4 research outputs found
Genital tract involvements in a bull affected by bovine besnoitiosis
Objective
To describe the gross and histopathological testicular lesions observed in a 14-months.old
Limousine bull, imported from France and referred for thickening of the skin and enlargement
of the testis and finally diagnosed as affected by Besnoitiosis. The diagnosis was confirmed by
histological investigation of skin sampled via biopsy.
Materials and Methods
Gross examination and histological investigation were carried out on the reproductive tract of the bull
sampled during slaughtering. The considered parts were skin of the scrotum, testis, testicular coverings,
epididymis, penis, and penis retractor muscle.
These tissue were fixed in 10% buffered formalin, embedded in paraffin wax, and processed for histological
investigation.
Results
Gross examination showed: thickening and lichenification of the scrotal skin (a), visible cysts at the level of
the testicular coverings (b), preputial mucosa (c), hyperemia of the right testis (d).
The main microscopical finding was the presence of several Besnoitia. spp cysts in the skin and subcutaneous
tissue of the scrotum, in the testicular coverings as well as in the testicular tubules (e), and epididymis. (f)
The Besnoitia spp. cysts ranged in size from 250 to 300 μm in diameter. They had a 10-20 μm thick wall with
three layers: an outer hyaline layer, a middle layer with host cells cytoplasm and nuclei, and an inner
membrane with the parasitophorous vacuole containing typical 7.0×2.0 μm basophilic banana-shaped
Besnoitia spp. Bradyzoites.
Plasmocytic and histiocytic inflammatory reaction, with sparse eosinophilic granulocytes infiltration were
observed around some broken cysts.
Numerous Besnoitia spp. cysts were also observed in the cross section of the penis (g) and the penis retractor
muscle (h). A moderate inflammatory response, composed by macrophages, eosinophils and scattered
lymphocytes, was seen near and around the cysts.
Discussion and conclusions
The presence of cysts and its secondary inflammatory reactions may explain the impaired fertility that has
been already described in the case of Besnoitiosis. Potential explanations may be:
• interference with normal spermatogenesis by the cysts in the interstitial spaces and under the epithelial
cells in the seminiferous tubules;
• direct pressure on the germinal epithelial cells by the cysts that can cause pressure atrophy of epididymal
and/or testicular tissues;
• reduction of the blood flow, local testicular necrosis and development of fibrotic foci due to the
inflammation caused by the cysts in the blood vessel walls of the testis and pampiniform plexus, with
repercussion on the seminiferous tubule health;
• abnormal thermoregulation of the testis due to the thickened scrotum;
• abnormal thermoregulation of the testis due to vascular lesions in pampiniform plexus provokiong
testicular degeneration;
• tissutal fibrosis due to the inflammatory reaction to the presence of the cysts
Health and welfare assessment of beef cattle during the adaptation period in a specialized commercial fattening unit
Beef cattle welfare and health status are influenced by housing and management systems. The present study aimed to assess the welfare and health status in the first 15 days after arrival of Limousine bulls imported from France and fattened in a commercial fattening unit in Italy. A total of 264 bulls were included in the study. Welfare, biosecurity, and major hazard and warning system were assessed on days 2 (T1) and 15 (T2) after arrival to the unit. At T1 and T2 an inspective clinical examination was performed on all bulls. At T1 and T2 blood samples were collected from 88 bulls for haematological analysis. Both at T1 and T2, the welfare, biosecurity, and major hazards and warning systems were classified with a general score of medium but with a decrease on animal-based measurements in T2. At T1 and T2 the clinical examination revealed a significant increase (p-value≤0.05) of skin lesions and lameness in T2. A high incidence of respiratory disease was noticed in both assessed times. Leucocytes and all differentials count, and platelets were significantly increased (p-value≤0.05) at T2, while the fibrinogen was significantly decreased. The haematological changes suggest that the bulls were under higher stress in T2 when compared with T1 linked with a difficult adaptation response to the fattening unit. A multi-factorial approach that integrates the indicators of the checklist and the clinical and haematological findings of animals can be a useful method to deepen the assessment of welfare in beef cattle