Ozlem Derinbay Ekici

A comparative study on the prevalence of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi infections in horse sub-populations in Turkey.

Blood and serum samples were taken from 481 horses, from a stud farm or a racecourse, and tested by microscopic examination of blood smears and cELISA for Theileria equi (T. equi) and Babesia caballi (B. caballi) infections. At the time of sampling, animals were also examined for tick infestations and clinical disease, which were not observed in any of the sampled horses. During the microscopic examination of thin blood smears, parasites were detected in the three horses from the racecourse. Overall seroprevalence of infection was detected as 18.50% (89 of 481 horses) by cELISA, with T. equi being significantly more prevalent than B. caballi. Of the 481 blood samples, 78 (16.21%) were serologically positive for T. equi and 4 (0.83%) were serologically positive for B. caballi. In addition, 7 (1.46%) samples were positive for both T. equi and B. caballi antibodies. Seropositivity rates in the racecourse horses were higher than those determined in the stud farm horses. The rates for T. equi, B. caballi and both species were 13.39, 0.52 and 0% in the horses from the stud farm and 27, 2 and 7% in the racecourse horses, respectively. These results indicate that equine piroplasmosis is more common in racehorses than studhorses and therefore it might be a serious concern in horses that participate to international races.

Babesia ovis infections: Detailed clinical and laboratory observations in the pre- and post-treatment periods of 97 field cases

Ovine babesiosis, caused by Babesia ovis, is of major economic importance in Turkey. The changes in the blood profile of infected animals are informative about the course of infection. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the hematological and biochemical changes in the pre- and post-treatment periods of the natural B. ovis infections. The presence of the parasites was confirmed by microscopy and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. On the basis of the clinical and laboratory findings, the infections were categorized into different groups according to the degree of anemia and the level of parasitemia. All infected sheep were treated with imidocarb dipropionate (IMDP). The blood pictures in the pre- and post-treatment periods were compared. Pancytopenia occurred in animals with severe anemia and very high parasitemia, and bicytopenia in the other groups. The platelet count (PLT), plateletcrit (PCT) and mean platelet volume (MPV) returned to the normal ranges after treatment, except those in the group with severe anemia. In the biochemical profile, B. ovis infection caused an increase in blood urea nitrogen and total bilirubin, and these parameters returned to normal levels after treatment. The indirect fluorescein antibody test (IFAT) results showed that 38.1% of the cases raised specific antibodies during the period of infection, with titers ranging from 1/160 to 1/640. All of 45 animals re-examined after treatment were seropositive, with high titers that rose up to 1/5120.

Instability of ovine babesiosis in an endemic area in Turkey.

This study was designed to determine the endemic status of Babesia ovis in sheep in Turkey. A total of 2000 sheep, from different age groups (i.e. 0-3, 4-6, 6-9, 10-12, and >12 months), were selected randomly from 132 sheep flocks. The presence of specific antibodies against B. ovis was diagnosed by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT). A total of 843 (42.15%) serum samples were determined to be positive. The seropositivity rates in the age groups stated above were 31.90, 31.64, 47.69, 40.22, and 52.99%, respectively. The endemic status of the disease was determined by calculating the inoculation rate (h) of each group. The h value for each group was determined to be lower than 0.005, which revealed that the endemic status of B. ovis was instable. This report may indicate the necessity of vaccination.

Comparison of cELISA and IFA tests in the serodiagnosis of anaplasmosis in cattle

This study was performed to compare indirect fluorescence antibody (IFA) test with competitive ELISA (cELISA) for detection of antibodies to Anaplasma marginale in cattle. In this study, a total of 484 cattle were examined on farms that had a positive history of anaplasmosis. Thin blood smears were prepared from each examined cattle and the cELISA and IFA tests were performed. Samples in which the results of microscopic examination and cELISA were compatible were used as a “gold standard” to define sensitivity and specificity of IFA test and these were used to give “real diagnosis”. According to the test result; 62 of 69 samples found positive in “real diagnosis” were positive in IFA test, and all of the 187 samples that were negative in the real diagnosis were defined as negative in IFA test. When compared to gold standard the sensitivity and specificity of the IFA test were 88.95 and 100%, respectively. In conclusion, both IFA and cELISA tests can be used in the diagnosis of A. marginale.

