[Molecular and immunodiagnostic studies of bovine neosporosis in Switzerland].

Gottstein, Bruno; Hentrich, B; Wyss, R; Thür, B; Bruckner, L; Müller, N; Kaufmann, H; Waldvogel, A (1999). [Molecular and immunodiagnostic studies of bovine neosporosis in Switzerland]. Schweizer Archiv für Tierheilkunde, 141(2), pp. 59-68. Huber

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Cyst-forming coccidia may cause significant losses in livestock, primarily due to abortion, loss of young animals and neuromuscular diseases. Rather recently, Neospora caninum has been recognized as one of the major protozoal abortion-inducing parasites in cattle. The present study addressed the performance of different diagnostic tools (in vitro-cultivation; histology; immunohistochemistry; serology; PCR) suitable for the direct or indirect detection of N. caninum. By PCR, Neospora-DNA was detected in 24 brains (29%) from 83 bovine abortion, many of these brains were simultaneously characterized by histopathological findings typical for a protozoal, cerebral parasitosis. The diagnostic methods were furthermore assessed using samples of different tissues and body fluids from three experimentally Neospora-infected pregnant cows and their foetuses. The diaplacental passage of N. caninum to the foetus was successful in two of the three cases. In these two cases, PCR was positive for different foetal organs and, additionally, for the abomasal and amniotic fluid. The successfully infected cows developed anti-Neospora serum antibodies between 10 and 17 days post infection, foetuses remained serologically negative in all cases. The results obtained in the present study demonstrated the usefulness of PCR, complemented by serology, for the specific diagnosis of bovine neosporosis. Such tests may prove suitable to perform epidemiological investigations. Taken together, our data indicated that prenatal neosporosis may be an important cause of infectious bovine abortion in Switzerland.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	05 Veterinary Medicine > Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology (DIP) > Institute of Parasitology
UniBE Contributor:	Gottstein, Bruno
Subjects:	600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health 600 Technology > 630 Agriculture
ISSN:	0036-7281
Publisher:	Huber
Language:	German
Submitter:	Bruno Gottstein
Date Deposited:	23 Jul 2018 10:33
Last Modified:	05 Dec 2022 15:16
PubMed ID:	10028228
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/118744