Infectious and Parasitic Diseases of Small Ruminants: Diagnosis, Prevention, and Control

A special issue of Veterinary Sciences (ISSN 2306-7381). This special issue belongs to the section "Veterinary Microbiology, Parasitology and Immunology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 December 2024) | Viewed by 2802

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, 43100 Karditsa, Greece
Interests: clinical research; sheep; somatic cell count; mastitis; goat; herd health; cattle; dairy farming; listeriosis; listeria monocytogenes
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Small ruminants (sheep and goats) are essential components of agricultural farming systems in countries throughout the world. These animals are farmed in a variety of production systems, including meat, dairy, and wool production, and are managed under many systems, such as intensive, semi-intensive, semi-extensive, extensive, and shepherding management systems.

Infectious and parasitic diseases of small ruminants adversely affect the health, productivity, and welfare of sheep and goats on farms. Therefore, there is a clear interest in improving the diagnosis, prevention, and control of these diseases. This Special Issue will cover infectious (bacterial, viral, and fungal) and parasitic (endo- and ecto-parasitic) diseases of sheep and goats. This Special Issue will also cover studies regarding the health management of small ruminant populations.

This Special Issue welcomes research articles, reviews, and case reports. This Special Issue will accept original manuscripts describing field, laboratory, or animal experimental work. Systematic and narrative reviews will be evaluated. Clinical reports will need to underline the peculiarity and uniqueness of the case reported. Studies relevant to conventional or organic sheep and goat farming are included in the scope of this Special Issue. Papers on the sustainable control of sheep and goat diseases will receive particular attention. Papers that present adverse effects of problems caused by infectious or parasitic agents on sheep and goat productivity are also welcome.

The papers published in this Special Issue will complement existing research and clinical work in the field of small ruminant health management and infectious and parasitic diseases and should contribute to scientific innovation and to the progress of research. The submitted papers should supplement existing knowledge, with the aim to reduce risks and losses in farms, to optimize production, and to improve sheep and goat welfare.

Dr. Daphne Lianou
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • diagnosis
  • goat
  • health
  • health management
  • infection
  • sheep
  • treatment

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

27 pages, 3957 KiB  
Article
Simarouba berteroana Krug & Urb. Extracts and Fractions Possess Anthelmintic Activity Against Eggs and Larvae of Multidrug-Resistant Haemonchus contortus
by Marcos Javier Espino Ureña, Albert Katchborian-Neto, José Ribamar Garcez Neto, Francisco Flávio da Silva Lopes, Selene Maia de Morais, Vitor Eduardo Narciso dos Reis, Carmen Lúcia Cardoso, Lorena Mayana Beserra de Oliveira, Claudio Viegas Jr., Marcos José Marques and Wesley Lyeverton Correia Ribeiro
Vet. Sci. 2025, 12(2), 90; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci12020090 - 23 Jan 2025
Viewed by 771
Abstract
Gastrointestinal nematode infections significantly impact small ruminant production, causing substantial economic losses worldwide. The rising resistance to anthelmintics has led to the search for alternative treatments, including phytotherapeutic approaches. This study investigates the chemical composition and anthelmintic activity of crude extracts and fractions [...] Read more.
Gastrointestinal nematode infections significantly impact small ruminant production, causing substantial economic losses worldwide. The rising resistance to anthelmintics has led to the search for alternative treatments, including phytotherapeutic approaches. This study investigates the chemical composition and anthelmintic activity of crude extracts and fractions from Simarouba berteroana, an endemic plant from Hispaniola, against a multidrug-resistant isolate of Haemonchus contortus. Chemical analyses revealed high contents of phenolic compounds, tannins, and flavonoids and confirmed the presence of 22 quassinoids, 5 phytosterol lipids, 3 terpenoid quinones, 3 alkaloids, and 1 naphthoquinone. The hydroalcoholic and iso-butanol fractions showed the strongest egg hatching inhibition (IC50 = 0.93 and 1.21 mg/mL, respectively), while hexane fractions were less effective (p < 0.05). Fluorescence microscopy showed that the extracts and fractions adhered to eggshells, causing evisceration and cuticle detachment in hatched larvae. All extracts, except for hexane fractions, inhibited larval exsheathment at 0.3 mg/mL, with phenolic compounds being responsible for this effect. These results provide the first evidence of the ovicidal and larval exsheathment inhibition activities of S. berteroana extracts and fractions against H. contortus, highlighting their potential in managing gastrointestinal nematodes in small ruminants. Further in vivo studies are needed to confirm these findings. Full article
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12 pages, 1379 KiB  
Article
A Multiplex PCR Assay for Simultaneous Detection of Giardia duodenalis, Cryptosporidium parvum, Blastocystis spp. and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in Goats
by Xingang Yu, Hui Xu, Xuanru Mu, Kaijian Yuan, Yilong Li, Nuo Xu, Qiaoyu Li, Wenjing Zeng, Shengfeng Chen and Yang Hong
Vet. Sci. 2024, 11(9), 448; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci11090448 - 22 Sep 2024
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Abstract
Giardia duodenalis, Cryptosporidium parvum, Blastocystis spp. and Enterocytozoon bieneusi are four common zoonotic parasites associated with severe diarrhea and enteric diseases. In this study, we developed a multiplex PCR assay for the simultaneous detection of these four zoonotic protozoans in goat [...] Read more.
Giardia duodenalis, Cryptosporidium parvum, Blastocystis spp. and Enterocytozoon bieneusi are four common zoonotic parasites associated with severe diarrhea and enteric diseases. In this study, we developed a multiplex PCR assay for the simultaneous detection of these four zoonotic protozoans in goat stool samples and assessed its detection efficiency. Specific primers were designed from conserved gene sequences retrieved from GenBank, and the PCR conditions were optimized. Genomic DNA from 130 samples was subjected to both single-target PCR and multiplex PCR. The multiplex PCR assay successfully amplified specific gene fragments (G. duodenalis, 1400 bp; C. parvum, 755 bp; Blastocystis spp., 573 bp; E. bieneusi, 314 bp). The assay sensitivity was ≥102 copies of pathogenic DNA clones with high specificity confirmed by negative results for other intestinal parasites. The detection rates were 23.08% (30/130) for G. duodenalis, 24.62% (32/130) for C. parvum, 41.54% (54/130) for Blastocystis spp., and 12.31% (16/130) for E. bieneusi, matching the single-target PCR results. The sensitivity and predictive values were 100.00%. This multiplex PCR provided a rapid, sensitive, specific, and cost-effective approach for detecting these four parasites. It also provided essential technical support for the rapid detection and epidemiological investigation of G. duodenalis, C. parvum, Blastocystis spp., and E. bieneusi infections in goat fecal samples. Full article
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