Long-lasting infection with Anaplasma ovis in sheep.

Ovine anaplasmosis is an emerging vector-borne disease in Europe caused by Anaplasma ovis. The infection has spread quickly in recent years, causing moderate to severe outbreaks in sheep flocks, leading to relevant economic losses in sheep farming. This wider spread has been associated with global warming and climate change, favouring the maintenance and life cycle of their main vector, the ticks. However, another epidemiological aspect could favour this quick spread. Long persistence infection of Anaplasma ovis has been proposed as a hypothesis in several articles but never scientifically proven. The results of the present study demonstrate that eight adult sheep, both naturally or experimentally infected, maintain Anaplasma ovis load in blood during their whole productive life (4 to 6 years), being permanently infected. In addition, the results suggest that A. ovis bacterial load can be constant or suffer fluctuations, as has been demonstrated in other Anaplasma species. Both aspects can be determinants in the epidemiology and the transmission of the infection.

Comparison of entropion outcome with and without intervention in Romane and Ile de France sheep breeds.

BACKGROUND: Congenital entropion is the most frequent ocular disorder in newborn lambs of certain sheep breeds, which, if not treated, can result in complete blindness and death due to starvation. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to compare the spontaneous healing of entropion in two breeds and assess the outcome of cases with and without therapeutic intervention. METHODS: A total of 158 entropion cases (119 Ile de France and 39 Romane) were investigated, and swab samples were collected from the cornea and conjunctiva of 73 of the affected lambs for bacteriological investigation. In addition, an ocular intervention was carried out in 123 affected animals. RESULTS: The Romane breed developed entropion at an average age of 7 days compared to the Ile de France, which developed it at an average age of 1 day. Likewise, significant differences were found between bilateral and unilateral involvement in both breeds. Meanwhile, 22.1% of cases recovered spontaneously, and the highest rate of spontaneous recovery without intervention was observed in the Romane breed (66%). Bacteria isolated from ocular samples included Staphylococcus spp. (42.5%), Bacillus spp. (21.9%), Trueperella pyogenes (13.7%), Corynebacterium spp. (12.3%) and Escherichia coli (9.6%). CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study showed that the onset time of entropion, bilateral involvement, the severity of the process and the need for re-treatment were higher in the Ile de France breed than in the Romane breed. Likewise, the Romane breed showed a higher degree of spontaneous recovery of entropion.

Presence of anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies in sheep (Ovis aries) in Spain.

Sandflies are the primary transmission vector for Leishmania spp parasite in endemic regions. The role of other animals, different from the dog, is under discussion in the leishmaniosis endemic countries. A limited number of reports have been published on the possible role of livestock in European countries for Leishmania maintenance and diffusion. The aim of the present study was to perform a serosurvey on sheep in areas of Spain that are endemic for zoonotic leishmaniosis and establish the possible role of sheep regarding Leishmania infantum infection in endemic areas. Three hundred and two serum samples were obtained from sheep and were evaluated for serological survey to detect L. infantum by using the in-house ELISA technique. Twenty-eight out of the 302 samples included in this study, were positive for L. infantum antibodies (9.27%). In the present study, a significant association was found between adult age and seropositivity (p = 0.006) and female gender and seropositivity (p = 0.02). This association has not been previously described in other European studies related to L. infantum infection in sheep. Our study reveals that domestic sheep in a European Mediterranean country are exposed to L. infantum. To our knowledge, this study demonstrates the presence of seropositive sheep in different regions of Spain for the first time. Further epidemiological studies focus on evaluating the rural cycle of this parasite to know if livestock could act as a potential reservoir are needed.

Impact of Stress on Health and Final Weight in Fattening Lambs.

In order to determine whether the stress level had any influence on the health and final weight of Rasa Aragonesa fattening lambs, stress markers were measured throughout the fattening period in 80 feedlot lambs (group F) and in 40 lambs finished on the farm of birth (group C). The highest values of the stress indicators-neutrophil-to-lymphocyte-ratio (N/L), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), serum cortisol and fecal cortisol metabolites (FCM)-were recorded after the road transportation of group F to the feedlot. No differences between the groups were identified at the end of the adaptation period, but at the end of the fattening, statistically significant higher values for NEFA and serum cortisol were determined in group F. However, statistically significant differences between the groups were not found in the percentage of lambs with clinical signs of illness and ovine respiratory complex (ORC) lesions or in the final weight of the lambs. Independent of the location at which the lambs were fattened, those with FCM values at the beginning of the study (at the time of weaning) in the highest quartile developed a higher percentage of clinical signs of illness (45.5% vs. 32.1%, p > 0.05) and ORC lesions (45.5% vs. 10.7%, p < 0.01), and their average final weight was lower (24.36 kg vs. 27.40 kg, p = 0.001) than those with values in the lowest quartile. Stress experienced by lambs prior to finishing seems to be relevant for their further development, and FCM concentration at the time of weaning could be used as an indicator of health and productive performance of the lambs during the fattening period, regardless of finishing location.