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Abstract Background Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is commonly analyzed in South American camelids with suspected neurologic disease because of ease of collection and characteristic findings associated with certain diseases. Objectives To assess CSF findings associated with short‐term survival or non‐survival in South American camelids in which neurologic disease was a differential diagnosis based on history and physical examination. Animals Twenty‐one llamas and 33 alpacas that underwent CSF analysis at the University of Missouri Veterinary Health Center. Methods Retrospective study. Medical records of camelids that underwent CSF analysis between January 2005 and September 2021 were studied. Short‐term survival was defined as survival to discharge from the Veterinary Health Center. A Fisher's exact test was used to compare species, CSF results, and survival. Results Odds of survival were 3.9 times higher in camelids with a total nucleated cell count (TNCC)

Background: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is commonly analyzed in South American camelids with suspected neurologic disease because of ease of collection and characteristic findings associated with certain diseases. Objectives: To assess CSF findings associated with short‐term survival or non‐survival in South American camelids in which neurologic disease was a differential diagnosis based on history and physical examination. Animals: Twenty‐one llamas and 33 alpacas that underwent CSF analysis at the University of Missouri Veterinary Health Center. Methods: Retrospective study. Medical records of camelids that underwent CSF analysis between January 2005 and September 2021 were studied. Short‐term survival was defined as survival to discharge from the Veterinary Health Center. A Fisher's exact test was used to compare species, CSF results, and survival. Results: Odds of survival were 3.9 times higher in camelids with a total nucleated cell count (TNCC) <3 cells/μL (P =.04). No significant association was found between survival and total protein concentration (TPC; P =.15) or percentage of eosinophils (P = 1.0). No significant correlation was found between species and increased TNCC (P =.63), TPC (P =.55), or percentage of eosinophils (P =.30). Among camelids diagnosed with Paralephostrongylus tenuis infestation, odds of survival were 4.95 times higher in alpacas (P =.05). Conclusions: Cerebrospinal fluid TNCC ≥3 cells/μL is associated with decreased odds of short‐term survival in South American camelids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we present the draft genome sequence of Setaria digitata, a parasitic nematode affecting cattle. Due to its similarity to Wuchereria bancrofti, the parasitic nematode that causes lymphatic filariasis in humans, S. digitata has been used as a model organism at the genomic level to find drug targets which can be used for the development of novel drugs and/or vaccines for human filariasis. Setaria digitata causes cerebrospinal nematodiasis in goats, sheep, and horses posing a serious threat to livestock in developing countries. The genome sequence of S. digitata will assist in finding candidate genes to use as drug targets in both S. digitata and W. bancrofti. The assembled draft genome is ∼90 Mb long and contains 8,974 genomic scaffolds with a G+C content of 31.73%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prevalence of setariasis in cattle and cerebrospinal nematodiasis in sheep and goats were determined in two geographical regions of Iran.Methods: In two provinces of Iran: Mazandaran (zone I) and Qazvine (zoneII) where sheep and goats were suffering from symptoms similar to cerebrospinal nematodiasis, the peritoneal cavities of 763 and 1020 cattle were searched for adult Setaria sp. respectively. History taking of 4770 sheep from zone I and 25550 sheep and 3190 goats from zone II were per­formed for the presence and determination of cerebrospinal nematodiasis in sheep and goats. To study pathological changes induced in central nervous system 7 sheep from zone I and 4 sheep and 2 goats from zone II with symptoms similar to CSN were necropsied.Results: Our findings revealed that 47% and 13.2% of cattle in zone I and II harboured Setaria digitata (99.45%) and S. digitata (67.12%) plus S.labiato-papillosa (17.46%) respectively. History taking showed that each year 2.53% of sheep in zone I and 1.65% of sheep and 1.25% of goats in some districts of zone II (e.g. Roudbar Alamout) suffered from symp­toms similar to cerebrospinal nematodiasis the main clinical signs of which were difficulty in hind limbs movement (lumbar paralysis). At necropsy, no lesions were observed macroscopically in the brains as well as spinal cords. But in a few cases, central nervous system were congested and edematous .Histopathological examination of CNS of necropsied animals showed mild leptomeningitis and eosinophilic and lymphacytic encephalomyelitis with numerous hemorrhagic tracts, degeneration and necrosis due to migration of the larvae. The cross section of nematode larvae was observed in the brain section of a sheep in zone I. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that setariasis of cattle is very prevalent in both region mainly in zone I and sheep and goats harbor low percentage of CSN but with marked pathological lesions.

