Iraqi Journal of Veterinary Sciences

Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular parasite that can cause significant morbidity in human beings and animals. Up to our knowledge no data is known of genetic diversity of T. gondii in sheep in Iraq. This study aim to detect the strains (genotypes) of T. gondii isolates from sheep in Wasit province, east of Iraq. A total of 315 samples (blood 300 and placenta's tissue 15) were collected from aborted ewes, which initially had been examined serologically by LAT, then further tested by RT-PCR through B1 gene amplification to confirm the infection with T. gondii. After that, the positive DNA samples were assayed for genetic characterization depending upon nested PCR- RFLP of SAG2 gene. Out of 315 examined samples, 10 were confirmed positive T. gondii DNA. The genotyping assay of them revealed that 60% (6/10), 30% (3/10) and 10% (1/10) of examined isolates represent the genotypes of II, III and I respectively. The type II appeared as dominant in sheep in Wasit province, Iraq.

Theileriosis is parasitic infection causes by obligate intracellular protozoa of the genus Theileria. T. lestoquardi is the most virulent species in sheep and goats which causes a severe disease with a high morbidity and mortality rate. In this study the phylogenetic relationships between two local isolate of T. lestoquardi and nine T. lestoquardi global isolates as well as Babesia ovis out-group isolate were analyzed using the 18S rRNA gene sequence. The multiple sequence alignment analysis and neighbor joining phylogenetic tree analysis were performed by using ClustalW multiple sequence alignment online based analysis of 1098bp 18S rRNA gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction. Phylogenetic analysis results of these gene sequences revealed that T. lestoquardi local isolates were closely related to T. lestoquardi Iran isolate (JQ917458.1) and two Iraq Kurdistan isolates (KC778786.1 and KC778785.1) more than other countries. This study represents the first report on the use of molecular phylogeny to classify T. lestoquardi obtained in Middle Region of Iraq.

Cystic hydatid disease is a cosmopolitan important disease in both human and animals. Many strains were investigated in this parasite. The aim of study was to characterize genotype variations of Echinococcus granulosus isolates collected from human and domestic animals in Al-Qadisiyah province/ Iraq based on sequencing of nad1 mitochondrial gene. Eighty hydatid cysts of human (12), sheep (15), cattle (36), and camels (17) were collected from hospital and slaughter house of the province, during October 2014 to June 2015; microscopic examination was made for cysts fluid to determine the fertility. DNAs extraction was done for each sample in addition to purify and concentrate of extracted DNA samples was performed to determine nad1 (400bp) gene used conventional PCR method. Phylogenetic analysis was performed using NCBI-Blast Alignment identification and Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean. Twenty five (10 from human and 5 from each studied animals) samples were chosen due to their fertility and high DNA purity, in which three strains (genotypes) were investigated including sheep strain (G1) 40%, buffalo strain (G3) 48% and camel strain (G6) 12%, where human samples related to G1(20%) and G3(80%); sheep samples related to G1(80%) and G3(20%); cattle samples related to G1(60%), G3 (20%) and G6 (20%); camels samples related to G1(20%), G3(40%) and G6(40%). The dominant strain is a buffalo strain (G3); both of buffalo strain (G3) and sheep strain (G1) represented the actual source of human infection. There is no host specificity of detected genotypes.

The authors investigated the influence of TG5 and LEP gene polymorphism on quantitative and qualitative meat composition of 20 month old bull calves of the Hereford (n=38) and Limousine (n=26) breeds, which were bred in the climate of Cis-Ural steppe zone from 2013 to 2015. The Hereford calves were the offspring of the cattle from the southeastern states of Australia and Tasmania (3rd descent of the main lines: Baz-Gol-Sol 2U 6827, Domino 325676, Ardmors-Domino 56, Silverlend 31432); the Limousine calves were the descendants of the offspring resulting from the accumulation cross breeding of Simmental cattle with the French Reproductive Recognized bulls (4th descent of the Reper 433 and other lines). The analysis of TG5 genotype frequency in the examined populations reveals that the animals have significant (P<0.01 or P<0.05) potential for increased taste and nutritional qualities of beef associated with a high proportion of desirable TT genotype, probably related to the foreign origin of the cattle. There were no carriers of the BB genotype of LEP genes in the examined populations. Significant (P<0.01 or P<0.05) dependence between the studied SNP in TG5 and the rates of total body fat, the proportion of adipose tissue in the morphological carcass composition (or meat composition), and the content of intramuscular fat in the longissimus, as well as the correlation between the studied SNP in LEP and the rates of raw visceral fat, and fat outcome, were established. LEP polymorphism was significantly (P<0.01 or P<0.05) associated with the proportion of adipose tissue in the morphological carcass composition in Hereford calves, and with the content of intramuscular fat in the longissimus in Limousine calves. The results of our study of TG5 and LEP polymorphism demonstrate considerable genetic potential of the given populations of the Hereford and Limousine breeds in relation to the quantitative and qualitative composition of their meat; they are to be used in improvement of genetic potential of meat cattle in the Cis-Ural steppe zone.

This study aimed to investigate pathology of oral E. cuniculi infection during pregnancy in pregnant mice and embryos. A total of 40 pregnant mice at first day of gestation were divided into two groups, first group were infected orally by E. cuniculi sores of 107 spores/ mice, second group left without any treatment. At 18th days of gestation all pregnant mice were euthanized. Gross pathology finding in pregnant mice of infected group included congestion of liver and lung, the embryos lesions consisted from enlargement of head and abdomen. Histological lesions in pregnant mice of infected group consisted of hepatic non-suppurative granulomatous lesions with E. cuniculi spores aggregation with lymphocytic infiltration, the lungs lesions consisted of infiltration of lymphocytes with E. cuniculi spores, kidney lesions composed from degenerative and necrotic changes in renal tubules, brain lesions consisted from lymphocytic infiltration with increase in number of glial cells, while intestine tissue sections showed hyperplasia of lymphatic tissue with present of parasitic vacuoles at tips of villi, the placenta exhibited E. cuniculi spores with hyperplasia of trophoblast in chorionic villi, while histological lesions in embryos showed lymphocytic infiltration around alveoli with hyperplasia of lymphatic tissue around bronchioles with absent the normal architecture of hepatic cords and vacuolation of hepatocytes with hyperplasia of lymphocytes in white pulp of spleen. This study provides insight into the pathology of E. cuniculi infection in pregnant mice and their embryos, also supports the hypothesis of intrauterine transmission of E. cuniculi infection to embryos during pregnancy period.