Prevention of vertical transfer of Neospora caninum in BALB/c mice by vaccination.
Neosporosis is an important cause of abortion and neonatal morbidity in dairy cattle. The disease is caused by Neospora caninum, an intracellular protozoan parasite. In this report, we describe the use of a mouse model in the preliminary evaluation of vaccination as a means to prevent vertical transfer of N. caninum. Parasites present in the tissues of the offspring were detected using an N. caninum-specific polymerase chain reaction assay. Immunization of dams with a single inoculation of a crude lysate of N. caninum tachyzoites appeared to induce complete protection against infection of the offspring.
Liddell
S
S
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Livestock and Poultry Sciences Institute, Parasite Biology and Epidemiology Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA.
Jenkins
M C
MC
Collica
C M
CM
Dubey
J P
JP
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018688:Neospora / Q000276:immunology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines
D016052:Protozoan Vaccines