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• High humidity and temperature of Taiwan diminishes alpaca productivity and welfare. • Quantifiable behavioral change may serve as early indicator of heat stress in alpaca. • Fans, mists, and especially pools are effective alpaca heat stress reducing tools. Despite their ability to adapt to a variety of environments, alpacas suffer from heat stress symptoms when raised in warm and humid regions of the world. Hyperthermia in alpacas not only raises animal welfare concerns, but also decreases productivity. To better understand the relationship between heat stress and alpaca mortality, Taiwanese alpaca facilities were surveyed. Additionally, to address the dearth of experimental research on heat stress reducing amenities in alpacas, an experiment was designed to test the effectiveness of different cooling amenities (water pool, frequent mist spraying, and fans) through temperature, behavioral, location and postural observations of alpacas at the Taipei Zoo during manipulations. Experimental result supports the use of mist sprinklers, water pools, and fans as alpaca cooling amenities, with water pools as being the most effective. Survey result shows a significant portion of alpaca deaths in Taiwan occurred during the summer and that heat stress was a leading cause of death. Furthermore, imported alpacas had a higher mortality rate than those born in Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epididymal alpaca sperm represent an alternative model for the study of alpaca semen. The objective of this study was to characterize the normal values of some functional variables in epididymal alpaca sperm using imaging flow cytometry. Alpaca testicles ( n = 150) were processed and sperm were recovered from the cauda epididymides. Only 76 samples with acceptable motility and sperm count were considered for assessment by imaging flow cytometry. Acrosome integrity and integrity/viability were assessed by FITC-PSA/PI and FITC-PNA/PI. Mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was assessed by MitoTracker CMXRos and MitoTracker Deep Red FM. Lipid peroxidation was evaluated using BODIPY 581/591 C11. Results show that the mean values for acrosome-intact sperm were 95.03 ± 6.39% and 93.34 ± 7.96%, using FITC-PSA and FITC-PNA, respectively. The mean values for acrosome-intact viable sperm were 60.58 ± 12.12% with FITC-PSA/PI and 58.81 ± 12.94% with FITC-PNA/PI. Greater MMP was detected in 65.03 ± 15.92% and 59.52 ± 19.19%, using MitoTracker CMXRos and MitoTracker Deep Red FM, respectively. Lipid peroxidation was 0.84 ± 0.95%. Evaluation of acrosome-intact and acrosome-intact viable sperm with FITC-PSA/PI compared with. FITC-PNA/PI or MMP with MitoTracker CMXRos compared with MitoTracker Deep Red FM were correlated ( P < 0.05). The MMP using MitoTracker CMXRos was the only variable correlated ( P < 0.05) with sperm motility ( r = 0.3979). This report provides a basis for future research related to alpaca semen using the epididymal sperm model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three metacestodes were collected from the mesentery and the surface of the liver of three adult alpacas ( Vicugna pacos ) in a slaughterhouse located in Puno, Peru. Various features of the metacestodes were observed for morphological identification. A molecular diagnosis was performed by PCR-based sequencing of mitochondrial genes of cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 ( cox1 ) and the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 ( nad1 ). All metacestodes were identified as Taenia omissa by morphology and molecular methods The isolates from alpacas showed significant sequence similarity with previously reported isolates of T. omissa (95.7–98.1% in cox1 and 94.6–95.1% in nad1 ). Our report is the first to detect T. omissa metacestodes in alpacas and to reveal that alpacas are natural intermediate hosts for this parasite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The presence of Giardia and Cryptosporidium was investigated in 274 faecal samples of alpacas (Vicugna pacos) from 12 herds from Peru by immunofluorescence microscopy and PCR amplification and sequencing of fragments of the ssu-rRNA and β-giardin genes from Giardia spp., as well as the ssu-rRNA gene from Cryptosporidium spp. A total of 137 samples (50.0%) were positive for Giardia spp., and 12 samples (4.4%) for Cryptosporidium spp. In ten samples (3.6%), co-infection by both pathogens was found. Herd prevalence was found to be 91.7% (11/12 herds) for Giardia and 58.3% (7/12 herds) for Cryptosporidium. Regarding the age of the animals, although Giardia was detected in animals as young as 1 week, the prevalence increased with age, reaching 80% by 8 weeks. Similarly, the highest percentage of Cryptosporidium detection (20%) was also found in the 8 week-old group. By PCR, 92 of the 274 analysed samples were positive for Giardia. Sequencing of the amplicons showed the existence of Giardia duodenalis assemblage A in 67 samples; G. duodenalis assemblage E in 24 samples; and inconsistent results between the two molecular markers used in a further sample. Cryptosporidium was only detected by PCR in 3 of the 274 samples; Cryptosporidium parvum was identified in two samples and Cryptosporidium ubiquitum in one sample. This study is the first performing molecular characterisation of both parasites in Peruvian alpacas, and the first report of C. ubiquitum in this host. The identification of G. duodenalis assemblage A, C. parvum and C. ubiquitum, suggests that zoonotic transmission of these enteropathogens between alpacas and humans is possible. