Sexual transmission of Toxoplasma gondii in sheep

Lopes, Welber Daniel Zanetti; Rodriguez, Joana D’Ark; Souza, Fernando A.; Santos, Thaís Rabelo dos; Santos, Ricardo; Rosanese, Walter Matheus; Lopes, Werik Renato Zanetti; Sakamoto, Cláudio Alessandro Massamitsu; Costa, Alvimar José da

doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2012.12.056

Cited by 59 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…In some animal species like rabbits [11], sheep [12,13], and dogs [14], infection of females by artificial insemination with semen from infected males has been observed. It is not clear whether the tachyzoites are present only during or immediately after the acute phase of infection or whether they could appear there also during latent phase of toxoplasmosis, for example, after an infection-associated or therapeutic immunosuppression.…”

Section: Arguments For the Hypothesismentioning

confidence: 99%

Toxoplasmosis can be a sexually transmitted infection with serious clinical consequences. Not all routes of infection are created equal

Flegr¹,

Klapilová²,

Kaňková³

2014

Medical Hypotheses

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Section: Arguments For the Hypothesismentioning

confidence: 99%

Toxoplasmosis can be a sexually transmitted infection with serious clinical consequences. Not all routes of infection are created equal

Flegr¹,

Klapilová²,

Kaňková³

2014

Medical Hypotheses

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“…gondii experimental infections was also detected by Moura [31] in pigs, Arantes [32] in dogs, Lopes [33] in sheep, Scarpelli et al . [34]in cattle and Lopes [35] in sheep.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Congenital Toxoplasmosis in Chronically Infected and Subsequently Challenged Ewes

et al. 2016

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This experiment studied congenital transmission in sheep experimentally infected with oocysts of Toxoplasma gondii and reinfected at one of three stages of pregnancy. Twenty ewes were experimentally infected with T. gondii strain ME49 (day 0). After the T. gondii infection became chronic (IFAT≤512), the ewes were allocated with rams for coverage. After the diagnosis of pregnancy, these ewes were allocated into four experimental groups (n = 5): I-reinfected with T. gondii on the 40th day of gestation (DG); II-reinfected on DG 80; III-reinfected on DG 120; and IV-saline solution on DG 120 (not reinfected). Five ewes (IFAT<64) were kept as negative controls (uninfected, group V), therefore in groups I-III were infected prior to pregnancy and re-infected during pregnancy, group IV was only infected prior to pregnancy, and group V was not infected. Parasitism by T. gondii was investigated (histopathology, immunohistochemistry, mouse bioassay and PCR) in mothers and lambs tissue. All ewes produced lambs serologically positive for T. gondii. The results of the mouse bioassay, immunohistochemistry and PCR assays revealed the presence of T. gondii in all 20 sheep and their lambs. The congenital transmission of T. gondii was associated with fetal loss and abnormalities in persistently infected sheep and in ewes infected and subsequently reinfected by this protozoan. Therefore, congenital T. gondii infection was common when ewes were chronically infected prior to pregnancy, with or without reinfection during at various stages of gestation.

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“…To reconcile this discrepancy between time of maternal illness and seeming lack of exposure to well-known sources of infection, we hypothesize there might be at least one other possible mechanism of acquisition not studied in humans-sexual transmission. Studies have already demonstrated that T. gondii tachyzoites are present in seminal fluid and/or testes of infected rams, goats, dogs, and humans [31][32][33][34][35]. In sheep and dogs, females were infected through sexual contact or artificial insemination with semen from an infected male.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We also analyzed whether there are predictive factors for paternal T. gondii infections and/or recent infections, which would refine selection of fathers or families for whom testing is advisable. Placed in this context, the presence of T. gondii in semen of animals, including humans, suggests that there might be sexual transmission [31][32][33][34][35].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Clustering ofToxoplasma gondiiInfections Within Families of Congenitally Infected Infants

Contopoulos‐Ioannidis

Wheeler

Ramirez³

et al. 2015

Clin Infect Dis.

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Background. Family clusters and epidemics of toxoplasmosis in North, Central, and South America led us to determine whether fathers of congenitally infected infants in the National Collaborative Chicago-Based Congenital Toxoplasmosis Study (NCCCTS) have a high incidence of Toxoplasma gondii infection.Methods. We analyzed serum samples collected from NCCCTS families between 1981 and 2013. Paternal serum samples were tested for T. gondii antibodies with immunoglobulin (Ig) G dye test and IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Additional testing of paternal serum samples was performed with differential-agglutination and IgG avidity tests when T. gondii IgG and IgM results were positive and serum samples were collected by the 1-year visit of the congenitally infected child. Prevalence of paternal seropositivity and incidence of recent infection were calculated. We analyzed whether certain demographics, maternal parasite serotype, risk factors, or maternal/ infant clinical manifestations were associated with paternal T. gondii infection status.Results. Serologic testing revealed a high prevalence (29 of 81; 36%) of T. gondii infection in fathers, relative to the average seropositivity rate of 9.8% for boys and men aged 12-49 years in the United States between 1994 and 2004 (P < .001). Moreover, there was a higher-than-expected incidence of recent infections among fathers with serum samples collected by the 1-year visit of their child (6 of 45; 13%; P < .001). No demographic patterns or clinical manifestations in mothers or infants were associated with paternal infections, except for sandbox exposure.Conclusions. The high prevalence of chronic and incidence of recent T. gondii infections in fathers of congenitally infected children indicates that T. gondii infections cluster within families in North America. When a recently infected person is identified, family clustering and community risk factors should be investigated for appropriate clinical management.

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Sexual transmission of Toxoplasma gondii in sheep

Cited by 59 publications

References 34 publications

Toxoplasmosis can be a sexually transmitted infection with serious clinical consequences. Not all routes of infection are created equal

Toxoplasmosis can be a sexually transmitted infection with serious clinical consequences. Not all routes of infection are created equal

Congenital Toxoplasmosis in Chronically Infected and Subsequently Challenged Ewes

Clustering ofToxoplasma gondiiInfections Within Families of Congenitally Infected Infants

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