Publications

endogenous and exogenous transplacental infection in neospora caninum and toxoplasma gondii.	it is clear from researching the vertical transmission of neospora caninum in cattle that the terms 'vertical', 'congenital' and, indeed, 'transplacental' are inadequate for describing two extremely different situations that have fundamentally different immunological, epidemiological and control implications. a similar situation pertains to toxoplasma gondii in different hosts. we advocate the use of the terms 'endogenous transplacental infection (tpi)' to define foetal infection from a recrudes ...	2005	16223599
attachment and invasion of toxoplasma gondii and neospora caninum to epithelial and fibroblast cell lines in vitro.	attachment and invasion of toxoplasma gondii and neospora caninum to a cat and a dog fibroblast cell line and 2 epithelial cell lines (a cat kidney and vero) were compared in vitro using fluorescence antibody methodology. in addition, trypsin treatment of tachyzoites was used to determine whether protein molecules were essential to the process of invasion. the results show that both t. gondii and n. caninum invaded all 4 cell lines, and that pre-treatment of t. gondii tachyzoites with trypsin ca ...	2005	16255816
seronegative conversion in four neospora caninum-infected cows, with a low rate of transplacental transmission.	four neospora-seropositive pregnant cows (prebreeding indirect fluorescent antibody (ifa) titers between 1:400 and 1:1600) were confined and observed until parturition. all cows gave birth to normal calves. selected tissues were tested for nc by histopathology, immunohistochemical (ihc) and polymerase chain reaction (pcr). parasite isolation was attempted in vero cell cultures. at parturition, all cows were seronegative at 1:200 and two of four cows had a titer of 1:100 when further tested. thre ...	2005	15939537
hplc purification of recombinant ncgra6 antigen improves enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for serodiagnosis of bovine neosporosis.	the gene for a dense granule protein (ncgra6) of neospora caninum was expressed in escherichia coli as a his-tag fusion protein and purified by ninta affinity chromatography. in a preliminary study, high binding of antibodies from n. caninum-negative cows was observed in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) using ninta-purified ncgra6. analysis of ninta eluates revealed a significant number of e. coli proteins that co-purified with recombinant ncgra6. in an attempt to improve the relative s ...	2005	15970387
the sylvatic cycle of neospora caninum: where do we go from here?	bovine abortions due to neospora caninum infection are a major cattle-production problem worldwide. the parasite is readily maintained in cattle populations by vertical transmission. the domestic dog excretes oocysts in its feces and, after sporulation, these oocysts are infectious to cattle. current control measures are aimed at culling infected cows and limiting the access of cattle to infective oocysts. the recent revelations that coyotes (canis latrans) can excrete n. caninum oocysts in thei ...	2005	16098812
effects of seropositivity for bovine leukemia virus, bovine viral diarrhoea virus, mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis, and neospora caninum on culling in dairy cattle in four canadian provinces.	the purpose of this research was to determine the effects of seropositivity for exposure to bovine leukemia virus (blv), bovine viral diarrhoea virus (bvdv), mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (map) and neospora caninum (nc) on overall and reason-specific culling in canadian dairy cattle. serum samples from, approximately, 30 randomly selected cows from 134 herds were tested for antibodies against blv, map and nc using commercially available elisa test kits, while 5 unvaccinated cat ...	2005	15970402
culture of neospora caninum in the presence of a mycoplasma removal agent results in the selection of a mutant population of tachyzoites.	mycoplasmas are common contaminants of eukaryotic cells grown in tissue culture. a commercially available mycoplasma removal agent (mra) was therefore assessed for its effect on tachyzoites of neospora caninum, in order to determine its suitability for further use in parasite cell cultures. analyses of tachyzoite and excreted-secreted proteins and antigens by sds-page and western blotting show that mra treatment results in the rapid selection of a mutant population that differs from the control ...	2005	15977896
neospora caninum antigens defined by antigen-dependent bovine cd4+ t cells.	neosporosis is an important cause of pregnancy loss in cattle worldwide. the objective of the present study was to identify neospora caninum antigens as vaccine candidates using antigen-specific, short-term cd4+ t cells established from n. caninum-immunized and -challenged cows. whole n. caninum tachyzoite lysate was separated into 6 fractions by deae anion-exchange chromatography using high-pressure liquid chromatography (hplc). the cd4+ t-cell proliferation assay results indicated that antigen ...	2005	16108548
confirmed clinical neospora caninum infection in a boxer puppy from argentina.	generalized neosporosis was diagnosed in a 2-month-old boxer puppy. the dog had a history of progressive paralysis and muscle atrophy, followed by cervical weakness, stiff jaws and dysphagia. the dog had a 1:12,800 antibody titer for neospora caninum and was negative for antibodies to toxoplasma gondii by the indirect fluorescent antibody test (ifat). after euthanasia a complete necropsy was carried out. the puppy had a megaesophagus. microscopically, tachyzoites and tissue cysts were observed i ...	2005	15978728
recombinant nhsag1 elisa: a sensitive and specific assay for detecting antibodies against neospora hughesi in equine serum.	neospora hughesi is a recently identified cause of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis. however, the significance of this parasite is poorly understood. an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) with a recombinant form of the n. hughesi 29-kda surface antigen (rnhsag1) was developed for serodiagnosis of equine n. hughesi infections. parallel elisa analysis showed that animals immunized or infected with n. hughesi exhibited greater antibody reactivity with rnhsag1 than with the neospora caninum ...	2005	15986623
identification and characterization of cross-reactive antigens from neospora caninum and toxoplasma gondii.	murine monoclonal antibodies (mabs) against neospora caninum tachyzoites were produced to identify the cross-reactive antigens between n. caninum and toxoplasma gondii. ten mabs recognizing cross-reactive antigens of both parasites were obtained and tentatively classified into 6 different groups based on their reactivity patterns in an indirect fluorescent antibody test and western blot analysis. three mabs in group 1 recognized antigens located on the surface of parasites with molecular masses ...	2005	15991490
in vitro efficacies of nitazoxanide and other thiazolides against neospora caninum tachyzoites reveal antiparasitic activity independent of the nitro group.	the thiazolide nitazoxanide [2-acetolyloxy-n-(5-nitro-2-thiazolyl)benzamide] (ntz) exhibits a broad spectrum of activities against a wide variety of intestinal and tissue-dwelling helminths, protozoa, and enteric bacteria infecting animals and humans. the drug has been postulated to act via reduction of its nitro group by nitroreductases, including pyruvate ferredoxin oxidoreductase. in this study, we investigated the efficacies of nitazoxanide and a number of other thiazolides against neospora ...	2005	16127045
