Fatal Neospora caninum infection in kittens.
Three 3-day-old kittens were inoculated subcutaneously and orally with Neospora caninum tachyzoites. A littermate and the queen were not inoculated with N. caninum and served as controls. Kitten 1 died between 14 and 16 days postinoculation (DPI) and was eaten by the mother. Kitten 2 died 17 DPI and kitten 3 was euthanized 29 DPI in a moribund condition. The control littermate and the dam remained healthy. Granulomatous skeletal myositis and nonsuppurative encephalomyelitis were the main lesions and were associated with numerous N. caninum tachyzoites in kittens 2 and 3. Cysts were found in kitten 3. Oocysts were not found in any cats. Neither lesions nor parasites were found in control cats.
Dubey
J P
JP
Zoonotic Diseases Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture, BARC-East, Beltsville, Maryland 20705.
Lindsay
D S
DS
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000469:parasitology; D016782:Apicomplexa; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D002415:Cats; D007668:Kidney / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D011528:Protozoan Infections / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D011529:Protozoan Infections, Animal