Experimental Encephalitozoonosis in the Blue Fox (original) (raw)

Abstract

Inoculations of vixens with Encephalitozoon cuniculi (E. cuniculi), performed orally, either before or in the gestation period, or directly into the uterus at oestrus, induced clinical encephalitozoonosis in the offspring. The infection of the vixens, indicated by a general E. cuniculi antibody response, appeared to run a subclinical course. Endometritis was detected in some of the vixens when examined at the end of the trial. A temporary increase of total protein, albumin and globulin in the inoculated vixens compared to the controls was detected in the final 2 weeks of the gestation, concomitantly with the rise in humoral E. cuniculi antibody titres. The antibody levels appeared significantly higher in the group of vixens inoculated directly into the uterus than in the orally inoculated groups. Vixens exposed to the parasite seemed to possess a certain degree of acquired resistance to re-infection with the parasite when exposed in the following breeding season.

Sammendrag

Podning av blårevtisper med Encephalitozoon cuniculi (E. cuni-culi) enten oralt før eller under drektigheten eller direkte i uterus i forbindelse med brunsten, fremkalte klinisk encephalitozoonose hos avkommet. Tispene svarte på podningen med danneise av humorale Ε. cuniculi-antistoffer, men infeksjonen syntes å ha et sub klinisk for-1øp. I tispene som ble pelset, ble det i endometriet påvist fortykket lamina propria med infiltrasjon vesentlig av mononukleære betennel-sesceller, inkludert en del plasmaceller. Et forbigående forhøyet inn-hold av totalprotein, albumin og globulin i de pódete tispene i forhold til kontrollene ble påvist i de 2 siste uker av drektighetsperioden. Denne tilstanden ble registrert samtidig med en økning i påvisbare sirkulerende E. cuniculi-antistoffer. Gruppen av intrauterint pódete tisper utviklet signifikant større mengder antistoffer enn de oralt podete tispene. Tisper tidligere smittet med Ε. cuniculi så ut til å ha en viss forøket resistens mot reinfeksjon med parasitten.

