Neospora caninum detection in a goat fetus.

CAMPERO, L.M.; GOS, M.L.; MOORE, D.P.; REGIDOR-CERRILLO, J.; UNZAGA, J.M.; MORÉ, G.; ORTEGA-MORA, L.M.; VENTURINI, M.C.

Congreso; 26th International Conference of the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology (WAAVP).; 2017

WAAVP

Neospora caninum is an apicomplexan protozoan responsible for abortion in ruminants, however caprine neosporosis needs further investigation. The present study aimed to diagnose an abortion from an Anglo Nubian goat from a dairy herd located in Buenos Aires province, Argentina. The goat delivered a fetus of approximately 3 month gestation that was studied by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT), Immunoblot (IB), histopathology (HP), immunohistochemistry (IHC) and molecular assays (PCR; microsatellite genotyping). Interferon gamma knock-out mice were inoculated with a pool of tissues for isolation attempts. The goat mother had IFAT titers of 1:3200 and 1:400 for N. caninum and Toxoplasma gondii, respectively, as well as positive IB reactions, and the fetus was seronegative to both parasites by IFAT and IB. The fetus had severe multifocal necrotizing myocarditis and hepatitis, moderate interstitial pneumonia, and nephritis. Myocardium sample resulted positive by IHC, evidencing clusters of N. caninum tachyzoites within myocardiocytes associated with histopathological lesions. Neospora caninum-DNA was detected by PCR in heart, liver, lungs, kidney and muscle from the fetus, and was negative for T. gondii by PCR. Inoculated mice bled 30 days post-inoculation resulted seronegative to N. caninum and T. gondii by IFAT. Multilocus-microsatellite genotyping revealed a genetic profile that differed from previously reported N. caninum genotypes, with unique MS21 and MS10 alleles. These findings indicate that N. caninum was efficiently transmitted from the mother to the fetus. We report the first case of direct detection of N. caninum in a goat fetus in Argentina and N. caninum microsatellite genotyping in naturally infected goat.