93 goats out of 112 randomly selected dairy farms in Hessia, Germany were analysed. STEC strains were recovered from 131 (18.0%) cows, nine (32.1%) sheep and 70 (75.3%) goats. Further characterization of the STEC isolates showed that 89 (0.66% of the investigated colonies) of animal field strains carried stx1 gene, 64 (0.47%) stx2 gene and 57 (0.42%) stx1 and stx2 gene. Sixty (93.8%) out of 64 stx2 field strains were harboured by cows. In contrast, 74 (83.1%) out of 89 stx1 dairy animal field strains were from ovine or caprine origin. Only 17 (8. 1%) stx-positive isolates (13 from cattle, three from sheep and only one from goat) were positive for eaeA gene. Eight (9.0%) of the stx1, five (7.8%) of the stx2 and four (7.0%) of the stx1/stx2 gene-positive field strains carried the eaeA gene. The prevalence of EHEC-haemolysin (EHEC-hlyA) gene sequence was 88.8% (79 isolates) of the stx1 and 68.8% (44 isolates) of the stx2 isolates. Out of 57 stx1- and stx2-positive field-strains, 34 (59.6%) carried the EHEC-hlyA gene. E. coli O serovars O:157 and O:111 were not found. Only one isolate was positive with O26 antiserum.     

Muellerius capillaris (Mueller, 1889) (Nematoda: Protostrongylidae): an unusual finding in Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis Shaw) in South Dakota

Lungs and fecal samples from nine hunter-killed Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep were examined for lungworms. All samples contained adults and/or larvae of Muellerius capillaris (Mueller, 1889). Protostrongylus spp., the lungworms commonly reported from bighorn sheep, were not present in any samples. Larvae of M. capillaris bear a spine on the dorsal side of the posterior end and are shorter than dorsal-spined larvae of other lungworms recorded from North American ungulates. Larvae similar in shape but longer than those of Muellerius were found in free-ranging bighorn sheep in Alberta and British Columbia. In addition, dorsal-spined larvae have been found in bighorn sheep in Montana, North Dakota, and Washington. The identity of the dorsal-spined larvae is known only from sheep in South Dakota. Thus, caution must be taken when diagnosing lungworm infections in Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep.     

Single and dual infections of the land snail Helix aspersa with Muellerius capillaris and Alloionema appendiculatum (Nematoda)

Helix aspersa, a land snail, has been experimentally infected with 2 species of nematodes Muellerius capillaris and Alloionema appendiculatum. A significant reduction of infection with M. capillaris was recorded in snails preinfected with A. appendiculatum, whereas snails preinfected with M. capillaris were as susceptible to A. appendiculatum.     

Host diversity begets parasite diversity: bird final hosts and trematodes in snail intermediate hosts

An unappreciated facet of biodiversity is that rich communities and high abundance may foster parasitism. For parasites that sequentially use different host species throughout complex life cycles, parasite diversity and abundance in 'downstream' hosts should logically increase with the diversity and abundance of 'upstream' hosts (which carry the preceding stages of parasites). Surprisingly, this logical assumption has little empirical support, especially regarding metazoan parasites. Few studies have attempted direct tests of this idea and most have lacked the appropriate scale of investigation. In two different studies, we used time-lapse videography to quantify birds at fine spatial scales, and then related bird communities to larval trematode communities in snail populations sampled at the same small spatial scales. Species richness, species heterogeneity and abundance of final host birds were positively correlated with species richness, species heterogeneity and abundance of trematodes in host snails. Such community-level interactions have rarely been demonstrated and have implications for community theory, epidemiological theory and ecosystem management.     

The genetics of scrapie in sheep and goats

Scrapie, an invariably fatal disease of sheep and goats, is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE). The putative infectious agent is the host-encoded prion protein, PrP. The development of scrapie is closely linked to polymorphisms in the host PrP gene. The pathogenesis of most TSEs involves conversion of normal, cellular PrP into a protease-resistant, pathogenic isoform called PrPSc. The conversion to PrPSc involves change in secondary structure; it is impacts on these structural changes that may link polymorphisms to disease. Within the structured C-terminal part of PrP polymorphisms have been reported at 15 and 10 codons of the sheep and goat PrP genes respectively. Three polymorphisms in sheep are acutely linked to the occurrence of scrapie: A136V, R154H and Q171R/H. These generate five commonly observed alleles: ARQ, ARR, AHQ, ARH and VRQ. ARR and AHQ are associated with resistance; ARQ, ARH and VRQ are associated with susceptibility. There are subtle effects of specific allele pairings (genotypes). Generally, more susceptible genotypes have younger ages at death from scrapie. Different strains of scrapie occur which may attack genotypes differently. Different sheep breeds vary in the assortment of the five alleles that they predominantly encode. The reason for this variation is not known. Furthermore, certain genotypes may be susceptible to scrapie in some breeds and resistant in others. The explanation is not known, but may relate to different scrapie strains circulating in different breeds, or there may be effects of other genes which modulate the effect of PrP.     

