ARS | Publication request: Detection of antibodies against Sarcocystis neurona, neospora spp., and Toxoplasma gondii in horses from Costa Rica

Submitted to: Journal of Parasitology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: February 1, 2011
Publication Date: June 15, 2011
Citation: Dangoudoubiyam, S., Oliveira, J.B., Viquez, C., Gomez-Garcia, A., Gonzalez, O., Romero, J.J., Kwok, O.C., Dubey, J.P., Howe, D.K. 2011. Detection of antibodies against Sarcocystis neurona, neospora spp., and Toxoplasma gondii in horses from Costa Rica. Journal of Parasitology. 97:522-524.

Interpretive Summary: Toxoplasma, Sarcocystis. and Neospora are single-celled parasites of all warm-blooded hosts worldwide. They can cause illness in livestock and sometimes there are difficulties in ante-mortem diagnosis of these infections based on blood tests. In the present study scientists document prevalence of T. gondii, Neospora spp., and Sarcocystis neurona antibodies in horses from Costa Rica. The results will be of interest to biologists, parasitologists, and veterinarians.

Technical Abstract: Serum samples from 315 horses from Costa Rica, Central America were examined for the presence of antibodies against Sarcocystis neurona, Neospora spp., and Toxoplasma gondii using the SnSAG2 ELISA, the NhSAG1 ELISA, and the modified agglutination test, respectively. Anti-S. neurona antibodies were found in 42.2% of the horses using the SnSAG2 ELISA. Anti-Neospora spp. antibodies were found in only 3.5% of the horses using the NhSAG1 ELISA, and only 1 of these horses was confirmed seropositive by Western blot. Antibodies to T. gondii were found in 34% of the horses tested, which is higher than previous reports from North and South America. Finding of anti-S. neurona antibodies in horses from geographical areas where Didelphis marsupialis has wide distribution suggests that D. marsupialis is a potential definitive host for this parasite and a source of infection for these horses.