IN-VITRO ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A BOVINE NEOSPORA SPECIES IN JAPAN

Eleven aborted bovine fetuses and five calves suspected as having neos porosis were necropsied and tissues from these animals were inoculated into bovine cardiopulmonary aortic endothelial cells and monkey kidne y cells and maintained at 37 degrees C with 5 per cent CO2. Neospora t achyzoites were observed in one cell 49 days after inoculation. The is olated parasite (JPA1) was morphologically identical to the previously reported bovine Neospora species (BPA1) and confirmed by its strong a ntigenic reactivity with bovine control antisera to Neospora species a nd its lack of reactivity with Toxoplasma gondii and Sarcocystis cruzi antisera. This is the first bovine Neospora species isolate in Asia a nd further studies with this isolate are now expected.