title: Neospora caninum infections in bovine foetuses and dairy cows with abortions in Argentina.
abstract: Antibodies to Neospora caninum were measured in bovine foetuses, dairy cows and beef cows in Argentina using the IFAT, the N. caninum agglutination test, and the recombinant NCDG1 and NCDG2 ELISA. Serum antibodies (IFAT titre 1:80) were found in 20 of 82 (24.4%) dairy cow foetuses and one of 22 (4.5%) beef cow foetuses. Microscopic lesions suggestive of neosporosis were seen in brains of seven of eight foetuses with IFAT titres of 1:80. Antibodies (IFAT) were found in 122 of 189 (64.5%) dairy cows that aborted. Serum antibody titres (IFAT) of 189 dairy cows that aborted were: < 1:25 (67 cows), 1:25 (four cows), 1:50 (16 cows), 1:200 (seven cows), 1:> or = 800 (95 cows). Of the 87 sera with IFAT titres of < or = 1:50, 57 had no antibodies in 1:40 dilution and 30 had titres of 1:40 in the N. caninum agglutination test. Thus, sera from at least 56 dairy cows which had aborted were seronegative both in the N. caninum agglutination test and the IFAT. The distribution of positive and negative sera was similar when measured by ELISA, except that, depending on cut-off titre, the ELISA indicated a greater number of seropositive cows that were negative by the IFAT and N. caninum agglutination test. These results suggest that transplacental transmission of N. caninum in dairy cows in Argentina is frequent.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Immunoparasitologia, Catedra de Parasitologia, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Venturini
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Venturini
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bacigalupe
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Machuca
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Echaide
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Basso
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Unzaga
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Lorenzo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guglielmone
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Dubey
mesh_terms: D000034:Abortion, Veterinary / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D001118:Argentina; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission*; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D003612:Dairying; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000662:veterinary*; D018688:Neospora / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D012698:Serologic Tests
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan