Genotyping and comparative pathology of Spirocerca in black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas) in South Africa

dc.contributor.authorHarrison-White, R.
dc.contributor.upauthorBumpy, M.M.
dc.contributor.upauthorWilliams, Mark C.
dc.contributor.upauthorSteyl, Johan Christian Abraham
dc.contributor.upauthorLutermann, Heike
dc.contributor.upauthorFosgate, Geoffrey Theodore
dc.contributor.upauthorDe Waal, Pamela Jean
dc.contributor.upauthorMitha, Janishtha R.
dc.contributor.upauthorClift, Sarah Jane
dc.date.accessioned2017-09-11T10:52:18Z
dc.date.available2017-09-11T10:52:18Z
dc.date.issued2017-08-16
dc.description.abstractBACKGROUND : The pathology of spirocercosis, a disease caused by the infestation of carnivores with the nematode Spirocerca lupi, has been extensively described in domestic dogs and coyotes. However, it has not been described in wild carnivores in South Africa. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether black-backed jackals are a host for Spirocerca species and to provide a detailed description of the associated pathology. Jackals were also stratified according to age and the Spirocerca species recovered were characterized using molecular techniques. METHODS : Standard necropsies were performed on routinely culled jackals from three of the nine provinces of South Africa during the period June 2012 to February 2013. Jackals were screened for the presence of pathognomonic Spirocerca-induced lesions and for evidence of aberrant migration. Relevant samples were submitted for histopathology and collected larvae were genotyped at nine microsatellite loci. RESULTS : Spirocerca lupi-associated aortic lesions were found in 16 of 93 (17%) black-backed jackals. Of these, four (25%) were associated with S. lupi larvae. Genotyping of the larvae revealed amplification of all nine loci that amplified dog-derived S. lupi, with the same level of polymorphism in the allele size ranges. Only 1 of 93 jackals had an esophageal nodule with concurrent S. lupi-induced aortic aneurysms. The single esophageal nodule found did not contain adult nematodes, nor did it communicate with the esophageal lumen. None of the jackals that were examined had macroscopically evident spondylitis, which is frequently reported in the dog. Histopathology of the S. lupi-induced aortic lesions in the jackal revealed replacement of elastic and smooth muscle fibers by fibrous connective tissue. In cases where inflammation was present, the inflammatory infiltrate consisted predominantly of eosinophils. The single esophageal nodule histologically resembled the early inflammatory nodule described in dogs and consisted of fibrous connective tissue, multifocal accumulation of lymphocytes, plasma cells and rare hemosiderin-laden macrophages. CONCLUSIONS : These lesions suggest that the life cycle of S. lupi may not or only rarely be completed in jackals. A possible explanation might be that jackals are relatively resistant to developing significant pathology associated with S. lupi-infection. However, before any conclusions can be drawn, many more jackals, including those that die naturally will have to be investigated for evidence of S. lupi infection.en_ZA
dc.description.departmentGeneticsen_ZA
dc.description.departmentMammal Research Instituteen_ZA
dc.description.departmentParaclinical Sciencesen_ZA
dc.description.departmentProduction Animal Studiesen_ZA
dc.description.departmentZoology and Entomologyen_ZA
dc.description.librarianam2017en_ZA
dc.description.sponsorshipThe University of Pretoria, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Section of Pathology.en_ZA
dc.description.urihttp://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcvetresen_ZA
dc.identifier.citationBumby, M.M., Williams, M.C., Steyl, J.C.A., Harrison-White, R., Lutermann, H., Fosgate, G.T., De Waal, P.J., Mitha, J. & Clift, S.J. 2017, 'Genotyping and comparative pathology of Spirocerca in black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas) in South Africa', BMC Veterinary Research, vol. 13, art. no. 245, pp. 1-9.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn1746-6148 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.1186/s12917-017-1175-4
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/62220
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherBioMed Centralen_ZA
dc.rights© The Author(s). 2017 Open Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.en_ZA
dc.subjectAortic aneurysmsen_ZA
dc.subjectBlack-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas)en_ZA
dc.subjectGenotypingen_ZA
dc.subjectEsophageal noduleen_ZA
dc.subjectResistanceen_ZA
dc.subjectSpirocerca lupien_ZA
dc.subjectSpirocercosisen_ZA
dc.titleGenotyping and comparative pathology of Spirocerca in black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas) in South Africaen_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA

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