title: [Prevalence of Neospora caninum Infection in the Intestine of Pet Dogs in Some Areas of Anhui and Zhejiang].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prevalence of Neospora caninum infection in the intestine of pet dogs in areas of Anhui and Zhejiang.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 315 fecal samples from pet dogs were collected in pet clinics from April to December 2013 in Baohe District in Hefei city, Xuanzhou District in Xuancheng city, Fengyang County in Chuzhou city, Longzihu District in Bengbu city, and Si County in Suzhou City in Anhui Province, as well as in Yuhang District in Hangzhou city of Zhejiang province. All samples underwent nested-PCR targeting Neospora-specific gene NCLI-004830. The results were further confirmed by PCR amplification of N. caninum ITS1 followed by sequence analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rate of N. caninum infection in the 315 samples was 1.59% (5/315). The infection rate in Chuzhou and Bengbu was 3.37% and 6.45%, respectively, and no N. caninum infection was found in the remaining areas. There was no association between the infection rate and the sex or age of the dogs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  N. caninum infection is prevalent in pet dogs in Chuzhou and Bengbu of Anhui.
authors.forename: Wen-chao
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: De-yi
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Jia-tong
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mei
authors.forename: Heng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Min-min
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zi-lai
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: You-fang
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Gu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002681:China; D003048:Coccidiosis; D004283:Dog Diseases; D004285:Dogs; D005243:Feces; D007422:Intestines; D018688:Neospora; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence