title: Transmission of Neospora caninum between wild and domestic animals.
abstract: To determine whether deer can transmit Neospora caninum, brains of naturally infected white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were fed to 4 dogs; 2 of these dogs shed oocysts. Oocysts from 1 of the dogs were tested by polymerase chain reaction and found to be positive for N. caninum and negative for Hammondia heydorni. The internal transcribed spacer 1 sequence of the new strain (designated NC-deer1) was identical to N. caninum from domestic animals, indicating that N. caninum is transmitted between wild and domestic animals, often enough to prevent divergent evolution of isolated populations of the parasite. NC-deerl oocysts were administered to a calf that developed a high antibody titer, providing evidence that N. caninum from wildlife can infect cattle. In addition, N. caninum antibody seroprevalence was detected in 64/164 (39%) free-ranging gray wolves (Canis lupus), 12/113 (11%) coyotes (Canis latrans), 50/193 (26%) white-tailed deer, and 8/61 (13%) moose (Alces alces). These data are consistent with a sylvatic transmission cycle of N. caninum between cervids and canids. We speculate that hunting by humans favors the transmission of N. caninum from deer to canids, because deer carcasses are usually eviscerated in the field. Infection of canids in turn increases the risk of transmitting the parasite to domestic livestock.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, 2001 South Lincoln Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61802, USA.
authors.forename: L F P
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Gondim
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: McAllister
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Mateus-Pinilla
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Pitt
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Mech
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Nelson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D000835:Animals, Wild; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D046029:Coyotes; D003429:Cross Reactions; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D003670:Deer / Q000469:parasitology*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission*; D004285:Dogs; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D007087:Illinois / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D018688:Neospora / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D021745:Sarcocystidae / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology; D019596:Wolves
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D016054:DNA, Protozoan