No abstract

No abstract

ABSTRACT. Theileria orientalis is one of the benign species of Theileria that is widely distributed in Japan and is sometimes responsible for serious economic losses in the livestock industry. In the present study, we surveyed the current status of T. orientalis infection in grazing cattle in the eastern areas of Hokkaido (Taiki, Otofuke, Shintoku, and Shin-Hidaka districts) using molecular methods, as well as traditional methods, of diagnosis. The genes encoding the major piroplasm surface protein (MPSP) and p23 of T. orientalis were identified using highly detectable polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results of the MPSP-PCR assay indicated that grazing cattle in these districts, after about 1.5 months pasturage, showed high rates of infection, ranging from 10.0-64.8%. Although the main MPSP and p23 genotypes detected were the Ikeda-or Chitose-types, an MPSP gene closely relating to that found in Okinawa prefecture, and a p23 gene closely relating to the Australian (Warwick) Buffeli-type gene, were found in the cattle in Shintoku and Shin-Hidaka districts. The present survey indicated that there were at least five types of T. orientalis classified by their MPSP genes in Hokkaido, Japan, and that T. orientalis infection rates are still high in this region.

ABSTRACT. The concentration of feline serum amyloid A (fSAA) was determined by a direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) by using fSAA specific monoclonal antibodies, to evaluate the fSAA as an inflammatory marker in cats. The mean concentration ± standard deviation of fSAA was found to be 0.60 ± 1.06 µg/ml and 33.65 ± 67.59 µg/ml in serum samples from normal cats (n=45) and cats (n=312) with various diseases and disorders, respectively. A significant difference (p<0.001) was found between the two groups. It was also found that the concentration of fSAA begins to increase rapidly at approximately 3-6 hr after spay, and increases up to significantly high levels in some disorders, like injury, renal failure, infectious diseases, etc. KEY WORDS: feline, inflammatory marker, serum amyloid A (SAA).J. Vet. Med. Sci. 65(4): 545-548, 2003 The acute phase response is the initial response to inflammatory stimuli such as infection, trauma, tumors and surgery. One characteristic feature of this response is increased hepatic synthesis of a heterogeneous group of plasma proteins termed as acute phase protein, which include C-reactive proteins (CRP), serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin, and α1-acid glycoprotein, etc. CRP and SAA, the major acute phase proteins in human, exhibit a dramatic increase in serum concentration in response to inflammatory stimuli, thus have been used as inflammatory markers in human medicine [18].SAA, a serum precursor of amyloid A which is the main fibrillar component in reactive amyloid deposits [7], has been characterized as a heterogeneous protein in human [16] and other several species [3,5,13,15,19,25]. The high degree of conservation of the SAA genes and proteins that have been maintained through evolution of eutherian mammals [20], provides further evidence that they are likely to have important biological functions. The normal physiological function of SAA, which constitutes a major component of the high density lipoprotein 3 complex [1], remains unclear, though it is assumed to have a crucial, yet illdefined, protective role during inflammation [21].Plasma SAA levels can be increased up to 100-fold of the basal level in inflammatory disorders in human [22] and other species [6,24], suggesting it to be an important indicator of disease status. However, whether feline SAA (fSAA) can be used as an inflammatory marker or not, has not been well evaluated yet. Earlier, we have expressed the recombinant feline SAA (rfSAA) [12], and produced the fSAA specific monoclonal antibodies [14]. Those materials gave us an idea to evaluate if fSAA could be used as an inflammatory marker in cats. In order to measure the concentration of SAA, a considerable number of assays, such as laser immunonephelometric assay [4], latex agglutination nephelometric im m u no a ssa y [2 3 ], san d wic h e n zy m e-lin k ed immunosorbent assay (ELISA) [10,24], single radial immunodiffusion [11], non-competitive chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay [6] and direct ELISA [17] have been developed in human and other spe...

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was performed on 21 presumed normal Beagle-type dogs. The size and symmetry of their lateral ventricles were evaluated and dogs were categorized on the basis of the percentage of their ventricular height (Vh) to brain height (Bh) and the ratio of the largest to the smallest ventricular area (rVA). Eleven dogs had lateral ventricles classified as normal sized (0-14% Vh/Bh) while 10 of 21 dogs had moderate enlargement (15-25% Vh/Bh) of one or both lateral ventricles. None of the dogs had severe lateral ventricular enlargement. Degree of asymmetry was also arbitrarily categorized on basis of rVA as normal to minimal (rVA < 1.5), mild (1.5 < rVA < 2.0), or severe (2.0 < rVA). Of the dogs having normal-sized lateral ventricles, six of eleven had symmetric, three of eleven had mildly asymmetric and two of eleven had severely asymmetric lateral ventricles. Of the dogs having at least one moderately enlarged lateral ventricles, five of ten had symmetric lateral ventricles, and two of ten had mild asymmetry and three of ten had severe asymmetry. Gender and body weight had no statistical relationship to lateral ventricle symmetry. Clinically insignificant ventricular enlargement and asymmetry was common in this group of Beagle dogs.