development of rapid immunochromatographic test with recombinant ncsag1 for detection of antibodies to neospora caninum in cattle.	an immunochromatographic test (ict) with recombinant surface antigen 1 of neospora caninum (ncsag1) was developed for the rapid detection of antibodies to n. caninum in cattle. the ict was used to clearly discriminate between immunofluorescent-antibody test (ifat)-positive bovine sera and ifat-negative bovine sera. serum samples collected from cattle in yanbian, china, were examined by the ict. of the 96 serum samples, 23 (24.0%) were positive by the ict, and 19 (19.8%) samples were positive by ...	2005	16002641
phylogenetic congruence of sarcocystis neurona dubey et al., 1991 (apicomplexa: sarcocystidae) in the united states based on sequence analysis and restriction fragment length polymorphism (rflp).	the objectives of the present study were to assess the genetic diversity, phylogeny and phylogeographical relationships of available sarcocystis neurona isolates from different localities in the united states. all 13 sarcocystis isolates from different hosts were subjected to polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (pcr-rflp) analyses using two published dna markers (25/396 and 33/54). the 334 bp sequence of the 25/396 marker of these isolates and besnoitia darlingi, b ...	2005	16025209
effects of host maturity and prior exposure history on the production of neospora caninum oocysts by dogs.	to investigate whether dogs shed neospora caninum oocysts more than once, five dogs with a previous history of shedding oocysts were fed infected bovine tissues. two of three dogs shed oocysts when they were re-exposed 18-20 months after the first challenge; two other dogs re-exposed earlier, only 8 months after the primary exposure, did not produce oocysts. these results suggest that dogs may become refractory to shedding n. caninum oocysts for a period approximately between 8 and 18 months aft ...	2005	16029931
immune response to neospora caninum in naturally infected heifers and heifers vaccinated with inactivated antigen during the second trimester of gestation.	the objective of this study was to compare the immune response to neospora caninum in naturally infected heifers and heifers inoculated with a killed whole n. caninum tachyzoite preparation during the second trimester of gestation. nine holstein heifers were used in this study; three naturally infected heifers were born from seropositive dams, and six seronegative heifers were born from seronegative dams. four seronegative heifers were subcutaneously vaccinated with a killed whole n. caninum tac ...	2005	15893067
oocysts of neospora caninum, hammondia heydorni, toxoplasma gondii and hammondia hammondi in faeces collected from dogs in germany.	faecal samples of 24,089 dogs were examined coproscopically in two veterinary laboratories in germany between march 2001 and october 2004. in 47 dogs, oocysts of 9-14 microm size were found. their morphology was similar to those of hammondia heydorni and neospora caninum. samples of 28 of these dogs were further examined by inoculation into gerbils: seven isolates induced a specific antibody response against antigens of n. caninum nc-1 tachyzoites. this response suggests that the isolates contai ...	2005	16197949
detection of specific antibodies to neospora caninum and toxoplasma gondii in naturally infected alpacas (lama pacos), llamas (lama glama) and vicunas (lama vicugna) from peru and germany.	sera of an experimentally neospora caninum infected llama and a non-infected control llama were used to establish an immunoblot, an elisa and an ifat to detect antibodies against n. caninum tachyzoites. subsequently, serum samples collected from a total of 871 south american camelids (sac: lama glama, lama pacos, lama vicugna) of two farms in peru and from 32 sac of a farm in central germany were examined for antibodies against n. caninum and toxoplasma gondii. based on the recognition of specif ...	2005	15893073
evaluation of three enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for detection of antibodies to neospora caninum in bulk milk.	three elisas for the detection of antibodies against neospora caninum in bulk milk were evaluated in 162 dutch dairy herds. the first elisa was the dutch animal health service (ahs) in-house elisa, developed from the routine in-house serum elisa. the other two elisas were commercial milk elisas from idexx and lsi. blood samples of all lactating cows in 162 dairy herds were tested using the ahs in-house serum elisa. based on previous studies in the netherlands a within-herd n. caninum seroprevale ...	2005	15970385
association between neospora caninum antibodies and blue tongue vaccination in dairy cows.		2005	16244963
development of neospora caninum cultured with human serum in vitro and in vivo.	because there has been no report of symptomatic neospora caninum infection in humans, we examined the effect of human serum on the parasite's growth in either a bovine angioendothelial cell or caco-2 cell culture in vitro and in immunocompromised mice in vivo. there was no difference in intracellular parasite numbers between cells incubated with human serum at 24 hr after challenge and those incubated with fetal bovine serum (fbs), which has no titer for the anti-n. caninum agglutination antibod ...	2005	15856911
reduction in transplacental transmission of neospora caninum in outbred mice by vaccination.	infection with the protozoan parasite neospora caninum is an important cause of abortion in cattle. a major source of infection is transplacental transfer of the parasite from mother to offspring during pregnancy. this study describes investigations on the immunisation of outbred qs mice before pregnancy with live or a crude lysate of n. caninum (nc-nowra isolate) to prevent transplacental transfer of a challenge infection administered during pregnancy. parasites present in the brains of pups fr ...	2005	15885695
seroprevalence of neospora caninum in dairy and beef cattle with reproductive disorders in japan.	serum samples from 145 dairy and 65 beef cattle with reproductive disorders and 54 normally calving dairy cattle (controls) in japan were tested for presence of neospora caninum antibodies by use of an indirect fluorescent antibody test (ifat, titer 1:200). overall, seroprevalence of n. caninum was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in dairy cattle (20.0%, 29/145) than in beef cattle (1.5%, 1/65). in cattle which aborted, seroprevalence of n. caninum was significantly higher (p = 0.041) in dairy c ...	2005	15893065
serologic immunoreactivity to neospora caninum antigens in dogs determined by indirect immunofluorescence, western blotting and dot-elisa.	neospora caninum, is a coccidian protozoan known as a major cause of bovine abortion and canine neuropathies. the aim of the present study was to develop a reliable and quick test to detect antibodies to n. caninum in dog sera. sixty-five serum samples from dogs, including 35 positive and 30 negative for n. caninum antibodies were used for standardization of the test. in parallel, immunoreactivity of the sera to toxoplasma gondii antigens was investigated using a passive agglutination test. a do ...	2005	15893072
