Clinic for Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Andrology of Large and Small Animals with Veterinary Ambulance, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392, Giessen, Germany.
Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392, Giessen, Germany.
Parasit Vectors. 2018 Feb 17;11(1):96. doi: 10.1186/s13071-018-2683-1.
Neospora caninum is an intracellular obligate apicomplexan parasite responsible for multisystemic lesions in dogs. Being definitive hosts and reservoirs, dogs excrete environmentally resistant oocysts. Breeding bitches represent a susceptible dog group and infected bitches may spread this parasite through transplacental transmission.
A total of 218 serum samples of German breeding bitches were collected to determine the presence of N. caninum. Antibodies were detected in 16 (7.33%) bitches using a commercial indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Immunoblotting analysis confirmed all seropositive samples detected by ELISA, proving that the animals were infected with N. caninum. The owners were interviewed regarding breed, age, environment, type, vaccine status, feeding habits and the presence of reproductive disorders. Seropositive animals were between the ages of two to seven years; three of them were kept in kennels while the others were household dogs, one of which was additionally a hunting dog. Owners of four seropositive bitches reported one gestation, while multiple pregnancies had been recorded for the other twelve bitches. Fourteen bitches were regularly vaccinated and six were fed with fresh raw meat.
Although the results confirmed a low incidence of N. caninum seropositive German breeding bitches, further epidemiological and surveillance studies are required to complement our findings regarding the current situation of neosporosis in this specific canine population of Germany.
刚地弓形虫是一种细胞内专性顶复门寄生虫，可导致犬多系统病变。犬既是终末宿主又是贮藏宿主，会排出环境中具有抵抗力的卵囊。繁殖母犬是易感犬群，感染的母犬可能通过胎盘传播将这种寄生虫传播出去。
共采集了 218 份德国繁殖母犬的血清样本，以确定是否存在刚地弓形虫。使用商业间接酶联免疫吸附试验（ELISA）检测到 16 只（7.33%）母犬存在抗体。免疫印迹分析证实了 ELISA 检测到的所有血清阳性样本均为阳性，证明这些动物感染了刚地弓形虫。对这些动物的主人进行了有关品种、年龄、环境、类型、疫苗接种情况、饮食习惯和生殖障碍的访谈。血清阳性动物的年龄在 2 至 7 岁之间；其中 3 只为犬舍饲养，其余为家庭犬，其中 1 只为猎犬。4 只血清阳性犬的主人报告了 1 次妊娠，而其他 12 只犬则有多次妊娠记录。14 只犬定期接种疫苗，6 只犬喂食新鲜生肉。
尽管这些结果证实了德国繁殖母犬中存在低比例的刚地弓形虫血清阳性，但仍需要进一步的流行病学和监测研究来补充我们对德国这一特定犬种群体中当前弓形虫病现状的发现。
