Acta Parasitologica, Vol. 50, No. 2, 2005, 176-179 J.P. Dubey(1)*, Edward Knickman(2) and Craig E. Greene(3) - Neonatal Neospora caninum infections in dogs
(1)U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Animal and Natural Resources Institute, Animal Parasitic Diseases
Laboratory, BARC-East, Bldg. 1001, Beltsville, MD 20705-2350; (2)Madonna Veterinary Clinic, 4105 Norrisville Road, White Hall, MD
21161; (3)Department of Small Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602; USA
*Corresponding author: jdubey@anri.barc.usda.gov
ABSTRACT
Neosporosis was diagnosed ante-mortem in a litter of neonatally-infected dogs. Three pups developed weakness of limbs 7-9
weeks after birth. One of the dogs developed megaesophagus. Treatment with clindamycin improved clinical signs but did not
eradicate the parasite. All 3 dogs were euthanized and viable N. caninum was isolated from the brains of all 3 dogs. Tissue
cysts were found in the brain and muscles of dogs. The dam was bred again. Seven apparently healthy pups were born in the second
litter. Six of the 7 pups from the second litter had no demonstrable N. caninum antibodies at 32 day of age. The seventh
pup had high (1:1280) titer in the Neospora agglutination test and the titer remained stable at day 227 when the study was discontinued.
The results suggest that the rate of congenital transmission of N. caninum decreased in the subsequent pregnancy.
KEY WORDS: Neospora caninum, megaesophagus, diagnosis, treatment