Genome-wide cross-amplification of domestic sheep microsatellites in bighorn sheep and mountain goats

We tested for cross‐species amplification of microsatellite loci located throughout the domestic sheep (Ovis aries) genome in two north American mountain ungulates (bighorn sheep, Ovis canadensis, and mountain goats, Oreamnos americanus). We identified 247 new polymorphic markers in bighorn sheep (≥ 3 alleles in one of two study populations) and 149 in mountain goats (≥ 2 alleles in a single study population) using 648 and 576 primer pairs, respectively. Our efforts increased the number of available polymorphic microsatellite markers to 327 for bighorn sheep and 180 for mountain goats. The average distance between successive polymorphic bighorn sheep and mountain goat markers inferred from the Australian domestic sheep genome linkage map (mean ± 1 SD) was 11.9 ± 9.2 and 15.8 ± 13.8 centimorgans, respectively. The development of genomic resources in these wildlife species enables future studies of the genetic architecture of trait variation.     

Haemonchosis in sheep and goats in Sierra Leone

The incidence of haemonchosis in sheep and goats in Sierra Leone showed a seasonal variation with a high peak in the dry season (October to January) and a low one from March to May. Mean relative densities were significantly higher in young hosts and showed two peaks, a high one from August to December and a low one from April to June while the mean relative densities of old hosts were low and exhibited an irregular seasonal pattern with no defined peaks. The peak seasons in young hosts coincided approximately with the dry and rainy seasons. Male hosts showed an overall higher but not a significant mean relative density than females but for most of the months mean relative densities of infection of female hosts were not significantly higher than those of males. The roles of climatic conditions and arrested development (hypobiosis) and self-cure and host age immunity on Haemonchus contortus worm burdens are discussed.     

Studies of the relationships between Schistosoma and their intermediate hosts. II. The genus Bulinus and Schistosoma haematobium from Sudan, Zaire and Zambia

The relationship between Schistosoma haematobium from Sudan, Zaire and Zambia and various species and strains of Bulinus, has been investigated. The main emphasis was placed on evaluating the total cercarial production per 100 exposed snails as an index of the compatibility between snail and schistosome. The observations confirmed the results of previous compatibility studies which showed that there were two groups of S. haematobium, truncatus-borne from Sudan and Zaire, and africanus-borne, from Zambia. They also revealed that this division was not absolute, as some overlapping occurred. However, if the cercarial production was taken as an indication of compatibility, instead of the infection rate, there was a more definite division between the two groups. The observation that there is a truncatus-borne strain of S. haematobium present in Zaire extends the area where there is a mixture of truncatus- and africanus-borne strains farther southwards.     

Fate of sodium arsenate in dairy sheep and goats

This study followed the uptake, distribution, and elimination of sodium arsenate administered in a single dose and in multiple doses, respectively, to Iranian dairy sheep and goats. In the single dosing study, the blood concentration data fit an open two-compartment model of the form:C _b (t)=?(A+B)e ^?kat +Ae ^?αt +Be ^?βt Absorption distribution and elimination rate constants were statistically significantly different for the two animal species. In the multiple dosing study, arsenic accumulated in the blood of both animal species, as expressed by a one compartment model of the form:C _t =C _ss (1-e ^?kt ) Arsenic was eliminated rapidly at the termination of dosing, with the blood washout half-life being shorter in sheep than in goats. Urinary excretion was the major elimination route from the body of both species.     

Environmental control of gastrointestinal strongylosis in sheep and goats

Gastrointestinal strongylosis are the dominant parasitic infections of sheep and goats. The successful control of these parasites cannot be done exclusively with anthelmintics, but the first step is an integrated program for environmental prophylaxis. The correct planning of the prophylaxis program has to be preceded by the analysis of the related problems: (1) the parasitological status of farm livestock; (2) knowledge of the farm management; (3) hydrogeological, pedological and climatic-environmental aspects. The environmental control strategies can be resumed as follows: avoiding animals from different farms to share the same pasture; avoiding animals of different age classes to graze together; parcel the pastures to permit a rational rotation; rotational grazing of pastures according to the seasonal development of parasites; stocking rate; young animals grazing ahead of the older animal ones; crop management practices (draining, ploughing, harrowing, scrub clearing, fertilizing, etc.). These measures make the habitat less suitable for the free-living stages of gastrointestinal strongyles, reducing the potential of infection of the same pastures.     

Circadian modulation of starvation-induced hypothermia in sheep and goats

Prolonged food deprivation is known to cause a fall in the core body temperature of homeotherms. In various species of small birds and mammals (body mass up to 2–3 kg), it has been shown that starvation-induced hypothermia is modulated by the circadian system, in the sense that hypothermia is observed primarily during the inactive phase of the daily activity cycle (i.e., during the night for diurnal animals and during the day for nocturnal animals), whereas relatively normal temperatures are recorded during the active phase. To investigate whether this modulation occurs also in larger animals, we investigated the effects of 4d food deprivation on the body temperature rhythm of goats and sheep (body mass 30–40 kg). In goats, the body temperature rhythm was found to have a mean level of 39.0°C with a mean daily range of excursion of 0.42°C. The daily oscillation in body temperature persisted during the first day of fasting, but the rhythm was drastically damped, if not eliminated, over the next 3 d as body temperature descended from the baseline level of 39.0 to 38.2°C. In sheep, the rhythm was found to have a mean level of 39.3°C with a mean daily range of excursion of 0.34°C. The daily oscillation in body temperature persisted through the 4 d of food deprivation, even though the mean level of body temperature gradually fell. Temperature fell more during the third and fourth nights than during the third and fourth days. Thus, circadian modulation of starvation-induced hypothermia was observed in sheep but not in goats.