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Parasites of the genus Eimeria are involved in the neonatal diarrhea complex of alpaca (Vicugna pacos) crias, and infection by Eimeria is commonly known as coccidiosis. There are limited reports of these protozoa in clinically asymptomatic crias. In this study, fecal samples from 78 clinically asymptomatic alpaca crias were analyzed to evaluate the prevalence, parasitological load, and diversity of Eimeria species. This study was conducted in the Quenamari community located in the Peruvian Andes (Marangani, Cuzco) at 4500 m above sea level. All fecal samples were examined for parasites using the quantitative McMaster and modified Stoll techniques. Microscopic examination showed the presence of Eimeria oocysts in 68 out of the 78 samples (87.18%). Among the 78 samples we found E. lamae in 67 (85.90%), E. punoensis in 49 (62.82%), E. alpacae in 42 (53.85%), E. macusaniensis in 32 (41.03%), and E. ivitaensis in four (5.13%). Regarding parasitized crias, overall there was a mean parasitological load of 43,920 oocysts per gram of feces (OPG). Eimeria lamae had the highest parasitological load (mean 206,600 OPG). These findings could be due to environmental contamination with oocysts of different Eimeria species. Additional research is needed to determine if this burden of coccidiosis could produce subclinical impacts to the health of alpaca crias. [Display omitted] • Eimeria sp. produces subclinical symptoms in alpaca crias. • Eimeria lamae and E. punoensis were most prevalent in clinically asymptomatic crias (62.82% and 53.85%, respectively). • The overall parasitological load of coccidiosis in crias had a mean of 43.92 × 103 oocysts per gram of feces (OPG). • Eimeria lamae had the highest parasitological load with a mean of 206.60 × 103 OPG in clinically asymptomatic crias • E. macusaniensis , E. alpacae , and E. punoensis were most prevalent in clinically asymptomatic crias older 8-weeks-old. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Alpaca epididymal spermatozoa were extracted in Andromed or INRA96. • Progressive motility increased during incubation in INRA96 but not in Andromed. • Membrane integrity and acrosomal integrity were not affected by extender. • Epididymal spermatozoa can be obtained after overnight transport of organs. Artificial insemination would be a useful technique for alpaca breeders to use as an aid to breeding to increase fleece quality. The technique, however, is not well developed in alpacas, partly because of the viscous nature of their seminal plasma. Castration conducted for husbandry purposes can provide a source of epididymal spermatozoa to test semen extenders or handling regimens, thus circumventing the problem of the viscous ejaculate. In this experiment, two semen extenders (Andromed and INRA96) developed for other species (bovine and equine, respectively) were tested with alpaca spermatozoa derived from the cauda epididymis. Sperm total motility (mean ± SEM A: 29.1 ± 4.8 % compared with I: 35.4 ± 4.8 %; NS), membrane integrity (A: 58 ± 9% compared with I: 56 ± 9%; NS) and acrosome integrity (A: 65 ± 7% compared with I: 54 ± 7%; NS) were not different between the two extenders. Progressive motility with use of INRA96 was greater after incubating for 30 min than after incubating for 10 min (35 ± 4% vs. 12 ± 4%, respectively; P = 0.03). In conclusion, viable epididymal spermatozoa could be extracted from the castrated organs after overnight transport. There were no differences in sperm quality between the two extenders; therefore, it appears that either extender could be used for alpaca spermatozoa. These results could help in the development of a technique for artificial insemination in alpacas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The first comprehensive study on the chemical and structural composition of alpaca skin. • The first report on the Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) of alpaca skin. • The crosslinking profile of the alpaca skin is measured. • No correlation is found between the amino acid sequence of collagen C-telopeptide and the type of crosslinks in alpaca skin. Alpacas (Vicugna pacos) produce a high-value fibre and leather that is increasingly sought after for the production of luxury goods. Although several studies have addressed the genetics and gene expression of alpaca skin, particularly those associated with colour, little is known about the structural and molecular compositions of alpaca skin. In this study, alpaca skin was analysed using small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), analytical and physical methods. Using SAXS, the axial periodicity (65.1 nm) and intermolecular lateral packing distance (1.47 nm) of collagen in alpaca skin are determined to be similar to the previous studies on skins from other animal species. The collagen crosslinking profile in alpaca skin shows the presence of six crosslinks including pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline and this is different from other animal skins. We hypothesised that the biosynthesis of pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline in biological tissues is driven by a combination of several factors including amino acid sequence of collagen type I and lysyl hydroxylase activity. In this work, we showed that alpaca skin collagen crosslinks are diverse and their relative concentrations are different from other animal skins. We also detected histidinohydroxylysinonorleucine crosslink in alpaca skin which lacks histidine in its C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]