serological status for n. caninum, bovine viral diarrhea virus, and infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus at pregnancy testing and reproductive performance in beef herds.	neospora caninum, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (ibr), and bovine viral diarrhea virus (bvdv) are important differentials for the diagnosis of infectious reproductive loss in beef herds. the objective of this study was to describe the serological status of both pregnant and non-pregnant beef cows from herds with varying levels of reproductive success. the study provided an opportunity to examine whether there were any associations between serological status for bvdv, ibr, and n. caninum and ...	2005	15893892
prevalence of antibodies to neospora caninum in local and imported cattle breeds in the kars province of turkey.	this study investigates the seroprevalence of neospora caninum in cattle in the province of kars in north-eastern turkey. a total of 301 serum samples, 228 from local breeds of cows with a history of recent abortion and the remaining 73 collected at random from simmental cows imported from germany or their offspring, were tested for anti-neospora antibodies by elisa. all the serum samples from local breeds were negative for n. caninum antibodies, apart from one which tested inconclusive. in cont ...	2005	15563918
identification of vaccine candidate peptides in the ncsrs2 surface protein of neospora caninum by using cd4+ cytotoxic t lymphocytes and gamma interferon-secreting t lymphocytes of infected holstein cattle.	previously, our laboratory showed that holstein cattle experimentally infected with neospora caninum develop parasite-specific cd4+ cytotoxic t lymphocytes (ctl) that lyse infected, autologous target cells through a perforin-granzyme pathway. to identify specific parasite antigens inducing bovine ctl and helper t-lymphocyte responses for vaccine development against bovine neosporosis, the tachyzoite major surface proteins ncsag1 and ncsrs2 were targeted. in whole tachyzoite antigen-expanded bovi ...	2005	15731029
risk factors associated with neospora caninum abortion in ontario holstein dairy herds.	the objective of this epidemiological study was to identify risk factors for neospora caninum-related abortions in ontario holstein dairy herds. a total of 88 herds, consisting of 5080 cattle, and utilizing dairy herd improvement (dhi) services, were divided into three groups. case (n = 30) and first control (n = 31) herds were selected from 1998 and 1999 fetal abortion submissions to the animal health laboratory, university of guelph, that were histopathologically positive or negative, respecti ...	2005	15710518
protective efficacy of vaccination with neospora caninum multiple recombinant antigens against experimental neospora caninum infection.	protective efficacy of vaccination with neospora caninum multiple recombinant antigens against n. caninum infection was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. two major immunodominant surface antigens (ncsag1 and ncsrs2) and two dense granule proteins (ncdg1 and ncdg2) of n. caninum tachyzoites were expressed in e. coli, respectively. an in vitro neutralization assay using polyclonal antisera raised against each recombinant antigen showed inhibitory effects on the invasion of n. caninum tachyzoites int ...	2005	15793355
[first documentation of a neospora-induced "abortion storm" (exogenous transplacental transmission of neospora caninum) in a swiss dairy farm].	in a swiss dairy farm (canton of geneva) consisting of 73 animals 8 abortions were observed within 2 weeks. serological and molecular biological analyses (pcr) on aborting dams, and abortion materials, respectively, revealed that the protozoan parasite neospora caninum was the causative agent. besides the 8 aborting animals, 12 other non-aborting heifers were found to be serologically positive for this parasite. all positive sera were further tested in an avidity-elisa to elucidate the recency o ...	2005	15801622
occurrence of anti-neospora caninum antibodies in brazilian cervids kept in captivity.	neospora caninum is a coccidian parasite that causes disease in captive and domesticated animals and has been found in wild animals such as cervids. sera from 150 cervids of the genus mazama, were collected from 31 captive herds and 16 zoos from different brazilian regions and analyzed by indirect fluorescent antibody test for anti-n. caninum antibodies. positive reactions were found in 42% (63) of the samples and the titers varied from 50 to 51,200. of the 86 cervids from the captive herds, 38 ...	2005	15845290
associations between pregnancy outcome and serological response to neospora caninum among a group of dairy heifers.	to monitor pregnancy in a group of rising 2-year-old dairy heifers on a farm on which abortion due to neospora caninum was known to occur in previous years.	2005	15846399
autofluorescence of toxoplasma gondii and neospora caninum cysts in vitro.	autofluorescence of toxoplasma gondii and neospora caninum was studied by fluorescence microscopy during their differentiation from tachyzoites to bradyzoites in vitro using vero as host cells. stage conversion into bradyzoites and cysts was confirmed by immunofluorescent microscopy and western blot analysis using sag1- and bag1-specific antibody, respectively. from day 4 postinfection (pi), pale blue autofluorescence of the bradyzoites and tissue cysts was observed with uv light at 330-385 nm, ...	2005	15856866
neospora caninum: quantification of dna in the blood of naturally infected aborted and pregnant cows using real-time pcr.	this study quantified neospora caninum dna in the blood and brain of pregnant and aborted heifers by monitoring pcr product formation in real-time using sybr green i, a double-stranded dna-binding dye. primers were designed to amplify a 188 bp product specific to n. caninum from the nc-5 gene fragment of n. caninum. similarly, a 71 bp product was amplified from the 28s rrna gene of bovine genomic dna that served as a control. agarose gel electrophoresis and analysis of the melting curve for pcr ...	2005	15804378
detection of antibodies to neospora caninum in cattle by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with truncated ncsrs2 expressed in escherichia coli.	the surface antigen 1-related sequence 2 of neospora caninum (ncsrs2) is considered as an immunodominant antigen. in this study, the gene encoding truncated ncsrs2 (ncsrs2t) lacking an n-terminal signal peptide and c-terminal hydrophobic regions was expressed in escherichia coli, and its diagnostic potential in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) was evaluated. elisa could discriminate clearly between known n. caninum-positive and -negative sera from cattle. field serum samples collecte ...	2005	15856900
acute toxoplasmosis in three wild arctic foxes (alopex lagopus) from svalbard; one with co-infections of salmonella enteritidis pt1 and yersinia pseudotuberculosis serotype 2b.	acute disseminated toxoplasmosis was diagnosed in three wild arctic foxes (alopex lagopus) that were found dead in the same locality on svalbard (norway). the animals included one adult female and two 4-months-old pups. the adult fox was severely jaundiced. necropsy revealed multifocal, acute, necrotizing hepatitis, acute interstitial pneumonia, and scattered foci of brain gliosis, often associated with toxoplasma tachyzoites. one pup also had toxoplasma-associated meningitis. in addition, the l ...	2005	15563924
