Molecular and histopathological identification of ovine neosporosis (Neospora caninum) in aborted ewes in Iraq

Vet World Vol.13 March-2020 Article-30

Research Article

Veterinary World, 13(3): 597-603

https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2020.597-603

Sattar J. J. Al-Shaeli¹, Ali M. Ethaeb¹, and Hasanain A. J. Gharban²

1. Department of Anatomy and Histology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Wasit University, Wasit, Iraq.
2. Internal and Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Wasit University, Wasit, Iraq.

Background and Aim: The objective of the present study was to detect Neospora caninum DNA in the placenta of sheep and evaluate the association of risk factors to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positive and histopathological analysis of the placenta and fetal tissue samples of aborted fetuses.

Materials and Methods: Fresh placenta from 51 aborted ewes was collected for PCR assay. Placental and fetal tissues of aborted fetuses, including brain, heart, liver, lung, and thymus, were collected for histopathological analysis, besides the risk factor data were obtained during the time of sampling.

Results: From 51 placentas examined by PCR, 13.73% appeared positive to N. caninum DNA. The relationship between PCR positive and the risk factors revealed a significant difference (p<0.05) in age of the dam, fetal age, feed source, water source, and the presence of other animals at farm, whereas the type of birth, stillbirth, and size of flock showed insignificant difference (p>0.05). Histopathological investigation of placental and fetal tissues of positive samples showed tissue cyst-like structure, necrotic foci, and infiltration of mononuclear cells. Other lesions were thickening in chorionic plate in placenta, severe vacuolization and death of neurons, microgliosis, demyelination, edema, and proliferation of astrocytes in brain. In addition, fibrous and fat deposition with stenosis in the heart, parenchymal necrosis, severe atrophy, vacuolization and hyalinization of hepatocytes, megakaryocyte, portal fibrosis in the liver, and interlobular septal thickening in lung without obvious lesions is seen in the thymus tissue samples.

Conclusion: This is a unique study that confirmed N. caninum DNA in the placenta of aborted ewes in Iraq using PCR assay. Histopathological analysis of some aborted fetuses organs could provide a more confirmatory and reliable data for a significant role of neosporosis in increasing the rate of abortion in sheep, while the clinical data of risk factors could be used to control the transmission of N. caninum infection. Keywords: histopathology, Iraq, Neospora caninum, polymerase chain reaction, sheep.

Keywords: histopathology, Iraq, Neospora caninum, polymerase chain reaction, sheep.

How to cite this article: Al-Shaeli SJJ, Ethaeb AM, Gharban HAJ (2020) Molecular and histopathological identification of ovine neosporosis (Neospora caninum) in aborted ewes in Iraq, Veterinary World, 13(3): 597-603.

Received: 03-12-2019 Accepted: 18-02-2020 Published online: 30-03-2020

Corresponding author: Sattar J. J. Al-Shaeli E-mail: salshaeli@uowasit.edu.iq

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2020.597-603

Copyright: Al-Shaeli SJJ, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.