AIM Toxoplasma gondii has a clinical and veterinary importance as it is known to cause congenital disease and abortion both in humans and livestock. Since the contaminated lamb is one of the sources of human infection, this study was performed to determine the prevalence of T. gondii in sheep in south of Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sera and tissue samples (diaphragm and heart) were collected ...

Malignant catarrhal fever is a sporadic, often fatal viral disease affecting multiple species, including swine. Ovine herpesvirus type 2 (OvHV-2), the cause of sheep-associated malignant catarrhal fever, incites nonspecific clinical signs and occasional death in swine. An outbreak of malignant catarrhal fever in a farrow-to-finish swine farm in the United States was confirmed by identifying OvH...

This study assessed the effectiveness of a mutant strain of Toxoplasma gondii (RH strain) lacking the mic1 and mic3 genes (Mic1-3KO) against Toxoplasma abortion in sheep. Ewes were inoculated subcutaneously with 10(5) Mic1-3KO tachyzoïtes in three independent experiments. Following vaccination, Mic1-3KO induced a mild febrile response and serum IgG antibodies, which persisted throughout the exp...

Schmallenberg virus (SBV) is an Orthobunyavirus that induces abortion, stillbirths and congenital malformations in ruminants. SBV infection induces a long lasting seroconversion under natural conditions. The persistence of the protective immunity and the isotype specific antibody response upon SBV infection of sheep has however not been studied in detail. Five sheep were kept in BSL3 facilities...

Q fever is a zoonotic disease that occurs worldwide and is caused by the obligate intracellular bacterium Coxiella burnetii. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of C. burnetii infection in aborted sheep in eastern Turkey using PCR. A total of 200 fetuses were collected from aborted sheep belonging to 200 herds in different locations in the eastern part of Turkey. Foetal organ ...

OBJECTIVE To compare pathogenicity of an emergent abortifacient Campylobacter jejuni (IA 3902) with that of reference strains after oral inoculation in pregnant guinea pigs. ANIMALS 58 pregnant guinea pigs. PROCEDURES 12 animals were challenged IP with C jejuni IA 3902 along with 5 sham-inoculated control animals to confirm abortifacient potential. Once pathogenicity was confirmed, challeng...

Besides its importance in cattle, Neospora caninum may also pose a high risk as abortifacient for small ruminants. We have recently demonstrated that the outcome of experimental infection of pregnant sheep with 10(6) Nc-Spain7 tachyzoites is strongly dependent on the time of gestation. In the current study, we assessed peripheral and local immune response in those animals. Serological analysis ...

Proteins present in the outer membrane of chlamydiae that are involved in mucosal epithelial cell infection must clearly be identified and characterized if we are to understand and modify the pathogenic mechanisms utilized by these organisms. We have identified and isolated a family of four genes encoding putative outer membrane proteins (POMPs), a group of proteins of approximately 90 kDa pres...

burnetii infection and related reproductive performance in high producing dairy cows. Res Vet Sci. 2012;93:67–73. http:// dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2011.07.017 5. Berri M, Souriau A, Crosby M, Rodolakis A. Shedding of Coxiella burnetii in ewes in two pregnancies following an episode of Coxiella abortion in a sheep flock. Vet Microbiol. 2002;85:55–60. http://dx.doi. org/10.1016/S0378-1135(01)004...