CANINE NEOSPOROSIS - CLINICAL SIGNS, DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT AND ISOLATION OF NEOSPORA-CANINUM IN MICE AND CELL-CULTURE

Clinical signs, diagnosis, treatment and isolation of Neospora caninum from two littermate dogs are described. Three of six pups from a Labr ador bitch developed paralysis. Neosporosis was diagnosed ante mortem by serological examination in two of the affected pups. At necropsy, t issue cysts were seen in unstained smears and in histologic sections o f their brains. Tissue cysts were often thin-walled (similar to 1 mu m ) but antigenically and ultrastructurally identified as N. caninum. Fu rthermore, N. caninum (isolates NC-4, NC-5) was isolated in mice and i n cell cultures inoculated with neural tissues of these two dogs. Sero logical diagnosis of neosporosis using a variety of tests is discussed . (C) 1998 Australian Society for Parasitology. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.