TABLE 1.
Outcome for pregnancy and parasite DNA detection in target tissues from the dams and the offspring
| Group | Dams | Offspring | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outcome for pregnancya | nb | Parasite DNA detection in cotyledons (placenta)c | Clinical outcome | nd | Parasite DNA detection in the brainc | Parasite DNA detection in the lungc | |
| Group 1 (infected, treated) |
Abortion (38 d.p.i.) | 1/8 (12.5%) | NA | Aborted fetuses | 1/15 (6.7%) | 0/3 (0%) | 0/0 (0%)f |
| Delivery (143–150 dg) | 7/8 (87.5%) | 0/42 (0%) | Mummified fetuses | 0/15 (0%) | NAg | NA | |
| Stillborn lambs | 3/15 (20%) | 0/9 (0%) | 0/9 (0%) | ||||
| Healthy lambs | 11/15 (73.3%) | 0/33 (0%) | 0/33 (0%) | ||||
| Group 2 (infected, untreated) |
Abortion (13 d.p.i.) | 1/8 (12.5%) | 0/6 (0%) | Aborted fetuses | 2/16 (12.5%) | 0/6 (0%) | 0/6 (0%) |
| Delivery (142–149 dg) | 7/8 (87.5%)e | 40/40f (100%) | Mummified fetuses | 3/16 (18.7%) | 6/6f (100%) | 4/4f (100%) | |
| Stillborn lambs | 6/16 (37.5%) | 14/18 (77.8%) | 18/18 (100%) | ||||
| Healthy lambs | 5/16 (31.3%) | 8/15 (53.3%) | 15/15 (100%) | ||||
| Group 3 (uninfected, untreated) |
Abortion | 0/3 (0%) | NA | Aborted fetuses | 0/5 (0%) | NA | NA |
| Delivery (146–150 dg) | 3/3 (100%) | 0/18 (0%) | Mummified fetuses | 0/5 (0%) | NA | NA | |
| Stillborn lambs | 1/5 (20%) | 0/3 (0%) | 0/3 (0%) | ||||
| Healthy lambs | 4/5 (80%) | 0/12 (0%) | 0/12 (0%) | ||||
The numbers in the brackets indicate the day post-infection (d.p.i.) in which abortion/fetal mortality was detected or day of gestation (dg) in which delivery occurred.
Number of dams/total number of dams; percentage in brackets.
Number of PCR-positive samples/total number of samples analyzed, percentage in brackets. Six different cotyledons from each sheep and three replicates of brain and lung from each fetus/lamb were submitted to PCR.
Number of fetuses/lambs in each category of clinical outcome for the offspring/Total number of fetuses/lambs; percentage in brackets
One sheep had a premature delivery on day 142 of pregnancy.
Degraded DNA in some samples (see Supplementary file 2).
NA: not available samples for parasite DNA detection due to placentophagy (cotyledons from the aborted sheep in G1) or due to the lack of dams or fetuses/lambs in the corresponding category.