Determination of immunoreactive proteins of Babesia ovis

Babesia ovis, an intraerythrocytic protozoan parasite transmitted by ticks, causes severe infections in sheep in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Parasite-specific immunoreactive proteins have been used as antigen in the serological diagnosis of babesiosis. There is no study about determination of B. ovis-specific proteins in sheep. This study was planned to determine the immunoreactive proteins of B. ovis. In this study, two splenectomized lambs, and twelve seropositive sheep and five seronegative lambs for anti-B. ovis antibodies were used as materials. Infected blood samples at 5% of parasitemia from the two splenectomized lambs experimentally infected with a virulent B. ovis field strain were analyzed for B. ovis-specific proteins by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Western blotting (WB). B. ovis-specific five major proteins were recognized by anti-B. ovis serum but not by healthy sheep serum. They were of approximate molecular weights 154, 109, 77, 58, and 38 kDa. As the control samples, protein profiles of the blood extracts of two lambs before splenectomy operation were also blotted with the immune sera, but none of the five proteins was detected. These proteins were also immunoblotted with heterologous positive and negative sheep sera. All of twelve positive sera recognized the 109 kDa protein with 100 percent sensitivity. The 77 kDa protein reacted in 11 of 12 sera (91.6%). The sensitivities of the other 3 proteins ranged between 83.3% and 25%. The five protein bands immunoblotted with sera of the 5 negative lambs did not give any positive reaction. The results of this study revealed the presence of proteins recognized by the serum antibodies of experimentally and naturally infected sheep with B. ovis. Additional studies on the purification of these proteins and on subsequently their utilization in a serodiagnostic method are required to improve the serological diagnosis of ovine babesiosis.

Determination of Some Etiologic Agents in Calves with Diarrhea

The rapid increase in drug-resistant infections presents an acute problem that continues to challenge the healthcare sector, generating interest in novel antimicrobial strategies. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have a high potential as new therapeutics against infectious diseases as they are less prone to induce resistance due to their fast and non-specific mechanism of action. However the therapeutic potential of peptides is hampered by a number of chemical and biological concerns that impede their development. Hence the importance to protect the labile AMPs.REFERENCES Paracoccidioidomycosis is an endemic granulomatous disease in Latin America. The vast majority of cases of this systemic mycosis are diagnosed in Brazil. We report a case of a 44-years-old man, urban dweller, smoker, who presented with 6 months of cough and hemoptoic sputum, without fever, sweating or weight loss. The chest CT scan showed multiple nodular injuries in both lungs. The bronchoscopy with biopsy was negative for cancer or infectious disease. Prednisone 1mg/kg was prescribed to treat the presumptive diagnosis of a granulomatous vasculitis. After 3 months of outpatient treatment, there was a worsening of cough with increase of the length of pulmonary injuries. The patient was admitted to the hospital. Tests for autoimmune disease including ANCA were negative. Consequently, corticoid therapy was stopped. During a review of the anamnesis, the man mentioned that he used to work in rural areas during the sugar cane harvest, as a sugar cane cutter. Based on this epidemiological exposition, the patient was submitted to an open lung biopsy to test for paracoccidioidomycosis. The presence of fungal structures compatible with Paracoccidioides braziliensis confirmed the diagnosis. It was initiated the treatment with itraconazole with decreasing of cough. He was discharged from hospital with 15 days of treatment.

Eimeria spp. in naturally infected calves

The rapid increase in drug-resistant infections presents an acute problem that continues to challenge the healthcare sector, generating interest in novel antimicrobial strategies. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have a high potential as new therapeutics against infectious diseases as they are less prone to induce resistance due to their fast and non-specific mechanism of action. However the therapeutic potential of peptides is hampered by a number of chemical and biological concerns that impede their development. Hence the importance to protect the labile AMPs.REFERENCES Paracoccidioidomycosis is an endemic granulomatous disease in Latin America. The vast majority of cases of this systemic mycosis are diagnosed in Brazil. We report a case of a 44-years-old man, urban dweller, smoker, who presented with 6 months of cough and hemoptoic sputum, without fever, sweating or weight loss. The chest CT scan showed multiple nodular injuries in both lungs. The bronchoscopy with biopsy was negative for cancer or infectious disease. Prednisone 1mg/kg was prescribed to treat the presumptive diagnosis of a granulomatous vasculitis. After 3 months of outpatient treatment, there was a worsening of cough with increase of the length of pulmonary injuries. The patient was admitted to the hospital. Tests for autoimmune disease including ANCA were negative. Consequently, corticoid therapy was stopped. During a review of the anamnesis, the man mentioned that he used to work in rural areas during the sugar cane harvest, as a sugar cane cutter. Based on this epidemiological exposition, the patient was submitted to an open lung biopsy to test for paracoccidioidomycosis. The presence of fungal structures compatible with Paracoccidioides braziliensis confirmed the diagnosis. It was initiated the treatment with itraconazole with decreasing of cough. He was discharged from hospital with 15 days of treatment.

Alterations of blood parameters after intramuscular administration of imidocarb in healthy lambs

The aim of this study was to determine the safety of imidocarb dipropionate in sheep. Imidocarb dipropionate (IMDP) was administered (2.4 mg/kg, intramuscular; i.m.) to 10 sheep, and blood samples were obtained 0, 1, 6, and 9 days after treatment. Hemacell counts, serum biochemical values, coagulation values, and serum oxidative status were measured. IMDP caused transient decreases in pH, actual bicarbonate, standard bicarbonate, total carbon dioxide, base excess in vivo, base excess in vitro, oxygen saturation, lactate dehydrogenase, and retinol levels and transient increases in serum creatine kinase–MB, blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine levels. IMDP decreased adenosine deaminase activity, antithrombin III, and superoxide dismutase activity and increased white blood cell counts. In conclusion, IMDP may change serum oxidative status and cause coagulation disorders during treatment in sheep.