This study was carried out to determine the pathogen-causing diarrhoea in sheep Ovis aries in the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau Area, China. A trophozoite was identified as species of ciliate alveolates infecting the sheep based on morphological characteristics examined by microscope. It was mostly spherical, colourless and transparent, with many vesicles. Macronucleus and contractile vacuoles could not be distinguished. Size of the trophozoite was 80–180×70–150 μm and its surface was covered with cilia. Molecular analysis based on sequences of 18S rRNA and ITS genes confirmed the ciliate species as Balantidium coli. According to the literature, there have been many epidemiological investigations of B. coli infection in pigs, monkeys and humans. To our knowledge, this was the first report of B. coli infections in sheep in the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau Area of China, or eleswhere around the world. Importantly, the sheep case was rare but raised our concern that B. coli may spread across species and expand its host range.
Balantidium ; China ; Cilia ; Haplorhini ; Host Specificity ; Humans ; Macronucleus ; Sheep ; Sheep, Domestic ; Swine ; Trophozoites ; Vacuoles

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) in sheep is a hazardous zoonotic parasitic disease that is caused by Echinococcus granulosus (Eg). At present, serological test is an important diagnostic method for Eg infection in domestic animals. Here, a fusion protein Eg mefAg-1 harboring 8 dominant B-cell epitopes of Eg such as antigen B, tetraspanin 1, tetraspanin 6, reticulon and Eg95 was produced in E. coli and evaluated for CE in sheep by indirect ELISA. Eg mefAg-1 showed in ELISA a high sensitivity (93.41%) and specificity (99.31%), with a coincidence rate of 97.02%. Overall, it is suggested that the Eg mefAg-1 could be a potential antigen candidate for CE serodiagnosis in sheep.
Animals, Domestic ; Echinococcosis ; Echinococcus granulosus ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte ; Methods ; Parasitic Diseases ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Serologic Tests ; Sheep

Domesticated ungulates embryonic stem (ES) cells have great significances in biology and wide application prospects. This review compared the key signaling pathways related with pluripotency between mouse and human ES cells, and the difference of transcription factors in mouse, human and domesticated ungulates ES cells were elaborated. Finally the pluripotency candidate signaling network and transcription factors related in the derivation of domesticated ungulates ES cell were discussed combined with practical experience of ovine embryonic stem cell derivation in our laboratory.
Animals ; Animals, Domestic ; Cell Differentiation ; physiology ; Cells, Cultured ; Embryonic Stem Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; Humans ; Leukemia Inhibitory Factor ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases ; metabolism ; Pluripotent Stem Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; Sheep ; Signal Transduction ; Transcription Factors ; metabolism ; Wnt Proteins ; metabolism

To understand the maintenance and transmission of SFTS virus, the potential vector ticks were collected from sheep, cattle and dogs in the endemic areas of SFTSV in Shandong Province. Among the collected ticks, the dominant species was H. longicornis ticks. Real-time PCR for RNA detection, virus isolation and characterization, genomic sequencing, phylogenetic and antigenic analysis were performed in this investigation. The results showed that the SFTS viral RNA was detected in 2.14% H. longicornis, and a SFTS virus was isolated from one of viral RNA positive ticks collected from sheep. Whole genome analysis of the SFTSV isolates with 11 human-origin SFTS virus revealed a highly pairwise similarity, and the growth curve analysis showed nearly identical in virus yield and the dynamic of virus reproduction compared to human derived viral isolates. Immunofluorescence and neutralization test showed identical serological reaction character of the two different origin viral strains. In this study, the characters of a SFTSV isolate was firstly described, which suggested that the tick species H. longicornis acting important vector role in the transmission of SFTS virus.
Animals ; Animals, Domestic ; parasitology ; Arachnid Vectors ; virology ; Bunyaviridae Infections ; transmission ; virology ; Cattle ; Cell Line ; Dogs ; Humans ; Livestock ; parasitology ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phlebovirus ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Phylogeny ; Sheep ; Ticks ; virology

OBJECTIVETo explore the carrier state of hepatitis E virus(HEV) in livestock in Xi'an area.

METHODSBile samples from swine, canine, sheep and cow were collected from a local slaughtering house. Reverse transcriptase nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-nPCR) was employed to amplify the ORF2 region in HEV RNA genome. All positive samples were sequenced and compared with data from GenBank. Homology analysis was conducted based on the outcome of sequencing.

RESULTS194, 178, 79 and 191 bile samples from swine, canine, cow and sheep were collected. Positive rates with RT-nPCR method in these domestic animals were 4.10%, 0%, 0% and 0% respectively. Genetic distance analysis indicated that strains being identified were close to genotype IV of HEV, then genotype I, II and III in nucleic acid. Same outcome was shown by the same analysis on amino acid.

CONCLUSIONSwine was the only reservoir of HEV in livestock and genotype IV was the prevalent genotype.

Animals ; Animals, Domestic ; virology ; Cattle ; China ; Dogs ; Genome, Viral ; genetics ; Genotype ; Hepatitis E virus ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Phylogeny ; RNA, Viral ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sheep ; Swine

Echinococcus granulosus is the causative agent of cystic echinococcosis with medical and veterinary importance in China. Our main objective was to discuss the genotypes and genetic diversity of E. granulosus present in domestic animals and humans in western China. A total of 45 hydatid cyst samples were collected from sheep, humans, and a yak and subjected to an analysis of the sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb) gene. The amplified PCR product for all samples was a 1,068 bp band. The phylogenetic analysis showed that all 45 samples were identified as E. granulosus (genotype G1). Ten haplotypes were detected among the samples, with the main haplotype being H1. The haplotype diversity was 0.626, while the nucleotide diversity was 0.001. These results suggested that genetic diversity was low among our samples collected from the west of China based on cytb gene analysis. These findings may provide more information on molecular characteristics of E. granulosus from this Chinese region.
Animals ; Animals, Domestic/parasitology ; Base Composition ; Base Sequence ; Cattle/*parasitology ; China ; Cytochromes b/*genetics ; DNA, Helminth/genetics ; Echinococcosis ; Echinococcus granulosus/classification/*genetics ; Genetic Variation ; Haplotypes/genetics ; Humans ; Mitochondria/genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/*veterinary ; Sequence Alignment ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sheep/*parasitology ; Tibet