toxoplasma gondii-like organisms in skin aspirates from a cat with disseminated protozoal infection.	an 8-year-old, male domestic shorthair cat was referred to the matthew j. ryan veterinary hospital of the university of pennsylvania with a 3-day history of lethargy, inappetance, hyperemic skin nodules, coughing, and vomiting. laboratory results included nonregenerative anemia, lymphopenia, thrombocytopenia, hypoalbuminemia, hyponatremia, and increased alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities. cytology of the skin nodules revealed many spindle- to crescent-shaped proto ...	2005	15902669
neospora caninum: adoptive transfer of immune lymphocytes precipitates disease in balb/c mice.	neospora caninum is a recently described apicomplexan parasite first isolated from a dog in 1988 and has subsequently been shown to infect a wide range of mammals. in mice, neospora can cause primary pneumonia, myositis, encephalitis, radiculoneuritis, and pancreatitis. whereas, certain aspects of the host immune response to toxoplasma gondii have been well studied, not as much is known about the full immune response to neospora. this paper examines whether or not immune splenocytes are able to ...	2005	15916811
antibodies to neospora caninum in stray cats from north italy.	antibodies to neospora caninum were determined in serum samples from 282 stray cats coming from four colonies near turin (north-west italy). sera were tested using a neospora agglutination test (nat). seroprevalence was 24.8% at 1:80, 12.8% at 1:160 and 5.3% at 1:320 dilution. seroprevalence in females and males, in different colonies and in different age classes, did not differ significantly. our results confirm that domestic cats are exposed to n. caninum and the observed seroprevalences sugge ...	2005	15919155
the effects of ponazuril on development of apicomplexans in vitro.	we examined the effects of 5 microg/ml ponazuril treatment on developing tachyzoites of neospora caninum and merozoites of sarcocystis neurona to better determine the mode of action of this anticoccidial drug. both parasites develop asexually by endogenesis. neospora caninum was selected for study because it develops by endodyogeny, which results in two tachyzoites being produced internally, and s. neurona was selected because it develops by endopolygeny which results in many merozoites being pr ...	2005	15926999
exploration of immunoblot profiles of neospora caninum probed with different bovine immunoglobulin classes.	the present study was attempted to compare the neospora caninum (n. caninum) antigenic bands recognized by different bovine immunoglobulin classes. a total 10, 5, 2, and 6 antigenic bands were exhibited on immunoblot profiles against bovine igm, ige, iga, and igg, respectively. a 46 kda band was probed as a common antigenic band except iga; 69 kda band was bovine igm and ige; 33, 37, 55, and 79 kda bands were bovine igm and igg; 72 kda band was found igm and iga profiles. based on the analysis, ...	2005	15933437
effect of neosporosis on productive and reproductive performance of dairy cattle in costa rica.	a cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the effect of neosporosis on productive and reproductive parameters in dairy cows. cows (n=2743) from 94 farms located in the most important dairy areas in costa rica were used in the study. the size of the herds ranged from 32 to 379 females (mean=110, median=125). an indirect elisa was used to determine the serostatus of the cows towards neospora caninum. the effect of neosporosis on milk production was analysed by a mixed linear model. in additi ...	2005	15936812
use of a multiplex polymerase chain reaction to rapidly differentiate neospora caninum from toxoplasma gondii in an adult dog with necrotizing myocarditis and myocardial infarct.	this report describes a 3-year-old male castrated mastiff dog that died unexpectedly with locally extensive, acute, necrotizing myocarditis and myocardial infarction. intralesional protozoal tachyzoites in the affected myocardium were confirmed to be neospora caninum by a novel multiplex polymerase chain reaction (pcr) and immunohistochemistry. protozoal organisms were not identified in other tissues by histology, immunohistochemistry, or pcr. the multiplex pcr assay was used to quickly provide ...	2005	16475515
development of a practical immunochromatographic test with recombinant p50 for the diagnosis of babesia gibsoni infection in dogs.	an immunochromatographic test (ict), using recombinant truncated p50 (p50t), for the detection of antibodies to babesia gibsoni was developed and evaluated. whereas all sera from specific pathogen-free dogs were clearly negative, all sera from dogs experimentally infected with b. gibsoni were clearly positive in the ict. in addition, the ict detected no cross-reactivity with sera from dogs experimentally infected with closely related parasites, b. canis canis, b. canis vogeli, and b. canis rossi ...	2005	16336730
proportion of abortions due to neosporosis among dairy cattle in japan.	a retrospective cohort study was conducted to clarify the association between seropositive reactions to neospora caninum and subsequent reproductive disorders among dairy cattle in japan. a statistically significant association between neospora seropositive reactions and abortions was observed (p=0.016), and seropositive cattle were 6.1 times more likely to abort compared to seronegative cows. no significant differences were observed between seropositive reactions and other reproductive disorder ...	2005	16327231
evaluation of homologous, heterologous, and affinity conjugates for the serodiagnosis of toxoplasma gondii and neospora caninum in maned wolves (chrysocyon brachyurus).	use of serological tests in the diagnosis of infectious diseases in wild animals has several limitations, primarily the difficulty of obtaining species-specific reagents. wild canids, such as maned wolves (chrysocyon brachyurus), are highly predisposed to infection by toxoplasma gondii and, to a lesser extent, to neospora caninum. the aim of the present study was to evaluate homologous, heterologous, and affinity conjugates in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (elisas) and indirect fluorescent ...	2005	16419770
prevalence of antibodies to neospora caninum in wild animals.	antibodies to neospora caninum were determined in several species of wild animals in the united states by the neospora agglutination test (nat). antibodies (nat 1:40 or higher) were found in 5 of 249 bison (bison bison), 5 of 160 caribou (rangifer tarandus), 4 of 162 moose (alces alces), 4 of 122 wolves (canis lupus), and 1 of 224 musk ox (ovibos moschatus) but not in 197 black bears (ursus americanus). to our knowledge, this is the first report of antibodies to n. caninum in bison and caribou. ...	2005	16419771
use of avidity enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and avidity western blot to discriminate between acute and chronic neospora caninum infection in cattle.	avidity serological tests (avidity enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [elisa] and avidity western blot) were developed and used to differentiate between acute (primary infection, reinfection, and recrudescence) and chronic neospora caninum infection in cattle. in addition, the pattern of immunoglobulin g (igg) avidity maturation against different specific antigens of n. caninum tachyzoites was studied. sequential serum samples were collected from cattle naturally and experimentally infected with ...	2005	16312235
