Seroprevalence of antibodies to Neospora caninum in dogs and raccoon dogs in Korea.
Neospora caninum is an important cause of abortion in cattle, and dogs are its only known definitive host. Its seroprevalence among domestic urban and rural dogs and feral raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides koreensis) in Korea was studied by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and by the neospora agglutination test (NAT), respectively. Antibodies to N. caninum were found in 8.3% of urban dogs and in 21.6% of dogs at dairy farms. Antibody titers ranged from 1:50 to 1:400. Antibodies to N. caninum were found in six (23%) of 26 raccoon dogs. However, the potential role of raccoon dogs as a source of horizontal transmission of bovine neosporosis needs further investigation. The results of this study suggest that there is a close relationship between N. caninum infection among dairy farm dogs and cattle in Korea. This study reports for the first time upon the seroprevalence of N. caninum infection in raccoon dogs in Korea.
Kim
Jae-Hoon
JH
Department of Veterinary Medicine, Cheju National University, Jeju, 690-756, Republic of Korea.
Kang
Min-Soo
MS
Lee
Byung-Chun
BC
Hwang
Woo-Suk
WS
Lee
Chang-Woo
CW
So
Byung-Jae
BJ
Dubey
J P
JP
Kim
Dae-Yong
DY
D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D000835:Animals, Wild; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D002335:Carnivora / Q000469:parasitology*; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D004285:Dogs; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D018688:Neospora / Q000276:immunology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan