Epidemiology and Control of Neosporosis and Neospora caninum

• Published in: Clinical Microbiology Reviews Vol. 20; no. 2; pp. 323 - 367
• Main Authors: Dubey, J.P, Schares, G, Ortega-Mora, L.M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for Microbiology 01-04-2007
• Subjects: abortion (animals); Abortion, Veterinary - parasitology; Abortion, Veterinary - prevention & control; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Assay; bovine neosporosis; canine neosporosis; Cats; Cattle; cattle diseases; Cattle Diseases - epidemiology; Cattle Diseases - prevention & control; Cattle Diseases - transmission; Coccidiosis - epidemiology; Coccidiosis - prevention & control; Coccidiosis - transmission; Coccidiosis - veterinary; disease control; disease prevention; disease transmission; Disease Transmission, Infectious - veterinary; dog diseases; Dogs; epidemiology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; geographical distribution; host range; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical - veterinary; Infectious diseases; life cycle (organisms); literature reviews; Medical sciences; Mice; Microbiology; Neospora - isolation & purification; Neospora - physiology; Neospora caninum; neosporosis; oocyst shedding; oocysts; Oocysts - physiology; pathogenicity; Pregnancy; Reviews; Risk Factors; Seroepidemiologic Studies; seroprevalence; strain differences; Toxoplasma gondii; Protozoa; Apicomplexa; Review; Epidemiology; Neospora caninum
• ISSN: 1098-6618; 0893-8512; 1098-6618
• DOI: 10.1128/CMR.00031-06

Neospora caninum is a protozoan parasite of animals. Until 1988, it was misidentified as Toxoplasma gondii. Since its first recognition in dogs in 1984 and the description of the new genus and species Neospora caninum in 1988, neosporosis has emerged as a serious disease of cattle and dogs worldwide. Abortions and neonatal mortality are a major problem in livestock operations, and neosporosis is a major cause of abortion in cattle. Although antibodies to N. caninum have been reported, the parasite has not been detected in human tissues. Thus, the zoonotic potential is uncertain. This review is focused mainly on the epidemiology and control of neosporosis in cattle, but worldwide seroprevalences of N. caninum in animals and humans are tabulated. The role of wildlife in the life cycle of N. caninum and strategies for the control of neosporosis in cattle are discussed.