Disease severity and blood cytokine concentrations in dogs with natural Babesia rossi infection.

AIMS: Babesia rossi causes severe disease in dogs. Here, we describe the association between serum cytokine concentrations and disease severity. METHODS: Seventeen controls and 55 PCR confirmed B rossi-infected dogs were included. Diseased dogs were subdivided into 23 critically ill and 32 relatively well cases. Serum concentrations of 11 cytokines and biochemical markers of disease severity were determined. RESULTS: Significant differences were detected for IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, MCP-1 and TNF-α between the groups. Generally, the more complicated the disease, the more pro-inflammatory the cytokine milieu. IL-8 showed a reverse trend and was negatively correlated with disease severity. IL-6, MCP-1 and TNF-α were also significantly higher in the dogs that died (n = 9) compared to the dogs that survived (n = 46). IL-8 showed the opposite. MCP-1 and TNF-α were negatively correlated with biochemical markers of severity. Glucose was negatively correlated with IL-6. Cortisol, peripheral parasite density and band neutrophil count were positively correlated, whilst thyroid hormone was negatively correlated with IL-6, MCP-1 and TNF-α. CONCLUSIONS: As in malaria and sepsis, B rossi infection induces a pro-inflammatory cytokine storm that correlates with disease severity and adverse outcome. The multiplicity of cytokines involved argues for redundancy in the system once the disease is established.

Identification of parasitic communities within European ticks using next-generation sequencing.

BACKGROUND: Risk assessment of tick-borne and zoonotic disease emergence necessitates sound knowledge of the particular microorganisms circulating within the communities of these major vectors. Assessment of pathogens carried by wild ticks must be performed without a priori, to allow for the detection of new or unexpected agents. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We evaluated the potential of Next-Generation Sequencing techniques (NGS) to produce an inventory of parasites carried by questing ticks. Sequences corresponding to parasites from two distinct genera were recovered in Ixodes ricinus ticks collected in Eastern France: Babesia spp. and Theileria spp. Four Babesia species were identified, three of which were zoonotic: B. divergens, Babesia sp. EU1 and B. microti; and one which infects cattle, B. major. This is the first time that these last two species have been identified in France. This approach also identified new sequences corresponding to as-yet unknown organisms similar to tropical Theileria species. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings demonstrate the capability of NGS to produce an inventory of live tick-borne parasites, which could potentially be transmitted by the ticks, and uncovers unexpected parasites in Western Europe.

Survey for tick-borne zoonoses in the state of Espirito Santo, southeastern Brazil.

Blood samples collected from 201 humans, 92 dogs, and 27 horses in the state of Espirito Santo, Brazil, were tested by polymerase chain reaction, indirect immunofluorescence assays, and indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for tick-borne diseases (rickettsiosis, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, borreliosis, babesiosis). Our results indicated that the surveyed counties are endemic for spotted fever group rickettsiosis because sera from 70 (34.8%) humans, 7 (7.6%) dogs, and 7 (25.9%) horses were reactive to at least one of the six Rickettsia species tested. Although there was evidence of ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichia canis) and babesiosis (Babesia canis vogeli, Theileria equi) in domestic animals, no human was positive for babesiosis and only four individuals were serologically positive for E. canis. Borrelia burgdorferi-serologic reactive sera were rare among humans and horses, but encompassed 51% of the canine samples, suggesting that dogs and their ticks can be part of the epidemiological cycle of the causative agent of the Brazilian zoonosis, named Baggio-Yoshinari Syndrome.

Prevalência de anticorpos antiBabesia equi em eqüinos no Planalto Catarinense / Prevalence of Babesia equi antibodies in horses in the Santa Catarina Plateau, Brazil

Para avaliar a prevalência de anticorpos antiBabesia equi, através da técnica de imunofluorescência indireta (IFI), foram examinados 397 amostras de soro. As amostras de sangue, para obtençäo dos soros, foram coletadas de eqüinos de diferentes idades, raças, sexos, nascidos e criados no Planalto Catarinense, dos municípios de Lages, Säo Joaquim, Bom Jardim da Serra, Campos Novos, Anita Garibaldi, Curitibanos e Correia Pinto. Os resultados obtidos indicaram a existência de 50,38 por cento de animais sorologicamente reativos para B. equi, na diluiçäo de 1:40. Entre os municípios, os percentuais de animais soropositivos variaram de 18,51 por cento a 64,70 por cento.

Babesia equina en Haras Inscritas en la asociacion de criadores de caballos del Departamento de Santa Cruz / Babesia equina haras at the asociation of trainres of horses in the Department of Santa Cruz

El estudio fue realizado para determinar la presencia de la babesia equina en el departamento de Santa Cruz, provincias Andres Ibañez, Warnes y Ñuflo de Chavez, Se muestrearon al azar 260 equinos tomando en cuenta la zona, la edad, raza y sexo en los cuales se observaron al microscopio frotis sanguineos colorados con giemza. Del total de animales observados el 100 dio resultados negativos. En la provincia Andres Ibañez se tomaron 184, lo que representa 70,77 por ciento, Warnes 25 (9,62 por ciento) y Ñuflo de Chavez 51 (19,62 por ciento). Como prueba complementaria se realizo microhematocrito, de 260 animales, 8 estaban por debajo del 24, lo que representa un 3,1 por ciento del Total de las muestras, estos se encontraban en la provincia Andres Ibañez. Se pudo evidenciar la presencia de vectores como las garrapatas, del genero Anocentor (Dermacenter) especie nitens, esto quiere decir que la enfermedad puede estar presente, aunque en la prueba directa no se hubiera encontrado los parasitos. Las variables zona, edad, raza y sexo no fueron factores determinantes sobre la presentacion de esta enfermedad por los resultados obtenidos. Se aplico la formula de deteccion de la presencia de la enfermedad descrita por Thrusfield (1990) cuyo resultado da la posibilidad de encontrar 8 animales positivos que representa el 1 de la poblacion.

A rapid, reliable method of evaluating growth and viability of intraerythrocytic protozoan hemoparasites using fluorescence flow cytometry

Fluorescence flow cytometry was employed to assess the potential of a vital dye, hydroethiedine, for use in the detection and monitoring of the viability of hemoparasites in infected erythrocytes, using Babesia bovis as a model parasite. The studies demonstrated that hydroethidine is taken up by B. bovis and metabolically converted to the DNA binding fluorochrone, ethidium. Following uptake of the dye, erythrocytes contamine viable parasites were readily distinguished and quantitated. Timed studies with the parasiticidal drug, Ganaseg, showed that it is possible to use the fluorochrome assay to monitor the effects of the drug on the rate of replication and viability of B. bovis in culture. The assay provides a rapid method for evaluation of the in vitro effect of drugs on hemoparasites and for analysis of the effect of various components of the immune response, such as lymphokines, monocyte products, antibodies, and effector cells (T, NK, LAK, ADCC) on the growth and viability of intraerythrocytic parasites

Registro do primeiro caso de infecçäo humana por Babesia spp no Brasil / Human babesiosis first report of autochtonous case from Tiúma - Pernambuco - Brazil

Os autores relatam o primeiro caso de babesiose humana no Brasil, diagnosticada pelo exame direto de lâminas de sangue, coradas pelo LEISHMAN, em paciente adulto, residente em Pernambuco - Brasil, com quadro clínico semelhante ao de malária benigna. As observaçöes das lâminas, ao microscópio, revelaram estruturas, algumas das quais podiam confundir-se com os trofozoítos de Plasmódio e outras que bem poderiam diferenciar-se dos agentes causadores da malária, inclusive, pela ausência de pigmentaçäo malárica nas hemácias. Assim, o diagnóstico de babesiose, no paciente, que exercia, inclusive, profissäo de auxiliar de veterinário, foi estabelecido com base na morfologia das estruturas. Vale acrescentar que as estruturas observadas nas lâminas coradas eram semelhantes àas que se encontram publicadas por outros autores sobre a infecçäo humana por Babesia

[A study on the transmission (transstadial, transovarial) of Babesia microti, strain "Hannover i", in its tick vector, Ixodes ricinus (author's transl)]. / Untersuchungen zur Ubertragung (transstadial, transovarial) von Babesia microti, Stamm "Hannover I", in Ixodes ricinus.

Transstadial, transovarial and combined transstadial-transovarial transmission of Babesia microti in its tick vector, Ixodes ricinus, was studied. The ticks used (larvae, nymphs, females) were part of the progeny of nymphs collected in an area nearby Hanover. Specimens to be infected alimentarily were fed on parasitaemic Golden Hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). The ability to infect mammalian hosts of a tick stage was examined by feeding it on negative Golden Hamsters. B. microti was found to be transmitted transstadially from the alimentarily infected larva to the following nymphal stage, only. Thus, this nymph is the only stage transmitting the Babesia to mammalian hosts. Transovarial transmission could not be observed.

Babesiosis in Long Island. Host-parasite relationships of rodent- and human-derived Babesia microti isolates in hamsters.

The effects of splenectomy and size of inoculum on response of hamsters to three isolates of Babesia microti (two rodent- and one human-derived) from Long Island were studied. Splenectomy of hamsters did not enhance susceptibility to the rodent isolates of B. microti at a dosage of 5 X 10(7) parasites. Larger parasite inocula produced shorter prepatent periods and slightly shorter duration of infection in intact hamsters. Inoculum size was not contributory to mortality of hamsters or to pathogenesis. Hamsters showed profound anemia with depressed hematocrit and hemoglobin values and erythrocyte counts. Moderate leucocytosis was seen just prior to peak parasitemia, with immature polymorphonuclear cells predominating. Infections in hamsters lasted for 14--17 weeks. As determined by the parameters studied, the three isolates appear to be identical.