Babesia and Hepatozoon infections of dogs in a village of eastern Sudan were analyzed by using a single PCR and sequencing. Among 78 dogs, 5 were infected with Babesia canis rossi and 2 others were infected with B. canis vogeli. Thirty-three dogs were positive for Hepatozoon. Hepatozoon canis was detected by sequence analysis.

The sequence of the citrate synthase gene (gltA) of 13 ehrlichial species (Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Ehrlichia canis, Ehrlichia muris, an Ehrlichia species recently detected from Ixodes ovatus, Cowdria ruminantium, Ehrlichia phagocytophila, Ehrlichia equi, the human granulocytic ehrlichiosis [HGE] agent, Anaplasma marginale, Anaplasma centrale, Ehrlichia sennetsu, Ehrlichia risticii, and Neorickettsia helminthoeca) have been determined by degenerate PCR and the Genome Walker method. The ehrlichial gltA genes are 1,197 bp (E. sennetsu and E. risticii) to 1,254 bp (A. marginale and A. centrale) long, and GC contents of the gene vary from 30.5% (Ehrlichia sp. detected from I. ovatus) to 51.0% (A. centrale). The percent identities of the gltA nucleotide sequences among ehrlichial species were 49.7% (E. risticii versus A. centrale) to 99.8% (HGE agent versus E. equi). The percent identities of deduced amino acid sequences were 44.4% (E. sennetsu versus E. muris) to 99.5% (HGE agent versus E. equi), whereas the homology range of 16S rRNA genes was 83.5% (E. risticii versus the Ehrlichia sp. detected from I. ovatus) to 99.9% (HGE agent, E. equi, and E. phagocytophila). The architecture of the phylogenetic trees constructed by gltA nucleotide sequences or amino acid sequences was similar to that derived from the 16S rRNA gene sequences but showed more-significant bootstrap values. Based upon the alignment analysis of the ehrlichial gltA sequences, two sets of primers were designed to amplify tick-borne Ehrlichia and Neorickettsia genogroup Ehrlichia (N. helminthoeca, E. sennetsu, and E. risticii), respectively. Tick-borne Ehrlichia species were specifically identified by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) patterns of AcsI and XhoI with the exception of E. muris and the very closely related ehrlichia derived from I. ovatus for which sequence analysis of the PCR product is needed. Similarly, Neorickettsia genogroup Ehrlichia species were specifically identified by RFLP patterns of RcaI digestion. If confirmed this technique will be useful in rapidly identifying Ehrlichia spp.Ehrlichiae were previously known mainly as important agents of veterinary disease (13). For example, Ehrlichia canis, Ehrlichia equi, Ehrlichia phagocytophila, Ehrlichia platys, Ehrlichia risticii, Cowdria ruminantium, Anaplasma marginale, and Neorickettsia helminthoeca have been known as veterinary pathogens. However, over the last decade, several new Ehrlichia species or strains have been isolated and characterized from human patients and are known as major emerging tickborne pathogens. The human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) agent, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, and Ehrlichia ewingii are now included among emerging ehrlichial agents of humans. Diagnostic methods of emerging ehrlichial infection include isolation, serology, and molecular techniques. Isolation is the "gold standard" for diagnosis; however, this method is time-consuming and expensive. Although serology is the most frequently used method for diagnosis, serological cross-reactions o...

BackgroundInfections with Babesia bovis, Babesia bigemina, Theileria species and Anaplasma marginale are endemic in Kenya yet there is a lack of adequate information on their genotypes. This study established the genetic diversities of the above tick-borne hemoparasites infecting cattle in Kenya.MethodsNested PCR and sequencing were used to determine the prevalence and genetic diversity of the above parasites in 192 cattle blood samples collected from Ngong and Machakos farms. B. bovis spherical body protein 4, B. bigemina rhoptry-associated protein 1a, A. marginale major surface protein 5, Theileria spp. 18S rRNA, T. parva p104 and T. orientalis major piroplasm surface protein were used as the marker genes.ResultsB. bovis, B. bigemina, T. parva, T. velifera, T. taurotragi, T. mutans and A. marginale were prevalent in both farms, whereas T. ovis, Theileria sp. (buffalo) and T. orientalis were found only in Ngong farm. Co-infections were observed in more than 50 % of positive samples in both farms. Babesia parasites and A. marginale sequences were highly conserved while T. parva and T. orientalis were polymorphic. Cattle-derived T. parva was detected in Machakos farm. However, cattle and buffalo–derived Theileria were detected in Ngong farm suggesting interactions between cattle and wild buffaloes. Generally, the pathogens detected in Kenya were genetically related to the other African isolates but different from the isolates in other continents.ConclusionsThe current findings reaffirm the endemicity and co-infection of cattle with tick-borne hemoparasites, and the role of wildlife in pathogens transmission and population genetics in Kenya.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-015-1106-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.