Evidence that primary infection of Charollais sheep with Toxoplasma gondii may not prevent foetal infection and abortion in subsequent lambings

A study carried out on a sheep farm examined whether Toxoplasma gondii foetal infection and associated abortion occur in successive lambings. We identified 29 ewes that gave birth to lambs on at least 2 successive years over our study period, 2000–2003. Tissue samples from the progeny of these ewes...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Parasitology 2008-02, Vol.135 (2), p.169-173
Main Authors: MORLEY, E. K., WILLIAMS, R. H., HUGHES, J. M., THOMASSON, D., TERRY, R. S., DUNCANSON, P., SMITH, J. E., HIDE, G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
abortion (animals)
abortion risk
Abortion, Veterinary - epidemiology
Abortion, Veterinary - parasitology
Animals
Antigens, Protozoan - genetics
Biological and medical sciences
congenital infection
disease detection
disease transmission
DNA, Protozoan - analysis
ewes
Female
fetal infection
fetus
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General aspects
General aspects and techniques. Study of several systematic groups. Models
infection
Invertebrates
lambing
Mammalia
ovine pregnancy
PCR
polymerase chain reaction
Polymerase Chain Reaction - veterinary
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic - epidemiology
Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic - veterinary
Protozoan Proteins - genetics
Sheep
sheep breeds
Sheep Diseases - congenital
Sheep Diseases - epidemiology
Sheep Diseases - transmission
successive abortion
successive pregnancy
Toxoplasma - pathogenicity
Toxoplasma gondii
toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis, Animal - congenital
Toxoplasmosis, Animal - epidemiology
Toxoplasmosis, Animal - transmission
Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution
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Summary:A study carried out on a sheep farm examined whether Toxoplasma gondii foetal infection and associated abortion occur in successive lambings. We identified 29 ewes that gave birth to lambs on at least 2 successive years over our study period, 2000–2003. Tissue samples from the progeny of these ewes were analysed by PCR to determine infection status with T. gondii. T. gondii-infected lambs were born in 31% of successive pregnancies. T. gondii-positive lambs were aborted in successive pregnancies in 21% of lambings during study period, 2000–2003. The frequency of successive abortions within this flock over the period 1992–2003 was 18%. If a lamb was congenitally infected there was a high risk (69%) that the successive lamb from that ewe would also be congenitally infected. Similarly, if a lamb was aborted there was a high risk (55%) of abortion in the next lamb produced. These data suggest that life-long immunity to T. gondii infections may not always be acquired following an initial infection and raises the question as to whether the mechanisms of T. gondii transmission prior to and during ovine pregnancies are fully understood.
ISSN:0031-1820
1469-8161
DOI:10.1017/S0031182007003721