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Home / Equine Research Bank / Parasitol Res / Neospora caninum, a cause of abortion in donkeys (Equus asin...
Parasitology research2021; 121(1); 367-372; doi: 10.1007/s00436-021-07383-6

Neospora caninum, a cause of abortion in donkeys (Equus asinus) in Iran.

Abstract: Neospora caninum is an Apicomplexan parasite that can cause enormous economic losses due to abortions in cattle. The present study investigated the role of Neospora spp. infection in equine abortion in Iranian donkeys using molecular and phylogenetic analyses. Twenty-nine-aborted fetuses and 29 blood samples from their dams were collected from six different regions in the West and Northwest of Iran. They were tested for N. caninum by PCR at the Nc5 locus, followed by sequencing of five of the PCR products. The overall molecular prevalence was 34.5% in blood samples and the prevalence by DNA detection in the aborted fetuses was 13.8%. Evidence of transplacental transmission from positive jennies to their fetuses was detected in 40% of aborting jennies. Comparison of the five partial Nc5 sequences (227 bp length) exhibited 98-100% similarity with N. caninum GenBank sequences. This is the first molecular study and genetic characterization of N. caninum in Iranian donkeys suggests that N. caninum may be a significant cause of abortion in donkeys.
© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
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Publication Date: 2021-11-23 PubMed ID: 34811588PubMed Central: 3279880DOI: 10.1007/s00436-021-07383-6Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article investigates the impact of the parasite Neospora caninum on the rate of abortions in donkeys in Iran. The study establishes the parasite as a significant cause of abortion in these animals, using molecular and phylogenetic analysis to draw its conclusions.

Objective of Research

  • The main objective of this research was to determine the effect of Neospora spp., specifically Neospora caninum, a protozoan parasite, on the incidence of abortion in donkeys in Iran. Prior to this study, N. caninum had been recognized as a major cause of economic loss in cattle farming due to its impact on reproduction.
  • The study used a combination of different scientific methods including molecular and phylogenetic analyses to conclude this relationship.

Methods of the Research

  • The researchers analyzed blood samples from 29 female donkeys, known as jennies, and their aborted fetuses. These samples were collected from six different regions in the West and Northwest of Iran.
  • These samples were tested for N. caninum at a specific genetic location (Nc5 locus) using PCR (polymerase chain reaction). This is a technique in molecular biology to amplify a single copy of a segment of DNA across several orders of magnitude, generating thousands to millions of copies of the specific DNA sequence.
  • Five of the positive PCR products were sequenced for further analysis.

Result of the Study

  • The results showed that 34.5% of the blood samples were positive for N. caninum, indicating a relatively high prevalence of the parasite within the donkey population. In addition, 13.8% of aborted fetuses tested positive for N. caninum DNA.
  • The study further found evidence of transplacental transmission, as 40% of positive jennies had passed the infection to their fetuses. Transplacental transmission refers to the passage of a disease or infection from a mother to her unborn offspring through the placenta.

Conclusion

  • The partial sequences (of 227 bp length each) from the five selected samples exhibited a 98-100% similarity with N. caninum sequences present in the GenBank, an annotated collection of all publicly available nucleotide sequences and their protein translations.
  • The high similarity in sequences provides convincing evidence that the same species of parasite, N. caninum, is causing abortive incidents in donkeys.
  • Overall, this study suggests that N. caninum might be a significant cause of abortion in Iranian donkeys, which may have implications for donkey reproduction and farming in Iran and other regions affected by this parasite.

Cite This Article

APA
Rahmani SS, Malekifard F, Tavassoli M. (2021). Neospora caninum, a cause of abortion in donkeys (Equus asinus) in Iran. Parasitol Res, 121(1), 367-372. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-021-07383-6

Publication

Parasitology research
ISSN: 1432-1955
NlmUniqueID: 8703571
Country: Germany
Language: English
Volume: 121
Issue: 1
Pages: 367-372

Researcher Affiliations

Rahmani, Seyedeh Shabnam
  • Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, P.O. Box 1177, Urmia, Iran.
Malekifard, Farnaz
  • Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, P.O. Box 1177, Urmia, Iran. f.malekifard@urmia.ac.ir.
Tavassoli, Mousa
  • Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, P.O. Box 1177, Urmia, Iran.

MeSH Terms

  • Abortion, Veterinary
  • Animals
  • Cattle
  • Cattle Diseases
  • Coccidiosis
  • Equidae
  • Female
  • Horses
  • Iran
  • Neospora
  • Phylogeny
  • Pregnancy

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