Morphological Comparisons of the Bovine Piroplasm, Babesia divergens, in Cattle and Jird (Meriones unguiculatus) Erythrocytes

1985 ◽  
Vol 71 (6) ◽  
pp. 799 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy S. Gray ◽  
Raymond J. Langley ◽  
Thomas M. Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Meriones Unguiculatus ◽  
Babesia Divergens

scholarly journals Séroépidémiologie de la babésiose bovine à Babesia divergens en Tunisie

2004 ◽  
Vol 57 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 59 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Bouattour ◽  
M. Ghammam ◽  
Mohamed Aziz Darghouth ◽  
S. Touil ◽  
M. Tahri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ixodes Ricinus ◽  
Bos Taurus ◽  
Meriones Unguiculatus ◽  
Afrique Du Nord ◽  
Babesia Divergens ◽  
Petite Taille ◽  
Globules Rouges ◽  
Race Locale

La mise en évidence de Babesia divergens chez un bovin autochtone en Tunisie est récente. Une étude sérologique et parasitaire effectuée dans sept différentes localités à biotope favorable à Ixodes ricinus a permis de confirmer la présence de cette Babesia dans plusieurs troupeaux. Au total, 307 bovins de différents âges, répartis dans ces zones, ont été testés par immunofluorescence indirecte en utilisant comme antigène les globules rouges de la gerbille (Meriones unguiculatus) infectés par B. divergens. La prévalence globale de l’infection avec des sérums dilués à 1/80 a été de 44,6 p. 100. Cette prévalence a été variable en fonction de la localité, du troupeau et de la catégorie d’âge. L’examen des frottis confectionnés à partir de sang hépariné de ces bovins a révélé la présence de piroplasmes de petite taille chez 28,3 p. 100 des animaux. L’inoculation de 46 prélèvements aux gerbilles a permis d’isoler deux souches de B. divergens. Ces résultats montrent que B. divergens, considérée jusqu’à présent comme se cantonnant à l’Europe, est présente en Afrique du Nord sous forme de foyers et qu’une endémie stable s’est établie entre cet hémoparasite et les bovins de race locale (Bos taurus).

scholarly journals A rapid, parasite-dependent cellular response to Dirofilaria immitis in the Mongolian jird (Meriones unguiculatus)

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher C. Evans ◽  
Katherine M. Day ◽  
Yi Chu ◽  
Bridget Garner ◽  
Kaori Sakamoto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cellular Response ◽  
Dirofilaria Immitis ◽  
Cell Attachment ◽  
Early Response ◽  
Meriones Unguiculatus ◽  
Filarial Parasite ◽  
Immune Mediated ◽  
Secretory Products ◽  
Species Specific

Abstract Background The Mongolian jird (Meriones unguiculatus) has long been recognized as a permissive host for the filarial parasite Brugia malayi; however, it is nonpermissive to another filarial parasite, canine heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis). By elucidating differences in the early response to infection, we sought to identify mechanisms involved in the species-specific clearance of these parasites. We hypothesized that the early clearance of D. immitis in intraperitoneal infection of the jird is immune mediated and parasite species dependent. Methods Jird peritoneal exudate cells (PECs) were isolated and their attachment to parasite larvae assessed in vitro under various conditions: D. immitis and B. malayi cultured separately, co-culture of both parasites, incubation before addition of cells, culture of heat-killed parasites, and culture with PECs isolated from jirds with mature B. malayi infection. The cells attaching to larvae were identified by immunohistochemistry. Results In vitro cell attachment to live D. immitis was high (mean = 99.6%) while much lower for B. malayi (mean = 5.56%). This species-specific attachment was also observed when both filarial species were co-cultured, with no significant change from controls (U(9, 14) = 58.5, p = 0.999). When we replicated these experiments with PECs derived from jirds subcutaneously infected with B. malayi, the results were similar (99.4% and 4.72% of D. immitis and B. malayi, respectively, exhibited cell attachment). Heat-killing the parasites significantly reduced cell attachment to D. immitis (mean = 71.9%; U(11, 14) = 7.5, p < 0.001) while increasing attachment to B. malayi (mean = 16.7%; U(9, 15) = 20, p = 0.002). Cell attachment to both species was reduced when larvae were allowed a 24-h pre-incubation period prior to the addition of cells. The attaching cells were identified as macrophages by immunohistochemistry. Conclusions These results suggest a strongly species-dependent response from which B. malayi could not confer protection by proxy in co-culture. The changes in cell attachment following heat-killing and pre-incubation suggest a role for excretory/secretory products in host immune evasion and/or antigenicity. The nature of this attachment is the subject of ongoing study and may provide insight into filarial host specificity.

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