Neospora caninurn Infectionin English Springer Spaniel Littermates

Abstract

Progressive paraparesis developed in four male English Springer Spaniel pups from a litter of five during the first 10 weeks of life. Two of the pups, which had the earliest onset of neurologic signs, were euthanatized without further workup. However, a detailed investigation was completed on the remaining two littermates at 12 weeks of age. Both pups had progressive paraparesis for 3 to 4 weeks before presentation, with one dog developing subsequent asymmetric pelvic limb extensor rigidity. Based on results from neurologic examination, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, electrophysiology, and muscle/ nerve biopsy, a presumptive diagnosis of protozoal polyradiculitis and polymyositis was made. Necropsy of the most severely affected pup confirmed the clinical diagnosis of inflammatory nerve root and muscle disease but no organisms were found. To increase the potential yield of organisms, the second pup was placed on immunosuppressive doses of corticosteroids and euthanatized 2 weeks later. Numerous organisms were found in lesions in muscle and the central nervous system. Organisms grew in tissue culture and were isolated from the peritoneal fluid of gerbils inoculated with infected tissue. Organisms were not isolated from inoculated mice, guinea pigs, rabbits, and hamsters. No parasites were seen in feces or tissues of three cats fed infected dog tissues. Serologic testing demonstrated a strong positive titer to Neospora caninurn in both pups, and electron microscopy showed the characteristic morphology of this parasite. (Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 1992; 6:325-332) NEOSPOROSIS is a recently recognized protozoan infection of dogs and other mammals.',2 The causative protozoa, Neospora caninurn, was first recognized as a new species in 1988. Diagnostic tests to distinguish N.

Pathological Features of Polyneuropathy in Three Dogs

“…In some cases, the disease occurs in association with Neospora caninum infection [10] or some immune-mediated diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus [11]. Primary autoimmune diseases against peripheral nerve myelin may also lead to the disease [1,51].…”

“…motor or sensory, distal or proximal, anterior or posterior and symmetric or asymmetric) is useful for etiology-based classification of polyneuropathy [7,8,10]. In the human-inherited polyneuropathy, CharcotMarie-Tooth (CMT) disease, classification is established according to lesion distribution, age onset, progression speed and pathological features [18], and a number of genetic mutations have been identified in respective subtypes [7,43].…”

An Improved Isolation Technique for BovineNeosporaSpecies

“…The parasite was first isolated in vitro from dogs in 1988 5 and subsequently from 3 additional canine cases. 1,4,7 Neospora caninum was first isolated in cattle from aborted fetuses in the USA. 3 Since this initial isolation, 3 more isolates in the USA, 2,3,10 1 isolate from Sweden, 13 and 1 isolate from Japan have been reported.…”

Oral infection of neonate gerbils by Neospora caninum tachyzoites

“…Neosporosis was already reproduced in gerbils in different experimental conditions (DUBEY & LINDSAY, 2000;GONDIM et al, 2001;RAMAMOORTHY et al, 2005;KANG et al, 2009;TOSCAN et al, 2012;TONIN et al, 2013;BOTTARI et al, 2014). Among these studies, acute infection was commonly performed by intraperitoneal inoculation of tachyzoites (CUDDON et al, 1992;RAMAMOORTHY et al, 2005;KANG et al, 2009;TOSCAN et al, 2012) and, eventually, by oral inoculation of oocysts (DUBEY & LINDSAY 2000). Studies on N. caninum pathogenesis in gerbils are useful for development of control strategies, as vaccines or drugs, for canine and bovine neosporosis (KANG et al, 2009).…”