The present study was conducted to detect the therapeutic effect of Moringa oleifera and Thymus vulgaris oils on hepatic coccidiosis in experimentally infected rabbits. Also, immunomodulatory effect of the two oils was detected. Twenty-four Newzealand rabbits were used in this study and divided into 4 groups; healthy rabbits, experimentally infected rabbits with Eimeria stiedae oocysts, and two infected treated groups (one with moringa (200 mg/kg) and the other with thyme (500 mg/kg) oils). The results showed highly significant reduction in oocysts shedding (P<0.001 and P<0.05) in the two infected and treated rabbits than the infected non-treated rabbits in almost all days post infection (PI). Thyme oil was more potent and stopped oocysts shedding earlier at the day 34 PI compared to moringa oil at the day 41 PI. Microscopically, there was a damage in the oocysts shed by treated rabbits. Macroscopically, the livers of thyme oil treated rabbits showed more enhancement with protection percentage 75% than those treated with moringa oil in which protection percentage was 55%. The highest titer of antibodies was detected in moringa oil treated rabbits. It was concluded that both moringa and thyme oils had an anti-coccidial effect with thyme oil superiority. So, thyme oil could be useful as an alternative product for the control of rabbit coccidiosis.
The following species are described from Indonesian birds: Isospora paddae n. sp. with oocysts 41.5-45.5 x 40.3-41.5 (44 +/- 1.15 x 41.2 +/- 0.38) and sporocysts 22.8-24.5 x 14.7-17 (24 +/- 0.55 x 16.2 +/- 0.81) from the Java sparrow, Padda oryzivora, and Isospora indonesianensis n. sp. with oocysts 39.3-43.6 x 37-40.8 (41.8 +/- 1.3 x 39.6 +/- 1.25) and sporocysts 25.6-28.4 x 15.2-18.5 (27.1 +/- 1.05 x 16.8 +/- 1.22) from the chestnut Munia, Lonchura malacca (L). The host birds belong to the order Passerorida.
In order to attempt isolate the protozoan parasite Neospora caninum, an N. caninum seropositive pregnant Sahiwal Friesian cross heifer from a large-scale dairy farm in Malaysia was kept for observation until parturition at the Veterinary Research Institute, Ipoh. The heifer gave birth to a female calf that was weak, underweight and unable to rise. Precolostral serum from the calf had an N. caninum indirect fluorescent antibody test titre of 1:3200. It died 12 h after birth and necropsy was performed. Brain homogenate from the calf was inoculated into 10 BALB/c mice that were kept for 3 months after which brain tissue from the mice was inoculated onto 24 h fresh monolayer Vero cell lines. The cell cultures were examined daily until growth of intracellular protozoa was observed. DNA of the organisms from the cell cultures was analyzed by PCR and DNA sequencing. DNA fragments of the expected size were amplified from the isolate using N. caninum-specific primers, and sequence analysis of ITS1 clearly identified the isolate as N. caninum. This is the first successful isolation of N. caninum from a bovine in Malaysia, and the isolate is designated Nc-MalB1.
One of the most important routes of transmission for Toxoplasma gondii infection is the ingestion of foods contaminated with cat feces containing sporulated oocysts. The diagnosis of T. gondii infection by fecal microscopy is complicated, as other similar coccidian oocysts are often present in the same fecal specimen. This study aimed to identify T. gondii oocysts in cat feces using a novel PCR technique. Feline fecal specimens (n = 254) were screened for coccidian oocysts by light microscopy using the Sheather's flotation method. PCR analysis performed on the same specimens targeted a 529 bp repeat element and internal transcribed spacer-1 (ITS-1) regions were used to confirm the presence of Toxoplasma oocysts. By light microscopy, 49/254 (19.3%) of specimens contained coccidian oocysts. PCR analysis demonstrated 2/254 (0.8%) and 17/254 (6.7%) positive results using Tox and ITS-1 primers, respectively. However, coccidian oocysts were not identified on microscopic examination of specimens that were PCR-positive by Tox primers. Coccidian oocysts were identified on microscopic examination of 6/17 (35.3%) of the PCR-positive fecal specimens using ITS-1 primers. The BLAST results of 16 ITS-1 sequences were identified as T. gondii (n = 12; 4.7%) and Hammondia hammondi (n = 4; 1.6%). There was slight agreement between the 529 bp and ITS-1 PCR results (κ = 0.148). This is the first report of the detection of Toxoplasma oocysts using PCR analysis on feline fecal specimens from Southern Thailand. The ITS-1 region has potential as an alternative marker to identify T. gondii oocysts in feline fecal specimens.
