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Title: FIRST PORTUGESE ISOLATE OF NEOSPORA CANINUM FROM AN ABORTED FETUS FROM A DAIRY HERD WITH ENDEMIC NEOSPOROSIS

Author
item CANADA, NUNO - UNIV. PORTO
item MEIRELES, CARLA - UNIV. PORTO
item ROCHA, ANTONIO - UNIV. PORTO
item SOUSA, SUSANA - CTR. PARASITE IMM. BIO.
item THOMPSON, GERTRUDE - UNIV. PORTO
item Dubey, Jitender
item ROMAND, S - INST. PUERICULTURE
item THULLIEZ, P - INST. PUERICULTURE
item CORREIA DA COSTA, J - UNIV. PORTO

Submitted to: Veterinary Parasitology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/30/2002
Publication Date: 12/20/2002
Citation: Canada, N., Meireles, C., Rocha, A., Sousa, S., Thompson, G., Dubey, J.P., Romand, S., Thulliez, P., Correia Da Costa, J. 2002. First portugese isolate of neospora caninum from an aborted fetus from a dairy herd with endemic neosporosis. Veterinary Parasitology 110:11-15.

Interpretive Summary: Neospora caninum is a single celled parasite of livestock and companion animals. It causes abortion in livestock and paralysis in companion animals. Abortion caused by N. caninum (neosporosis) have been reported worldwide. Scientists at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and University of Porto, Portugal report for the first time isolation of N. caninum from an aborted dairy cow from Portugal. These findings will be of interest to biologists, Veterinarians, and parasitologists.

Technical Abstract: Neospora caninum was isolated from the brain of an aborted 4 month-old fetus from a dairy cow herd with endemic neosporosis in Porto, Portugal. The fetal brain homogenate was inoculated interperitoneally first into outbred Swiss Webster mice given dexamethasone and then the peritoneal exudates from these mice was co-inoculated with mouse sarcoma cells in the peritoneal cavity of mice given dexamethasone. Neospora caninum tachyzoites were seen in peritoneal exudate of the second passage. Tachyzoites from the peritoneal exudate reacted positively with anti-N. caninum antibodies and not with anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies and contained N. caninum specific DNA. This Portuguese isolate of N. caninum has been successfully maintained in cell culture. The dam of the aborted fetus had an antibody titer of 1:10240 in the Neospora agglutination test. Antibodies to N. caninum were found in 76 of 106 cows from this herd in titers of 1:40 in 31, 1:80 in 22, ¿1:160 or more in 23 in the Neospora agglutination test. This is the first isolation of a viable N. caninum-like parasite from any host in Portugal.