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Postpartum pathology in Yankasa ewes experimentally infected with Trypanosoma evansi during pregnancy

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An Erratum to this article was published on 03 March 2016

Abstract

The study was designed to determine the pathological changes in postpartum Yankasa ewes experimentally infected with Trypanosoma evansi (T. evansi) during pregnancy. Thirteen pregnant Yankasa ewes were divided into two groups comprising six ewes in group A and seven ewes in group B. Ewes in group A served as the uninfected control while ewes in group B were infected with approximately 1.0 × 106 of T. evansi per ewe through the jugular vein at the second trimester of pregnancy. They were closely monitored for trypanosomosis from the time of infection up till parturition. One ewe from each group was humanely sacrificed 10 days postpartum and examined for pathological changes. At postmortem, no gross lesion was seen in the infected and control ewes and their placenta. Histologically, there were no changes on the placenta, reproductive tract (ovary, oviduct, uterus, cervix), and viscera organs (liver, lungs, heart, kidney, and spleen) of both infected and control ewes. However, the infected ewe had histopathological changes in the hypothalamus characterized by neuronal degeneration and microglial infiltration, while in the pituitary gland, there was mononuclear cell infiltration. The thyroid gland was infiltrated by inflammatory macrophages and lost its glandular secretions. All these histopathological changes were absent in the uninfected ewe, suggesting that T. evansi is capable of disrupting the endocrine function of reproduction in Yankasa ewes.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Mr. Bitrus and Drs. M. Bisalla and S. J. Sambo all of the Department of Veterinary Pathology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria-Nigeria for their assistance. The Management of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria, is also appreciated for granting a study fellowship (Ph.D) to the first author.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Theriogenology and Animal Production, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria

    Adewale Adewale Adeyeye

  2. Department of Theriogenology and Production, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria

    Adewale Adewale Adeyeye & Iyorhemba Utim Ate

  3. Department of Veterinary Surgery and Theriogenology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Nigeria

    Iyorhemba Utim Ate

  4. Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria

    Abah Idris Lawal

  5. Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria

    Sani Adamu

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  1. Adewale Adewale Adeyeye
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  2. Iyorhemba Utim Ate
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  3. Abah Idris Lawal
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  4. Sani Adamu
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Correspondence to Adewale Adewale Adeyeye.

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All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Funding

This study was partly funded through a Ph.D study fellowship to the first author by Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria.

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Institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed.

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Adeyeye, A.A., Ate, I.U., Lawal, A.I. et al. Postpartum pathology in Yankasa ewes experimentally infected with Trypanosoma evansi during pregnancy. Comp Clin Pathol 25, 593–598 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-016-2236-y

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