Abstract
In horses, Neospora caninum and Neospora hughesi have been associated with fetal loss, and neurological disease, respectively. This study investigated the role of Neospora spp. infection in equine abortion in Israel. The presence of anti-Neospora spp. antibodies was evaluated in 31 aborting mares by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and the presence of parasite DNA in their aborted fetuses was evaluated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), using two target loci (ITS1 and Nc5). The seroprevalence found in aborting mares was 70.9% and the prevalence by DNA detection in the aborted fetuses was 41.9%. Transplacental transmission from positive mares to their fetuses was 45.4% (10/22), while 33.3% (3/9) of fetuses of seronegative mares also tested positive for Neospora. The use of two PCR targets improved the sensitivity of parasite detection, and positive samples were identified by sequence analyses as N. caninum. These finding suggest that N. caninum could be a significant cause of abortion in horses, and that transplacental transmission in horses is an important way of transmission of N. caninum. The results presented here demonstrated the necessity to use several tests concurrently, including serological and molecular assays in order to confirm the involvement of Neospora in mare abortions.
Highlights
Neospora is an apicomplexan protozoan parasite infecting a wide range of domestic and wild animals and the causative agent of neosporosis
The findings presented here emphasize the potentially role of Neospora infection in equine abortions showing efficient transplacental transmission to fetuses in both seropositive and seronegative mares
This study demonstrates high seroprevalence of Neospora spp. in aborting mares and high rates of transplacental transmission to aborted fetuses attributed to N. caninum
Summary
Neospora is an apicomplexan protozoan parasite infecting a wide range of domestic and wild animals and the causative agent of neosporosis. Neosporosis is recognized as one of the major causes of abortion in cattle worldwide [1,2]. Neospora caninum is one of the most efficiently transplacentally transmitted parasites [1] and it is generally accepted that transplacental transmission is the major route of its transmission in cattle [3,4,5]. Neosporosis is caused by either N. caninum or N. hughesi and the disease is associated with fetal loss and neurological disorders respectively [4,6]. A case of enteritis in an adult mare associated with visceral neosporosis has been described in the late 1990s [7]. Exposure to Pathogens 2020, 9, 962; doi:10.3390/pathogens9110962 www.mdpi.com/journal/pathogens
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