Abstract

Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide zoonosis caused by the parasitic protozoan Toxoplasma gondii. It can infect all warm-blooded vertebrate species and causes abortions and birth defects in pregnant women and pregnant ewes. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of infection with T. gondii in sheep meat in the region of Sidi Bouzid (central Tunisia) and Beja (northern Tunisia), the realization of a descriptive study of risk factors and the phylogenetic analyses of T. gondii. Neck muscle samples were obtained from 174 ewes and ewe lamb slaughtered in Sidi Bouzid and 150 lambs slaughtered in Beja. DNA was extracted from the samples using the Wizard® genomic DNA purification kit. A nested PCR using two pairs of primers (NN 1 and NN2, Tg-NP1 and Tg-NP2) were used to detect infection with T. gondii, which was then confirmed by sequencing. Eight T. gondii amplicons were sequenced (accession number KT896498) and deposited in GenBank. The T. gondii amplicons showed 97–100% identities with GenBank sequences. A phylogenetic tree was then constructed. The nested PCR detected T. gondii DNA in 31% of animals tested in Sidi Bouzid and 32% of lambs tested in Beja. No significant difference in the prevalence of T. gondii infection was established between the two tested regions. In both regions, no significant variation of the infection depending on age, breed and locality was found.

Abstract

7 páginas, 5 tablas. Thirty-two lambs were divided in 4 groups with 2 replicates each (8 batches in total) according to their body weights. The lambs were fed a total mixed ration (TMR) formulated either with palm oil (CTRL, 2 replicates, 4 animals per replicate; 34gpalmoilkg-1 TMR) or flaxseed (FS, 2 replicates, 4 animals per replicate; 85gflaxseedkg-1 TMR). Four more batches were fed the same TMRs but enriched with quercetin (QCT, 2 replicates, 4 animals per replicate, 34g palm oil plus 2gquercetinkg-1 TMR; FS-QCT, 2 replicates, 4 animals per replicate, 85g flaxseed plus 2gquercetinkg-1 TMR). Three weeks after starting with the experimental diets, the animals were immunized by a subcutaneous injection of ovalbumin, and blood samples were collected at days 0, 4, 9, 14 and 17 post-immunization to measure antibodies against ovalbumin. Afterwards, all of the lambs were subjected to a 4-h transportation-stress period to study the evolution of haematological and biochemical parameters during road transport and, finally, slaughtered. Mean ova-specific IgG titres were significantly lower in the lambs fed FS on days 14 and 17 when compared to CTRL group (FS×DAY, P=0.033). Additionally, FS reduced white blood cells counts and tissue damage (creatine phosphokinase, P"0.05) during road transport. Consequently, flaxseed showed some immunological properties and protection against tissue damage during road transport. Regarding ruminal acidosis, both quercetin and flaxseed seemed to be adequate to reduce the level of parakeratosis. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. Financialsupportreceivedfrom ‘Consejería de Educación de la Junta de Castilla y León’ (ProjectCSI185B11-2)is gratefullyacknowledged.Julio Benavides,MaríaMartinez- Valladares,MaríaL.Tejido,Raúl Bodas,and NuriaPrieto (JAE-Doccontracts)were supportedbytheprogramme ‘Junta para la Ampliación de Estudios’ (CSIC-European SocialFund). Peer Reviewed