Differential diagnosis of neurological diseases of small ruminants

Giadinis, Nektarios D.; Polizopoulou, Zoe; Fthenakis, G.C.

doi:10.12681/jhvms.15507

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…The affected animals are free of pre-existing clinical conditions, have blood/biochemical workout results within normal ranges, and a normal temperature. Differential diagnosis excludes conditions with a similar clinical picture, including vitamin B1 deficiency, hypocalcaemia, coenurosis, listeriosis, and pregnancy toxaemia ( 12 ).…”

Section: Methods and Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tick paralysis induced by Ixodes gibbosus: enigmatic cases in domestic mammals from Cyprus

Diakou,

Foucault-Simonin,

Antoniou

et al. 2024

Front. Vet. Sci.

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Tick paralysis is a potentially fatal condition caused by toxins produced and secreted by tick salivary glands. This survey presents clinical and epidemiological observations of tick paralysis cases in domestic animals in Cyprus. Local veterinarians report typical tick paralysis cases occurring in goats, sheep, dogs, and cats. The animals suffering from paralysis are free from other neurological diseases, have blood and biochemical parameters within normal ranges, and recover fast by simply removing the ticks found predominantly on the head and around the neck. Tick paralysis cases occur in a specific geographic area of Cyprus (Akamas peninsula), from September through March, but not every year. Instead, the phenomenon has 2 periodic cycles of occurrence, a 3- and a 7-year cycle. The 2 cycles are differentiated by severity based on the number of affected animals and the resulting losses. As described for other tick-borne diseases, these cyclic patterns may be attributed to external factors, self-oscillations of the disease system, or the combined action of these mechanisms. Ticks collected from a recent paralysis case in a goat were morphologically and molecularly identified as Ixodes gibbosus. Efforts should be made to characterize the specific toxins involved in tick paralysis and to develop a vaccine, which could prevent significant losses of small ruminants, especially in free-ranging farming systems, a prevalent management approach observed in Cyprus and various regions worldwide.

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Section: Methods and Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%