The occurrence of canine hepatozoonosis in Thailand is primarily caused by Hepatozoon canis. Recently, the relationship of hematology and biochemistry with this disease has been studied, but knowledge regarding the relationship between the quantity of H. canis intracellular gamonts and the hematological profile has not yet been reported. The objective of this study was to investigate the clinical, hematological and biochemical profile of H. canis-positive dogs and the relationship of the number of H. canis gamonts, animal signalment, and hematological and biochemical values. A total of 185 H. canis-positive blood samples were examined, including buffy coat smears and comprehensive data. The number of gamonts was randomly counted from buffy coat smears samples (75/185). The dogs infected with H. canis presented to the animal hospital mostly for health status checks, anorexia, or accidents. Observations from the physical examination on the first day of registration included systemic abnormalities such as digestive, integument, respiratory, urogenital, etc. Most of the dogs showed clinical signs of systemic abnormality in more than one system. Our study shows that plasma proteins are correlated with the number of H. canis gamonts, using Spearman's rho correlation coefficient with significant difference (p <0.05). This finding could be applied to improve the diagnosis and treatment of canine hepatozoonosis.
Coccidial infections were studied in goats in the state of Selangor (peninsular Malaysia) during a 12-month period. The study included 10 smallholder farms on which kids were monitored for faecal oocyst counts from birth until 1-year old. Eimeria oocysts were found in 725 (89%) of 815 faecal samples examined. Nine species of Eimeria were identified. The most prevalent were E. arloingi, found in 71% of the samples, E. ninakohlyakimovae (67%), E. christenseni (63%) and E. alijevi (61%). The other species found were, E. hirci, E. jolchijevi, E. caprovina, E. caprina and E. pallida, present in 34, 22, 12, 9 and 4% of the samples, respectively. Oocyst counts were significantly higher in animals of less than 4-months old (P < 0.05). High oocyst counts were mainly caused by non-pathogenic species. Poor hygienic conditions were found to be associated with a higher intensity of coccidial infections. Mortality rates in kids could not be related to the intensity of coccidial infections.
During 3 collecting expeditions between October 1996 and December 1996, fecal samples were obtained from 43 adult Gonocephalus grandis from Tanah Rata and the Cameron Highlands in Peninsular Malaysia. Two species of coccidia (Isospora gonocephali n. sp. [9/43, 23%] and Eimeria cameronensis n. sp. [3/43, 7%]) were discovered. Sporulated oocysts of I. gonocephali are subspherical to ovoidal, 22.3 x 18.7 (19-25 x 17-23) microm with a bilayered wall composed of a thin inner wall and a striated outer wall with a pitted surface; oocyst residuum absent; 1 polar granule present; sporocysts are almond-shaped, 13.5 x 9.2 (12-15 x 8.5-10) microm, Stieda body broad, domelike, substieda body fanlike, sporocyst residuum consisting of coarse, nonuniform granules in an amorphous cluster; sporozoites sausage-shaped with 1 large terminal, refractile body and lay randomly in the sporocyst. Sporulated oocysts of E. cameronensis are bilayered, smooth-walled, ellipsoidal, 26.5 x 12.4 (25-28 x 12-13) microm; with 1, small, polar granule composed of 2-3 splinter-like structures fused together; oocyst residuum absent; sporocysts ovoidal, almost rectangular-shaped 8.8 x 6.6 (8-9 x 5-7) microm, with no Stieda or substieda bodies, containing scattered residuum and 2 sausage-shaped sporozoites with 1 terminal, ovoidal refractile body. No individual lizard was host to both coccidian species.
Faecal samples of 56 common house crows (Corvus splendens Vieillot) were collected from the Petaling Jaya and Kelang districts of Selangor, peninsular Malaysia, and examined for coccidia. Intestinal tracts of 8 of the above crows wee histologically examined under light microscopy to determine the site of coccidial infection and the endogenous stages present. Fifty three (94.6%) crows had coccidial oocysts morphologically conforming to only one species of Isospora in their faeces at the time they were examined. The sporulated oocysts were found to be Isospora corviae (Ray et al. 1952) which has been emended to I. corvi. These oocysts are redescribed in greater detail. Corvus splendens is a new host record for I. corvi. Coccidial infection was observed in all the intestinal tracts and generally confined to the anterior two thirds of the intestine. The parasites occurred within intestinal epithelial cells, located usually above the host cell nucleus. Developmental stages of both the asexual and sexual phases were found in the epithelium, and are deemed to be the endogenous stages of I. corvi on the basis of the oocysts recovered from the same crows used for histological study. These stages are described here for the first time. The prevalence of I. corvi, its relationship with the host C. splendens, and its probable transmission from C. macrorhynchus are discussed.