Article PDF

Similar content being viewed by others

References

• Anver, M. B., N. W. King & B. B. Hunt: Congenital encephalitozoonosis in a squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus). Vet. Path. 1972, 9, 475–480.
  Article Google Scholar
• Berestou, V. A.: Biokhimiya i morfologiya krovi pushnykh zverei (Biochemistry and blood morphology of fur bearing animals). Monograph 1971. Transl, from Russian by G. Saad, U.S. Dep. Agr. & Nat. Sci. Found., Washington 1974 (TT-74-53001).
• Brown, R. J., D. K. Hinkle, W. P. Trevethan, J. L. Kupper & A. E. McKee: Nosematosis in a squirrel monkey (Saimiri scuireus). J. med. Primatol. 1973, 2, 114–123.
  Article CAS Google Scholar
• Doumas, B. T., W. A. Watson & H. G. Biggs: Albumin standards and measurement of serum albumin with bromcresol green. Clin. Chim. Acta 1971, 31, 87–96.
  Article CAS Google Scholar
• Fougner, J. A., J. Aamdal & K. Andersen: Intrauterine insemination with frozen semen in the blue fox. Nord. Vet.-Med. 1973, 25, 144–149.
  CAS PubMed Google Scholar
• Hunt, B. D., N. W. King & H. L. Foster: Encephalitozoonosis: Evidence for vertical transmission. J. infect. Dis. 1972, 126, 212–214.
  Article CAS Google Scholar
• Keiding, R., M. Hörder, W. Gerhardt, E. Pitkänen, R. Tenhunen, J. H. Strömme, L. Theodorsen, J. Waldenström, N. Tryding & L. West-lund: Recommended methods for the determination of four enzymes in blood. Scand. J. clin. Lab. Invest. 1974, 33, 291–306.
  Article CAS Google Scholar
• Kellett, B. S. & J. E. C. By water: A modified india-ink immunoreaction for the detection of encephalitozoonosis. Lab. Anim. 1978, 12, 59–60.
  Article CAS Google Scholar
• Mohn, S. F.: Encephalitozoonosis in the blue fox — Comparison between the india-ink immunoreaction and the indirect fluorescent antibody test in detecting Encephalitozoon cuniculi antibodies. Acta vet. scand. 1982, 23, 99–106.
  CAS PubMed Google Scholar
• Mohn, S. F., T. Landsverk & K. Nordstoga: Encephalitozoonosis in the blue fox — Morphological identification of the parasite. Acta path, microbiol. scand. Section B 1981, 89, 117–122.
  CAS Google Scholar
• Mohn, S. F. & K. Nordstoga: Electrophoretic patterns of serum proteins in blue foxes with special reference to changes associated with nosematosis. Acta vet. scand. 1975, 16, 297–306.
  CAS PubMed Google Scholar
• Mohn, S. F. & K. Nordstoga: Experimental encephalitozoonosis in the blue fox — Neonatal exposure to the parasite. Acta vet. scand. 1982, 23, 344–360.
  CAS PubMed Google Scholar
• Mohn, S. F., K. Nordstoga, J. Krogsrud & A. Helgebostad: Transplacental transmission of Nosema cuniculi in the blue fox (Alopex lagopus). Acta path, microbiol. scand. Section B 1974, 82, 299–300.
  CAS Google Scholar
• Mohn, S. F., K. Nordstoga & O. M. Möller: Experimental encephalitozoonosis in the blue fox — Transplacental transmission of the parasite. Acta vet. scand. 1982, 23, 211–220.
  CAS PubMed Google Scholar
• Nordstoga, K.: Nosematosis in blue foxes. Nord. Vet.-Med. 1972, 24, 21–24.
  CAS PubMed Google Scholar
• Nordstoga, K., S. F. Mohn & G. Loftsgård: Nosematose hos blårev (Nosematosis in the blue fox). Proc. 12th Nordic Vet. Congr., Reykjavik 1974, pp. 183–186.
• Nordstoga, K., S. F. Mohn, J. Aamdal & A. Helgebostad: Nosematosis (encephalitozoonosis) in a litter of blue foxes after intrauterine injection of Nosema spores. Acta vet. scand. 1978, 19, 150–152.
  CAS Google Scholar
• Nordstoga, K. & Kr. Westbye: Polyarteritis nodosa associated with nosematosis in blue foxes. Acta path. microbiol. scand. Section A 1976, 84, 291–296.
  CAS Google Scholar
• Owen, D. G. & J. Gannon: Investigation into the transplacental transmission of Encephalitozoon cuniculi in rabbits. Lab. Anim. 1980, 14, 35–38.
  Article CAS Google Scholar
• Perrin, T. L.: Spontaneous and experimental Encephalitozoon infection in laboratory animals. Arch. Path. 1943, 36, 559–567.
  Google Scholar
• Petri, M.: Studies on Nosema cuniculi found in transplantable ascites tumours with a survey of microsporidiosis in mammals. Acta path. microbiol. scand. 1969, Suppl. 204.
• Talke, H. & G. E. Schubert: Enzymatische Harnstoffbestimmung in Blut und Serum in optischen Test nach Warburg (Enzymatic urea determination in blood and serum by an optical test according to Warburg). Klin. Wschr. 1965, 43, 174–175.
  Article CAS Google Scholar
• Weichselbaum, T. E.: An accurate and rapid method for the determination of proteins in small amounts of blood serum and plasma. Amer. J. clin. Path. 1946, 16, 40–49.
  Article Google Scholar
• Wilson, J. M.: The biology of Encephalitozoon cuniculi. Med. biol. 1979, 57, 84–101.
  CAS Google Scholar

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

1. National Veterinary Institute, Oslo, and the Department of Pathology and Department of Biochemistry, Norwegian College of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 8146, Dep., Oslo 1, Oslo, Norway
   S. F. Mohn, K. Nordstoga & I. W. Dishington

Authors

1. S. F. Mohn
2. K. Nordstoga
3. I. W. Dishington

Rights and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mohn, S.F., Nordstoga, K. & Dishington, I.W. Experimental Encephalitozoonosis in the Blue Fox.Acta Vet Scand 23, 490–502 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03546768

Download citation

• Received: 06 July 1982
• Published: 01 December 1982
• Issue date: December 1982
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03546768

Keywords