Parasites of the Reproductive system Flashcards
What species does toxoplasma gondii primarily affect?
Mammals and Birds
How much of the worlds population is infected by toxoplasma gondii?
30% of the global population
What parasite is most closely related to abortion?
Toxoplasma gondii
What is the only definitive host of toxoplasma gondii?
Cat
When do toxoplasma oocysts shed?
they shed 3-10 days after infection for 1-3 weeks
How many toxoplasma oocysts shed in the faeces?
100 million
How long does toxoplasma take to sporulate?
1-5 days and then divides into 2 sporocysts
What is the shape and size of toxoplasma oocysts?
Oval, 10um in diameter
How long do toxoplasma oocysts remain infective for?
Over a year in a warm, humid environment
What size are Toxoplasma tissue cysts?
60 um in diameter, there are up to 60,000 of them
When do toxoplasma cysts appear?
Over 7 days post-infection
What part of the body do toxoplasma tissue cyst affect?
CNS, eyes, muscle and other sites
When may T.gondii infections sit in reserve?
When there is a change in the hosts immune status, e.g pregnancy, FELV, FIV
How do cats become infected with T.gondii?
Cats are infected via predation, e.g mice, voles.
What are the clinical signs of T.gondii in cats?
- Mild diarrhoea, fever, loss of appetite, lethargy
- Lungs= pneumonia, respiratory distress
- Eyes and CNS
What are the clinical signs of T.gondii bradyzoites in rodents?
In the CNS
- ‘suicidal’ changes in behaviour
- more active
- reduced fear of new objects
- increased attraction to cat odour
- lose the aversion to cats
What is the seroprevalence of ovine toxoplamosis?
54.2%
What does ovine toxoplasmosis cause?
Still births, weak/ unthrifty lambs
What is the estimated cost of ovine toxoplamsosis to the sheep industry?
12 million per year
How do sheep become infected with ovine toxoplasmosis?
through ingestion of oocysts that contaminate grass, hay, straw or concentrates
What are the clinical signs of ovine toxoplasmosis in early pregnancy?
embryo reabsorption/ early foetal loss, barren ewes, poor conception rate
What are the clinical signs of ovine toxoplasmosis in later pregnancy?
- Abortion
- Mummified foetus
- foetus dying later in gestation but born with varying levels of decomposition- often with clear-to-bloody subcut oedema
- stillbirth
- weak lambs
What does the pathology of ovine toxoplasmosis look like?
- Placental cotyledons bright to dark red, with speckled white foci of necrosis