persistence of neospora caninum-specific immunoglobulin g antibodies in bovine blood and lung tissue stored at room temperature.	blood and tissue samples obtained at necropsy from carcasses showing varying degrees of postmortem decomposition are sometimes used as sources of antibodies for serological tests, primarily in studies involving wild animals or in examination of aborted fetuses. to test the persistence of antibodies in blood and lung tissue kept at room temperature (approximately 20degreesc) for up to 48 and 118 days, respectively, serum and lung fluid from neospora caninum-infected and uninfected cattle were tes ...	2005	16312237
reduced infection and protection from clinical signs of cerebral neosporosis in c57bl/6 mice vaccinated with recombinant microneme antigen ncmic1.	ncmic1 is a 460 amino acid neospora caninum microneme protein implicated in host cell adhesion and invasion processes. in this study, we assessed the potential protectivity of ncmic1-based vaccination against experimental n. caninum infection in mice, employing both recombinant antigen vaccines and dna vaccines. recombinant ncmic1 (recncmic1) was expressed in escherichia coli as gluthatione-s-transferase-fusion protein. the corresponding ncmic1 cdna was cloned into the pcdna3.1 expression plasmi ...	2005	16108562
characterization of the b-cell immune response elicited in balb/c mice challenged with neospora caninum tachyzoites.	activation of b cells occurring in hosts infected with protozoan parasites has been implicated either in protective or parasite-evasion immune-mediated mechanisms. intraperitoneal inoculation of neospora caninum tachyzoites into balb/c mice induces an acute response characterized by a rapid increase in the numbers of cd69-expressing peritoneal and splenic b cells. this early b-cell stimulatory effect preceded an increase in the numbers of total and immunoglobulin-secreting splenic b cells and a ...	2005	16108816
environmental effect on the occurrence of anti-neospora caninum antibodies in pampas-deer (ozotoceros bezoarticus).	sera obtained from pampas-deer (ozotoceros bezoarticus) captured in two different brazilian environments were analyzed for the presence of anti-neospora caninum antibodies by the indirect fluorescent antibody test (ifat). samples were collected from 23 animals from a savanna area in the national park of emas, in the state of goiás, brazil. this area is surrounded by cultivated lands and allows very little contact between wild and domestic animals. another batch of samples was collected from 16 a ...	2005	16112811
neospora caninum protein disulfide isomerase is involved in tachyzoite-host cell interaction.	we have previously shown that treatment of neospora caninum tachyzoites with the aspartyl protease inhibitor pepstatin a reduces host cell invasion [naguleswaran, a., muller, n., hemphill, a., 2003. neospora caninum and toxoplasma gondii: a novel adhesion/invasion assay reveals distinct differences in tachyzoite-host cell interactions. exp. parasitol. 104, 149-158]. pepstatin a-affinity-chromatography led to the isolation of a major band of approximately 52 kda which was identified as a homologu ...	2005	16129440
toxoplasma gondii dense granule protein 3 (gra3) is a type i transmembrane protein that possesses a cytoplasmic dilysine (kkxx) endoplasmic reticulum (er) retrieval motif.	studies using antibodies to immunolocalize the toxoplasma gondii dense granule protein gra3, have shown that this protein associates strongly with the parasitophorous vacuole membrane (pvm). however, as there was no predicted membrane-spanning domain this highlighted an unanswered paradox. we demonstrate that the previously published sequence for gra3 is actually an artificial chimera of 2 proteins. one protein, of molecular weight 65 kda, shares the c-terminus with published gra3 and possesses ...	2005	16149193
differential detection of hammondia hammondi from toxoplasma gondii using polymerase chain reaction.	hammondia hammondi and toxoplasma gondii are two related coccidian parasites, with cats as definitive hosts and warm-blooded animals as intermediate hosts. it is difficult to differentiate them by morphological and serological parameters. in the present study, primers were designed to specifically amplify the its-1 region of h. hammondi to differentiate it from t. gondii. attempts were made to detect the presence of h. hammondi dna in the tissues of mice infected with h. hammondi alone, as well ...	2005	16153883
subcellular fractionation and molecular characterization of the pellicle and plasmalemma of neospora caninum.	a characteristic structural feature of toxoplasma gondii and neospora caninum is the presence of a triple-membrane pellicle, on the zoite stages of their complex life-cycle. here we report the results of electron microscopic studies which show that the pellicle is made of a typical plasmalemma covered on its cytoplasmic side by a system of flattened vesicles named the inner membrane complex. using methods described previously for the purification of pellicle and plasmalemma fractions from t. gon ...	2005	16174411
[red fox (vulpes vulpes) as reservoir of parasites and source of zoonosis].	red fox (vulpes vulpes) as reservoir of parasites and source of zoonosis. this review presents data from europe and poland on the prevalence of helminth and protozoan parasites in red foxes (vulpes vulpes). the most common nematodes were geohelminths: uncinaria stenocephala, toxocara canis and toxocara leonina. as concerning trichinella genus t. britovi was found more often than t. spiralis. among tapeworms the following species were recorded: mesocestoides lineatus, taenia sp., and echinococcus ...	2005	16838621
applying biotin-streptavidin binding for iscom (immunostimulating complex) association of recombinant immunogens.	we have previously reported strategies for escherichia coli production of recombinant immunogens fused to hydrophobic peptide or lipid tags to improve their capacity to be incorporated into an adjuvant formulation. in the present study, we have explored the strong interaction between biotin and sa (streptavidin) (k(d) approximately 10(-15) m) to couple recombinant immunogens to iscoms (immunostimulating complexes). two different concepts were evaluated. in the first concept, a his(6)-tagged sa f ...	2005	15296488
gerbil model of acute neosporosis.	experimental infections with the nc-1 strain of neospora caninum were conducted in gerbils (meriones unguiculatus) to determine their acute responses to experimental intraperitoneal infection. five groups of five female gerbils were used and they were intraperitoneally infected with 1x10(6), 2x10(6), 3x10(6), 4x10(6) or 5x10(6) tachyzoites. gerbils in all groups developed clinical signs of neosporosis which consisted of inactivity 4-5 days post-inoculation. morbidity and mortality were observed ...	2005	15631903
application of proteomics for comparison of proteome of neospora caninum and toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites.	protein profiles of two isolates of neospora caninum (kba-2 and jpa1) and toxoplasma gondii rh strain were investigated by proteomic approach. approximately, 78% of protein spots on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-de) profiles and 80% of antigen spots on 2-de immunoblotting profiles were exhibited to share the same pi and m(r) between kba-2 and jpa1 of n. caninum. on the other hand, a total of 30 antigen spots of t. gondii were recognized on 2-de immunoblotting profile using rabbit antise ...	2005	15652819
toltrazuril treatment to control diaplacental neospora caninum transmission in experimentally infected pregnant mice.	we addressed the question whether diaplacental transmission of neospora caninum can be controlled by metaphylactic chemotherapy using toltrazuril or enrofloxacin. female c57/bl6 mice, infected on day 10 of pregnancy, were medicated for 6 consecutive days p.i. with 52.5 mg toltrazuril or - as an out-group control medication--16.7 mg enrofloxacin per kg body weight per day. other control groups received either infection but no medication or vice versa. toltrazuril treatment significantly reduced p ...	2005	15700756
adaptation of a surface antigen-based elisa for the detection of antibodies against neospora caninum in bovine milk.	the aim of the present study was to determine whether an elisa based on a 38-kda surface antigen (ncsrs2) of neospora caninum tachyzoites could be used to examine bovine milk for antibodies against n. caninum. a total of 797 undiluted milk samples from n. caninum-infected herds were examined in the p38-elisa. milk results of individual animals were compared with those obtained by the same elisa for the corresponding serum samples. the linear correlation between milk and serum antibody results of ...	2005	15703000
neospora caninum infection does not affect the fertility of dairy cows in herds with high incidence of neospora-associated abortions.	this present study, was designed to establish whether neospora caninum infection affects the fertility of high-producing dairy cows, and was based on yearly serological screening for neosporosis and on the confirmation of n. caninum infection in aborted foetuses. assessment was made of 7518 artificial inseminations (ai) (applied to parous cows) performed in three herds. of these inseminations, 2540 (33.8%) resulted in pregnancy; 34% of which corresponded to seronegative cows (2226 of 6556 ai per ...	2005	15703002
detection of neospora caninum in the semen and blood of naturally infected bulls.	a prospective study was designed to investigate the presence of neospora caninum in semen and blood of eight bulls seropositive to n. caninum using nested-pcr procedures. positive semen and blood samples were bioassayed in a balb/c nu/nu mouse model. specific anti-n. caninum serological and interferon-gamma (ifn-gamma) responses were also studied. in parallel, five seronegative bulls acted as non-infected controls. all bulls were located in a collaborating ai centre and monitored for 22 weeks. s ...	2005	15725454
neosporosis in a young dog presenting with dermatitis and neuromuscular signs.	a 16-week-old, male boxer dog developed multifocal nodular dermatitis followed by rapidly progressive and fatal neuromuscular disease. protozoal tachyzoites were demonstrated by aspiration and biopsy of dermal lesions. necropsy and histology revealed necrotising inflammation associated with intralesional protozoal organisms in various organs including the brain, heart, skeletal muscle and skin. serology suggested active infection with neospora caninum. immunohistochemistry provided a definitive ...	2005	15736815
prevalence of antibodies against neospora caninum and toxoplasma gondii in dogs and foxes in austria.	sera from 1770 dogs and 94 red foxes from austria were examined for antibodies against neospora caninum using the indirect immunofluorescent antibody test (ifat). 3.6% of the dogs were seropositive with titres ranging from 1:50 to 1:6400. dogs from rural areas were significantly more often seropositive for n. caninum than those from the urban area of vienna (5.3% versus 2.1%). there were no significant differences in sex or breed, but a slight increase in seropositivity with age was apparent, in ...	2005	15740855
relationship between rainfall and neospora caninum-associated abortion in two dairy herds in a dry environment.	the possible direct relationship between climate variations and abortion in neospora caninum-infected cows has not been studied. the objective of this study was to determine whether climate changes could be a risk factor for abortion in n. caninum-infected cows, and was based on yearly serological screening for neosporosis and on the confirmation of n. caninum infection on aborted fetuses in two high-producing dairy herds with a mean 27% seroprevalence of n. caninum antibodies. the final populat ...	2005	15876229
a review of neospora caninum in dairy and beef cattle--a canadian perspective.	neospora caninum is one of the most important causes of abortion in cows. the occurrence of n. caninum infection in beef and dairy cattle has been reported worldwide, and in most provinces in canada. the objective of this review is to summarize our current understanding of n. caninum in dairy and beef cattle for canadian bovine practitioners. the review covers the life cycle of the agent, its mechanisms of transmission, clinical signs, and tests for diagnosing the infection. data on the prevalen ...	2005	15884645
igg avidity pattern in cattle after ingestion of neospora caninum oocysts.	the avidity (functional affinity) of specific antibodies are being used to estimate duration of bovine neospora caninum infection. here, we report for the first time the avidity pattern in cattle orally inoculated with n. caninum oocysts. in all, 16 pregnant cows and 7 calves were administered n. caninum oocysts. in the cows, the avidity increased during the early course of infection. in all but one, the avidity was < or = 35 during the first 6 weeks after infection and no cow had an avidity val ...	2005	15740856
prevalence and transmission of neospora caninum within infected swedish dairy herds.	in this long-term study, the changes in within-herd neospora caninum seroprevalences and the relative importance of horizontal and vertical parasite transmission in swedish dairy herds were investigated. the within-herd prevalences varied between 5.8% and 65.0% when the herds were first sampled. comparing the prevalences of year 2000 with those found 2-3 years later, nine out of 14 investigated herds had a similar or lower within-herd prevalence while five herds had an increased portion of serop ...	2005	15740858
neospora caninum in pastured cattle: determination of climatic, environmental, farm management and individual animal risk factors using remote sensing and geographical information systems.	a cross-sectional serological survey was conducted on cattle pasturing in an area of the southern italian apennines to evaluate the seroprevalence to neospora caninum, and to investigate the climatic, environmental, farm management, and individual animal factors that influence the distribution of this protozoan. blood samples were collected from 864 pastured cattle raised on 81 farms. serum samples were tested for antibodies to n. caninum using an elisa assay (herdcheck), idexx). a geographical ...	2005	15740859
serological responses to neospora caninum in experimentally and naturally infected water buffaloes (bubalus bubalis).	the water buffalo (bubalus bubalis) is an important natural host for neospora caninum. serologic responses to n. caninum were studied in experimentally and naturally infected water buffaloes in brazil. antibodies were assayed by the indirect fluorescent antibody test (ifat) using a cut off value of 1:25. six buffaloes were each inoculated subcutaneously with 5 x 10(6) live culture-derived tachyzoites of the cattle illinois strain of n. caninum, and two calves were kept as uninoculated controls. ...	2005	15817198
prevalence of antibodies to toxoplasmagondii and neosporacaninum in red foxes (vulpesvulpes) from around the uk.	the purpose of this study was to establish the prevalence of antibodies to toxoplasma gondii and neospora caninum in a random sample of red foxes from around the uk. lung fluid from over 500 foxes was examined using an indirect fluorescent antibody test. reciprocal titres of specific antibodies to t. gondii or n. caninum ranged from < 1:16 to 1:1024. a titre of 1:128 or greater was deemed indicative of exposure to the parasite. one hundred and eleven (20%) of the 549 foxes tested were seropositi ...	2005	15893084
neospora abortions in dairy cattle: diagnosis, mode of transmission and control.	to determine the contribution of neospora caninum to abortions on a dairy farm in nsw (australia), determine the mode of transmission and develop and trial a control option for infection.	2005	15740860
immunisation of mice against neosporosis with recombinant ncsrs2 iscoms.	the coccidian parasite neospora caninum is an intracellular protozoan, causing abortion in cattle in many countries around the world. in this study, the protective potential of the major n. caninum surface antigen ncsrs2, expressed in escherichia coli and formulated into immunostimulating complexes (iscoms), was investigated in an experimental mouse model. the recombinant protein was specially designed for binding to iscoms via biotin-streptavidin interaction. two groups of 10 balb/c mice were i ...	2005	15817199
cutaneous manifestations of disseminated toxoplasmosis in an immunosuppressed dog.	a 3.5-year-old, castrated male, giant schnauzer was presented with alopecic pustular dermatitis. immune-mediated hemolytic anemia had been diagnosed 45 days previously. at the time of presentation, the dog was receiving prednisone, azathioprine, and cyclosporine. cutaneous protozoosis was diagnosed, and postmortem examination revealed protozoa within cutaneous, cardiac, pancreatic, and pulmonary tissues. the protozoa divided by endodyogeny, had the morphology of toxoplasma gondii (t. gondii) tac ...	2005	15870255
the use of beef bull semen reduced the risk of abortion in neospora-seropositive dairy cows.	there is an evidence that the epidemiology of neosporosis differs in dairy and beef cattle, such that beef cattle carry a lower risk of abortion. the aim of the present study was to establish whether artificial insemination using semen from beef bulls could reduce the risk of abortion in dairy cows seropositive for the neospora caninum parasite. our study was based on yearly serological screening for neosporosis and on the confirmation of neospora infection in aborted fetuses in two high-produci ...	2005	15752268
relationship between type 1/type 2 immune responses and occurrence of vertical transmission in balb/c mice infected with neospora caninum.	to examine the relationship between occurrence of vertical transmission and type 1/type 2 immune responses induced by neospora caninum infection in balb/c mice, pregnant (group 1 p) and non-pregnant mice (group 1 np) were inoculated with 2 x 10(6) of the n. caninum parasites and then we examined the vertical transmission rate and production of ifn-gamma and il-4. we also studied chronically infected mice, which were bred at 4 weeks or more after infection (group 2), and mice inoculated during pr ...	2005	15817216
immune responses during pregnancy in heifers naturally infected with neospora caninum with and without immunization.	this study was designed to identify changes in parasite-specific immune responses that occur during vertical transmission of neospora caninum and can be used as indicators of parasite reactivation in naturally infected heifers. ten heifers were unimmunized and 11 immunized with killed tachyzoites. one unimmunized heifer, which aborted at week 19 of gestation, had an increase in parasite-specific antibodies, mainly igg(2), from week 15 to week 19 and a concomitant decline in parasite-specific cel ...	2005	15841416
general strategies for efficient adjuvant incorporation of recombinant subunit immunogens.	we have previously reported strategies for escherichia coli production of recombinant immunogens fused to hydrophobic peptides or lipid tags to improve their capacity to be incorporated into an adjuvant formulation, e.g., immunostimulating complexes (iscoms). recently, we also explored the strong interaction between biotin and streptavidin to achieve iscom association of recombinant immunogens. plasmodium falciparum,toxoplasma gondii and neospora caninum antigens have served as model immunogens ...	2005	15755622
feline cutaneous toxoplasmosis: a case report.	a 9-year-old female, domestic short hair cat was presented with sudden onset of polyuria/polydipsia, and hundreds of cutaneous nodules. prior to referral, the cat had had four skin nodules that were treated with steroids. the four skin nodules then multiplied to form more than 100 ulcerated and nonulcerated nodules located all over the trunk. clinical evaluation revealed hypothermia and respiratory distress. cytology from both skin nodules and bronchoalveolar lavage showed macrophages and small ...	2005	15842545
isolation of neospora caninum from naturally infected white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus).	attempts were made to isolate neospora caninum from naturally infected white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus). a total of 110 deer killed during the 2003 hunting season in virginia region were used for the isolation of n. caninum. of these, brains from 28 deer that had nat titer of 1:200 were inoculated into interferon-gamma gene knock out (ko) mice. n. caninum was isolated from the tissues of three deer and all three isolates were mildly virulent to ko mice. only one of the isolates could b ...	2005	15845280
global protein expression analysis in apicomplexan parasites: current status.	members of the phylum apicomplexa are important protozoan parasites that cause some of the most serious, and in some cases, deadly diseases in humans and animals. they include species from the genus plasmodium, toxoplasma, eimeria, neospora, cryptosporidium, babesia and theileria. the medical, veterinary and economic impact of these pathogens on a global scale is enormous. although chemo- and immuno-prophylactic strategies are available to control some of these parasites, they are inadequate. cu ...	2005	15759314
seroprevalence of antibodies against bovine leukemia virus, bovine viral diarrhea virus, mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis, and neospora caninum in dairy cattle in saskatchewan.	blood was drawn from 1530 dairy cows in 51 herds. for antibodies against bovine leukemia virus, mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis, and neospora caninum, 37.4%, 2.7%, and 5.6% of cows were test positive, respectively, while 29.2% of herds had unvaccinated animals with > or = 1:64 for bovine viral diarrhea virus.	2005	15759829
incidence of abortion and association with putative causes in dairy herds in new zealand.	to estimate the distribution and causes of abortion in dairy herds across new zealand during the 2001/2002 breeding season.	2004	15768103
molecular and biological characterization of hammondia heydorni-like oocysts from a dog fed hearts from naturally infected white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus).	neospora caninum and hammondia heydorni are morphologically and phylogenetically related coccidians that are found in dogs. although there is serological evidence of n. caninum infection in the white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus), the parasite has not been yet isolated from the tissues of this host. in an attempt to isolate n. caninum from deer, hearts from 4 deer with antibodies to n. caninum were fed to 2 dogs. one of these dogs shed unsporulated oocysts 12-14 microm in diameter. sporul ...	2004	15562623
