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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #140701
Title: THE COMPARATIVE PATHOGENESIS OF NEOSPOROSIS

Author
item BUXTON, DAVID - MOREDUN RES. INST.
item MCALLISTER, MILTON - UNIV. ILLINOIS
item Dubey, Jitender

Submitted to: Parasitology Today
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/30/2002
Publication Date: 12/22/2002
Citation: Buxton, D., Mcallister, M., Dubey, J.P. 2002. The comparative pathogenesis of neosporosis. Parasitology Today 18:546-552.

Interpretive Summary: Neospora caninum is a single-celled parasite of livestock and companion animals. It causes abortion in livestock and paralysis in companion animals. Scientists at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and the Moredum Research Institute in Scotland review information on Neospora and neosporosis in animals.

Technical Abstract: Since its first description in dogs in 1984, the protozoan parasite Neospora caninum has been found to infect a wide range of animals, worldwide. In cattle N. caninum has particular significance as a cause of abortion in which persistence of infection in the mother, recrudescence of the parasite during pregnancy, and the vulnerability of the placenta and foetus to invasion are all important features. The authors here discuss how Neospora invades cells and its ability to infect and cause disease in several animal species, but particularly how, in cattle and dogs, it has evolved a special niche ensuring its survival.