Estimating the rate of transplacental transmission of Neospora caninum to aborted fetuses in seropositive dams in Mashhad area, Iran

Authors

1 Center of Excellence in Ruminant Abortion and Neonatal Mortality, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

2 Graduated from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Neospora caninum is an apicomplexan protozoa,
which causes abortion in cattle worldwide. OBJECTIVES:
The present study was designed to estimate the rate of
transplacental transmission of N.caninum to aborted fetuses in
seropositive dams in dairy farms in Mashhad area, Iran.
METHODS: Two hundred blood samples of dam with aborted
bovine fetuses were collected from dairy farms from 2008 to
2010. First , the maternal sera in each aborted case were tested by
using ELISA method, and then the brain samples of aborted
fetuses were examined for detecting DNA of N. caninum, using
the PCR method. RESULTS: In this study, 38 (19%) of dams' sera
showed seropositive reaction against N.caninum infection, and
also 23 (10.5%) aborted brain fetuses showed positive reaction
by PCR. A significant association was observed between
N.caninum-serapositie dams and infected aborted fetuses
(p<0.0001). In the present study, 20 (86%) infected fetuses were
aborted from seropositive, and 3 (13%) of the fetuses were
aborted from seronegative dams. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the
results of molecular and serology examination, the rate of
transplacental transmission of N. caninum infection in dairy
cattle were calculated as 52%.

Keywords

Iranian Journal of Veterinary Medicine
Volume 7, Issue 4 - Serial Number 4
January 2014
Pages 253-256

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