isolation and molecular characterisation of neospora caninum in cattle in new zealand.	to isolate neospora caninum from the brains of naturally infected cattle and use molecular techniques to characterise the isolates.	2004	15768137
potential risk factors for bovine neospora caninum infection in germany are not under the control of the farmers.	in the german state of rhineland-palatinate, herds were identified that were likely to have a neospora caninum sero-prevalence > or = 10% by using a bulk milk elisa. individual herd data were obtained by a questionnaire. univariate logistic regression showed that bulk milk positive farms had a significantly higher chance to report an increased abortion rate than negative farms (p(wald)<0.1). the chance to have a bulk milk positive herd increased with the minimum number of years a farm had report ...	2004	15471005
anti-protozoal efficacy of high performance liquid chromatography fractions of torilis japonica and sophora flavescens extracts on neospora caninum and toxoplasma gondii.	we previously reported that alcoholic extracts of sophora flavescens and torilis japonica from south korea demonstrated good efficacy in reducing replication of toxoplasma gondii and neospora caninum. to characterize the chemical component associated with anti-protozoal activity, specific fractions were isolated by high performance liquid chromatography (hplc) and used for in vitro testing. these fractions were evaluated in vitro against t. gondii and n. caninum. fractions of the herb extracts w ...	2004	15482896
genetic susceptibility to neospora caninum infection in holstein cattle in ontario.	neospora caninum has been reported to be an important cause of endemic fetal loss and occasional abortion epidemics in cattle around the world. this study examined 12,016 sera collected from 9723 holstein cows on 125 herds across ontario in 1998, 1999, and 2000. an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to examine the sera for antibodies to n. caninum. the overall prevalence of n. caninum antibodies in the cattle was 11.2% and the prevalence in individual herds varied from 0 to 70.4%. among ...	2004	15483182
meningoencephalomyelitis caused by neospora caninum in a juvenile fallow deer (dama dama).	neosporosis, caused by the protozoan parasite neospora caninum, is a serious cause of bovine abortion, stillbirth and perinatal death. this paper reports a clinical neosporosis in a 3-week-old fallow deer (dama dama). the fawn was full term and appeared normal at birth. histological lesions consisted of a multifocal necrotizing and granulomatous meningoencephalomyelitis, with intralesional protozoal cysts. positive immunohistochemical staining and characteristic pcr products confirmed the diagno ...	2004	15485563
prevalence of neospora caninum antibodies and factors associated with their presence in dairy cattle of the north of paraná state, brazil.	to determine the prevalence of neospora caninum antibodies and associated factors, blood sera from 623 female dairy cattle from 23 farms in the north of the state of paraná, brazil, were analyzed by means of the indirect immunofluorescent-antibody test (ifat > or = 25). serum samples from 134 dogs living on the same farms also were tested for n. caninum antibodies (ifat > or = 50), and the presence of dogs was associated with the prevalence of n. caninum antibodies in cattle. the overall seropre ...	2004	15350656
recognition patterns of neospora caninum tachyzoite antigens by bovine igg at different ifat titres.	this study describes qualitative and quantitative antibody response in cows naturally infected with neospora caninum. the study was carried out with 269 serum samples obtained from 24 cows over a period of 15 weeks. prior to sample collection, the cows were tested with elisa. the 269 samples were screened with ifat and categorized into seven ifat titre groups (< 1 : 80, 1 : 80, 1 : 200, 1 : 600, 1 : 1000, 1 : 2000, > 1 : 2000). the samples were finally analysed by western blotting. seven immunod ...	2004	15367295
canine inflammatory myopathies: a clinicopathologic review of 200 cases.	a retrospective study was performed on 200 randomly selected cases of inflammatory myopathy in dogs from diagnostic muscle biopsies received at the comparative neuromuscular laboratory, university of california, san diego. the most common clinical signs in dogs diagnosed with an inflammatory myopathy were generalized weakness, stilted gait, dysphagia, masticatory or generalized muscle atrophy, inability to open the jaw, megaesophagus, and dysphonia. myalgia was rarely described. age of onset ran ...	2004	15515585
evaluation of vaccination with neospora caninum protein for prevention of fetal loss associated with experimentally induced neosporosis in sheep.	to evaluate the immunologic response of a killed tachyzoite vaccine against neospora caninum and its effectiveness in preventing fetal loss associated with experimentally induced neosporosis in sheep.	2004	15524328
neospora-associated abortion episode over a 1-year period in a dairy herd in north-east spain.	this report describes a retrospective study based on serological screening, performed on a neospora-associated abortion episode over a 12-month period in a dairy herd in north-east spain. during the 1-year study period, the overall abortion rate for the herd was 23.2% (38 abortions of 164 diagnosed pregnancies). the data analysed were those derived from blood samples collected from the whole herd (n = 237) and from diagnosed pregnancies. antibodies to neospora caninum were found in 35.4% of the ...	2004	15525363
tissue culture and explant approaches to studying and visualizing neospora caninum and its interactions with the host cell.	neospora caninum is an apicomplexan parasite first mentioned in 1984 as a causative agent of neuromuscular disease in dogs. it is closely related to toxoplasma gondii and hammondia heydorni, and its subsequent description in 1988 has been, and still is, accompanied by discussions on the true phylogenetical status of the genus neospora. n. caninum exhibits features that clearly distinguish this parasite from other members of the apicomplexa, including distinct ultrastructural properties, genetic ...	2004	15525434
alternative mechanism of eimeria bovis sporozoites to invade cells in vitro by breaching the plasma membrane.	in vitro eimeria bovis sporozoites invade a wide range of cell types, and in the case of bovine cells, they may develop to first-generation schizonts. often, however, they subsequently leave their host cell to invade a new one, which seems contrary to the classical way of infecting a cell by forming a parasitophorous vacuole. using a standard, "cell wound assay," we show that e. bovis can invade bovine endothelial cells by breaching the plasma membrane and may again leave the surviving cell. eim ...	2004	15562619
evaluation of a pcr based on primers to nc5 gene for the detection of neospora caninum in brain tissues of bovine aborted fetuses.		2004	15563105
an interlaboratory comparison of immunohistochemistry and pcr methods for detection of neospora caninum in bovine foetal tissues.	seven european laboratories contributed to a multi-centre evaluation of detection techniques for neospora caninum in bovine foetuses. six laboratories participated in immunohistochemistry (ihc) testing. all seven laboratories participated in pcr testing, but the results from one laboratory were not included in the analysis, because of contamination problems in the preparation of the samples. a coded panel of tissue sections from 36 infected and non-infected foetuses was used to evaluate the ihc ...	2004	15567040