Infectious and non-infectious causes for pregnancy loss in South American camelids - A review.

South American camelids (SAC) are gaining popularity for various purposes, including fiber production, trekking, and companionship. High abortion rates pose a significant health issue in SAC herds, leading to substantial economic losses for breeders. Often, the causes of these abortions remain unidentified. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the known infectious and non-infectious causes of abortions in SAC.

First detection of autochthonous Lamanema chavezi infections in llamas (Lama glama) in Europe.

Lamanema chavezi is one of the most pathogenic nematode species of South American camelids (SAC), with a homoxenous life cycle involving enterohepatic migration of its larvae in the host. So far, it has been found in the Americas and New Zealand. The first autochthonous L. chavezi infections in SAC in Europe are reported here. On a SAC farm in Germany, a 15-month-old male llama with a short history of diarrhoea died in September 2017, followed nine months later by a three-year-old female llama with a history of emaciation, apathy, anorexia, anaemia and tetraparesis with retained sensorium. Both animals were born and raised on the farm, which had imported three llamas directly from Chile 4-14 years earlier. At necropsy, the main lesions in both cases were numerous white-yellow to dark red foci, up to 3 mm in size, close to the Glisson's capsule and deep in the parenchyma of the liver. Histologically, the livers showed haemorrhagic tracks by and with nematode larvae and a necro-haemorrhagic to fibrinous inflammation with a predominantly lymphohistiocytic infiltration. The larvae were 30-50 µm in diameter and had external longitudinal cuticular ridges. Larvae extracted from unfixed liver tissue were 1800-2000 µm long and about 80 µm in diameter, with a terminal spine at the posterior end, which is characteristic of female L. chavezi stages. The ribosomal DNA including the almost complete 18S rRNA gene, the first internal transcribed spacer, the 5.8S RNA gene, the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and the partial 28S rRNA gene from isolated larvae were amplified using nematode-specific oligonucleotide primers and then sequenced. The assembled nematode sequence of 3448 bp showed an identity of 99.4% to previously published L. chavezi sequences in the BLASTN search. Low numbers of L. chavezi-like eggs were found in the faeces of seven (29%) of 24 llamas and alpacas in the herd, including some farm-born crias, tested two years after the last fatal case. The results show for the first time that L. chavezi has not only been imported into Europe from South America, but has also completed its life cycle locally, resulting in autochthonous infections of SAC. This was also suspected to be the cause of the fatal disease in two llamas.

Survey of anthelmintic use in South American camelids in the UK.

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal helminths are common in South American camelids in the UK. However, there are no anthelmintics currently licenced for camelids, leading to a limited evidence base for treatment. The aim of this study was to assess the usage of anthelmintics among UK camelid farmers. METHODS: An online questionnaire focusing on the use of anthelmintics in camelids was distributed to UK camelid owners in Spring 2019. RESULTS: Forty-nine of the 51 respondents treated their camelids with anthelmintics, while 21 (42.0%) reported a previous gastrointestinal helminth diagnosis on their farms. A wide variety of anthelmintics were employed and there was striking variation in treatment frequency, dosage and source of information used to select anthelmintic dosing regimen. CONCLUSION: This work highlights the need for quality efficacy studies of anthelmintics in camelids to provide an appropriate evidence base for treatment, as well as the need for better education for camelid owners on anthelmintics and anthelmintic resistance.