title: Serological evidence of antibodies to Neospora caninum in stray and owned Grenadian dogs.
abstract: Neospora caninum causes abortion in cattle and neuromuscular disease in dogs, world wide. Cattle become infected by ingesting oocysts voided by dogs. The aim of this study was to estimate the seroprevalence of Neospora caninum in two populations of dogs (stray and owned) in Grenada, West Indies. Sera were collected from 625 dogs from all parishes in Grenada. Three hundred and sixty eight dogs were stray, while 257 dogs were owned. Sera were tested for the presence of antibodies against N. caninum using an indirect enzyme linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) IDvet, France. Antibodies to N. caninum were found in 6 (1.6%) (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.32% to 2.88%) of the stray dogs and in 3 (1.2%, 95% CI: 0.13% to 2.53%) of the owned dogs. Seroprevalence did not differ significantly between the two populations (p=0.74) and between the males and females (p=1). These results suggest that the prevalence of N. caninum infection in dogs in Grenada is low.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, St George's University Grenada, West Indies.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, St George's University Grenada, West Indies.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kimmitt
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, St George's University Grenada, West Indies.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tiwari
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, St George's University Grenada, West Indies.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chikweto
authors.affiliation: Veterinary and Livestock Division, Ministry of Agriculture, Land, Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, Government of Grenada.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Small Animal Clinic, School of Veterinary Medicine, St George's University Grenada, West Indies.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lanza Perea
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, St George's University Grenada, West Indies.
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Bhaiyat
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004285:Dogs; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D019425:Grenada / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D018688:Neospora / Q000276:immunology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012698:Serologic Tests
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan