title: Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum antibodies in dogs from Grenada, West Indies.
abstract: Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum are structurally similar parasites with many common hosts. The prevalence of antibodies to T. gondii and N. caninum was determined in sera from dogs in Grenada, West Indies. Using a modified agglutination test, antibodies to T. gondii were found in 52 (48.5%) of the 107 dogs, with titers of 1:25 in 17, 1:50 in 19, 1:100 in 7, 1:1,600 in 5, and 1:3,200 or higher in 4. Seroprevalence increased with age from 2.2% in dogs <6 mo old to 18.9% in dogs older than 2 yr, indicating postnatal transmission of T. gondii in this population of canines. There was no correlation between the health of the dogs and the seroprevalence or magnitude of the T. gondii titer. Antibodies to N. caninum were determined by the indirect immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT). Two of the 107 dogs had N. caninum antibodies (IFAT titers 1:100 and 1:400); these dogs had T. gondii titers of 1:1,600 and 1:50, respectively. Results indicate that these 2 structurally similar protozoa are antigenically different.
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Animal and Natural Resources Institute, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland 20705-2350, USA. jitender.dubey@ars.usda.gov
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Dubey
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.forename: O C H
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Kwok
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Sharma
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000372:Agglutination Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect / Q000662:veterinary; D019425:Grenada / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D018688:Neospora / Q000276:immunology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan