Table 2 Comparison of the reproductive success of females in experimental and control groups, and features of congenital B. microti infection in their offspring
From: Impact of Babesia microti infection on the initiation and course of pregnancy in BALB/c mice
Group | Experiment I | Experiment II | Control group | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A (n = 6) | B (n = 15) | C (n = 20) | D (n = 20) | PU (n = 6) | |
Proportion of pregnant females [Cl95] (n of pregnancies in the group/n of females in the group) | 0% [0–41] (0/6) | 93% [70–100] (14/15) | 15% [4–37] (3/20) | 100% [83–100] (20/20) | 100% [92–100] (6/6) |
Total n of offspring | 0 | 117 | 17 | 112 | 41 |
Mean litter size ± SE (live + dead)/group | 0 | 7.8 ± 0.9 | 0.9 ± 0.5 | 5.6 ± 0.5 | 6.8 ± 1.0 |
Alive:dead offspring | 0:0 | 112:5 | 0:17 | 0:112 | 41:0 |
Survival -% of alive embryos/pups [Cl95], (infected/tested) | 0% (0/0) | 96% [92–98] (112/117) | 0% (0/17) | 0% 0/112 | 100% [93–100] (41/41) |
Reproductive success (mean n of alive offspring/n of females) | 0.0 (0/6) | 7.5 ± 0.9 (117/15) | 0.0 (0/17) | 0.0 (0/20) | 6.8 ± 1.0 (41/6) |
Vertical transmission [Cl95], infected/tested | NA | 63% [56–70] 71/112 | ND | 66% [59–72] 67/102 | NA |
Symptoms of infection in females during pregnancy | Apathy | Asymptomatic | Apathy, implantation scars in uteri, placentas in resorption | Apathy, difficulties during delivery | NA |
Symptoms of infection in pups and embryos | NA | Asymptomatic | Resorption | Developmental defects, stillbirth | NA |
USG observation | No visible pregnancy development | Normal size of the embryos and embryo sacs | No visible pregnancy development | Following infection, termination of pregnancy was observed (death of embryos) | Normal size of the embryos and embryo sacs |