First case report of Toxoplasma gondii-induced abortions and stillbirths in sheep in Argentina

GUAL I.; GIANETTI F.; HECKER Y.P.; SHIVERS J.; ENTROCASSI A.C. ; MORRELL E.; PARDINI L.; FIORENTINO MA; RODRIGUEZ FERMEPIN M.; UNZAGA, J.M.; CANTÓN G.; VENTURINI, M.C.; MOORE D.P.

Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports

Elsevier

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2018 vol. 12 p. 39 - 42

2405-9390

The aim of this study is to report an episode of reproductive losses due to toxoplasmosis in a sheep flock inArgentina. A total of 15 abortions and 9 stillbirths were recorded in a flock of 190 Texel ewes. The affected eweswere more likely to be seropositive for Toxoplasma gondii (15/24) than ewes that delivered normal lambs (5/34,OR =9.6, 95%CI =2.7?34.0, p =0.0004). A pair of aborted twins was recovered for diagnostic investigation.One of these fetuses and its dam were seropositive for T. gondii. Histological examination of the two fetusesrevealed non-suppurative myocarditis and epicarditis, portal hepatitis and multifocal necrotizing encephalitiswith protozoal cysts in the brain. T. gondii was detected intralesionally by immunohistochemistry in one fetusand by PCR in both. Further investigations are necessary to evaluate the economic losses due to T. gondii in theArgentinean ovine industry.