Background: The prevalence of setariasis in cattle and cerebrospinal nematodiasis in sheep and goats were determined in two geographical regions of Iran. Methods: In two provinces of Iran: Mazandaran (zone I) and Qazvine (zoneII) where sheep and goats were suffering from symptoms similar to cerebrospinal nematodiasis, the peritoneal cavities of 763 and 1020 cattle were searched for adult Setaria sp. respectively. History taking of 4770 sheep from zone I and 25550 sheep and 3190 goats from zone II were per­formed for the presence and determination of cerebrospinal nematodiasis in sheep and goats. To study pathological changes induced in central nervous system 7 sheep from zone I and 4 sheep and 2 goats from zone II with symptoms similar to CSN were necropsied. Results: Our findings revealed that 47% and 13.2% of cattle in zone I and II harboured Setaria digitata (99.45%) and S. digitata (67.12%) plus S.labiato-papillosa (17.46%) respectively. History taking showed that each year 2.53% of sheep in zone I and 1.65% of sheep and 1.25% of goats in some districts of zone II (e.g. Roudbar Alamout) suffered from symp­toms similar to cerebrospinal nematodiasis the main clinical signs of which were difficulty in hind limbs movement (lumbar paralysis). At necropsy, no lesions were observed macroscopically in the brains as well as spinal cords. But in a few cases, central nervous system were congested and edematous .Histopathological examination of CNS of necropsied animals showed mild leptomeningitis and eosinophilic and lymphacytic encephalomyelitis with numerous hemorrhagic tracts, degeneration and necrosis due to migration of the larvae. The cross section of nematode larvae was observed in the brain section of a sheep in zone I. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that setariasis of cattle is very prevalent in both region mainly in zone I and sheep and goats harbor low percentage of CSN but with marked pathological lesions.

Meningeal worm, or Parelaphostrongylus tenuis ( P. tenuis ) is a nematode parasite that can invade the nervous system of small ruminant and camelid species such as alpaca, llama, goats and sheep. Limited reports exist on the epidemiology of disease caused by the nematode in susceptible livestock. We examined archived necropsy reports from small ruminant and camelid mortalities that were submitted, post mortem, to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (MNVDL) during 2001-2019 for gross necropsy, histopathology, and pathogen screening. We estimated P. tenuis -induced mortality over time and developed temporal models to better understand patterns and drivers of P. tenuis -induced mortalities in these animals. During the period under examination, 5,617 goats, sheep, llamas and alpacas were necropsied, revealing an overall P. tenuis -induced mortality rate of 1.14% in the necropsy submission pool for these species. P. tenuis -induced mortality rates were highest in llamas (9.91%) and alpacas (5.33%) compared to sheep and goats (<1%), with rates in llamas and alpacas significantly higher than in sheep and goats. P. tenuis- induced mortalities exhibited one seasonal peak, around October to December. P. tenuis -induced mortality rates varied greatly between years, and have significantly increased over time. We also observed a positive correlation between summer temperature (range 20.4-22.4°C) and P. tenuis- induced mortality rates (range 0-3.9%), but not precipitation. This study demonstrates seasonal patterns and differences in mortality between alpacas, goats, llamas and sheep and helps us to better understand the epidemiology of P. tenuis mortality., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Keane, Marchetto, Oliveira-Santos, Wünschmann and Wolf.)

An outbreak of cerebrospinal nematodiasis due to Baylisascaris sp. was documented in an urban outdoor aviary in southern California. Thirty-four out of 35 cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus, 97%) showed a variety of neurological signs including ataxia, lateral recumbency, opisthotonus, and torticollis. Thirteen carcasses were submitted for necropsy; the histological lesions were restricted to the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and were predominantly degenerative, characterized by multifocal white matter vacuolation, gliosis, axonal swelling, gitter cell infiltration, and mild hemorrhage, rarely accompanied by mild granulomatous inflammation and mild lymphocytic perivascular cuffs. Nematode larvae morphologically compatible with Baylisascaris sp. were observed in the brain of 5 birds, away from the lesion site. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]