Vertical transmission of Neospora caninum in BALB/c mice in both acute and chronic infection.
To examine the frequency of congenital infection by Neospora caninum, BALB/c mice were inoculated intraperitoneally with tachyzoites of N. caninum either during pregnancy (Group 1) or 4 weeks or more before pregnancy (Group 2). Further, the mice inoculated during pregnancy were bred at 4 weeks or more after delivery to form Group 3. Congenital transmission was observed in 76% of the neonates of the mice in Group 1 and in 50% of the neonates of the mice in Group 2. Interestingly, congenital transmission was observed in 86% of the neonates from Group 3. These results suggest that chronically-infected BALB/c mice efficiently transmit N. caninum infection to their offspring.
Omata
Y
Y
Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan. yomata@obihiro.ac.jp
Nidaira
M
M
Kano
R
R
Kobayashi
Y
Y
Koyama
T
T
Furuoka
H
H
Maeda
R
R
Matsui
T
T
Saito
A
A
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001921:Brain / Q000469:parasitology; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000151:congenital / Q000635:transmission*; D005260:Female; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008098:Litter Size; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018688:Neospora / Q000254:growth & development*; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000469:parasitology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000469:parasitology