Neospora

Closely resembles Toxoplasma; canids are definitive hosts; ruminants, horses, pigs and other animals are intermediate hosts; causes ascending paralysis in puppies, calves, abortion in cattle and occasionally equine protozoal myeloencephalitis. Includes N. caninum.

• N. abortion — N. caninum is a major cause of abortion in cattle, worldwide, and to a lesser extent sheep and horses. Infection of cattle is persistent and lifelong, and vertical infection results in abortion in some pregnancies producing a syndrome of sporadic endemic abortion in a herd that has infected female cattle. Epidemic abortion occurs with point source infection from dog feces in naïve herds. Calves infected while in-utero may die and be aborted, may be born with neurological disease, but commonly are born clinically normal, but infected and may themselves subsequently abort their calves when pregnant.

Neospora
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota Kingdom: Chromalveolata Superphylum: Alveolata Phylum: Apicomplexa Class: Conoidasida Subclass: Coccidiasina Order: Eucoccidiorida Family: Sarcocystidae Genus: Neospora
Species
Neospora caninum Neospora hughesi

Neospora is an important pathogen in cattle and dogs. It was not discovered until 1984 in Norway, where it was found in dogs. It is highly transmissible and some herds can have up to a 90% prevalence. Neospora causes abortions in cattle and up to 33% of pregnancies can result in aborted fetuses on one dairy farm. Diagnosis is hard because the parasite is not found in adults. The best way to detect the parasite is by its pathological effects on fetuses.

Dogs are often the definitive host but can act as an intermediate host as well. Cows are usually the intermediate host. No horizontal cow-to-cow transmission have been shown, although salival interactions have been suggested. Vertical transmission can occur when an infected cow gives birth to an infected calf -- the calf survives the infection and grows into an adult.

The life cycle is similar to Toxoplasma. An infected dog will pass the oocysts through its feces and infect food or water. A cow or other animal will then up take the parasite. The parasite will undergo asexual reproduction in the animal's muscle until it is eaten by a dog. There, sexual reproduction will occur and oocysts will be created and passed through the feces.

External links

• MeSH Neospora

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