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Pathogenicity of Nc-Bahia and Nc-1 strains of Neospora caninum in experimentally infected cows and buffaloes in early pregnancy

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Abstract

Neospora caninum is a protozoan parasite known as an important cause of bovine abortion worldwide. Little is currently known about how different strains of N. caninum vary in their pathogenicity. In this study, we compared a Brazilian strain, Nc-Bahia, with the first isolate of this coccidian, Nc-1. Eight cows and seven buffaloes were submitted to fixed-time artificial insemination protocols for a better control of pregnancy. Group 1 was inoculated with Nc-Bahia (n = 8; five cows and three buffaloes), and Group 2 was inoculated with Nc-1 (n = 5; two cows and three buffaloes). One nonpregnant female of each species was left uninfected as sentinel controls for potential environmental infection. All inoculated animals received 5 × 108 tachyzoites of N. caninum, by intravenous route, on the 70th day of gestation. Uninfected animals remained seronegative throughout the experiment, indicating no exogenous infection, whereas all inoculated animals became seropositive to N. caninum. In Group 1, abortion was found in only one cow on 42 days postinfection (dpi; frequency of abortion = 12.5 %), whilst all animals from Group 2 aborted on 35 dpi (frequency of abortion = 100 %). Parasite DNA was detected by seminested PCR in maternal, foetal and placental tissues, confirming vertical transmission in Groups 1 and 2, although histological lesions had different frequencies and degrees of severity between the groups. There was evidence of lower pathogenicity of Nc-Bahia compared to Nc-1 when used in experimental infection, as it caused fewer abortions, as well as less frequent and milder histological lesions. This was the first time Nc-Bahia has been used for experimental infection.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Professor Rodrigo Soares and his team of technicians for the support with the maintenance of the animals, Professor Ricardo Dias for the support with statistical analysis, the Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine of University of São Paulo-Brazil for providing the experimental areas and the Moredun Research Institute-Scotland for the histological analysis. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of University of São Paulo and funded by São Paulo Research Foundation-FAPESP.

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  1. Andreas Lazaros Chryssafidis

    Present address: UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Science Centre, University College Dublin – Belfield, Dublin 4, Co., Dublin, Ireland, D04

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Professor Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universitária, CEP 05508-270, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Andreas Lazaros Chryssafidis & Solange Maria Gennari

  2. Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, Scotland, UK

    Germán Cantón, Francesca Chianini & Elisabeth A. Innes

  3. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Balcarce, 7620, Argentina

    Germán Cantón

  4. Departamento de Reprodução Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Duque de Caxias Norte, 225, CEP 13635-000, Pirassununga, SP, Brazil

    Ed Hoffmann Madureira

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  1. Andreas Lazaros Chryssafidis
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  2. Germán Cantón
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  3. Francesca Chianini
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Correspondence to Andreas Lazaros Chryssafidis.

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Chryssafidis, A.L., Cantón, G., Chianini, F. et al. Pathogenicity of Nc-Bahia and Nc-1 strains of Neospora caninum in experimentally infected cows and buffaloes in early pregnancy. Parasitol Res 113, 1521–1528 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-014-3796-x

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