Affiliation:
1. Departments of Veterinary Sciences1 and
2. Molecular Biology,2 University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82017-3944, and
3. Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 104613
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Neospora caninum
is a protozoan parasite that is closely related to
Toxoplasma gondii
. Dogs are a definitive host. Prior to its discovery in 1988,
N. caninum
infection in animals was often mistakenly diagnosed as toxoplasmosis. Neosporosis in animals is characterized by encephalitis, abortion, and other conditions that clinically and pathologically resemble toxoplasmosis. The potential of
N. caninum
to infect humans is unknown. Therefore, evidence of human exposure to this parasite was sought by screening for antibodies in blood donors by indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) tests and immunoblotting. Of 1,029 samples screened, 69 (6.7%) had titers of 1:100 by IFA testing. Fifty of the 69 (72%) sera that were positive for
N. caninum
were also negative for a closely related protozoan pathogen of humans,
T. gondii
. Immunoblot analysis confirmed the specificity of the positive sera for
N. caninum
antigens, with several sera recognizing multiple
Neospora
antigens with molecular masses similar to those of antigens recognized by monkey anti-
N. caninum
serum. An immunodominant antigen of approximately 35 kDa was observed with 12 sera. These data provide evidence of human exposure to
N. caninum
, although the antibody titers in healthy donors were low. The significance of human exposure to, and possible infection with, this parasite is unknown and warrants further study.
Publisher
American Society for Microbiology
Subject
Microbiology (medical),Clinical Biochemistry,Immunology,Immunology and Allergy
Reference14 articles.
1. Neospora-like protozoan infection as a major cause of abortion in California dairy cattle.;Anderson M. L.;J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc.,1991
2. False-Positive Anti-
Toxoplasma
Fluorescent-Antibody Tests in Patients with Antinuclear Antibodies
3. Experimental fetal and transplacental Neospora infection in the nonhuman primate.;Barr B. C.;Lab. Investig.,1994
4. Detection of serum antibody responses in cattle with natural or experimental Neospora infections.;Conrad P. A.;J. Vet. Diagn. Investig.,1993
5. Dubey
J. P.
Beattie
C. P.
Toxoplasmosis of animals and man.
1988
CRC Press
Boca Raton Fla
Cited by
100 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献