Detection of Neospora caninum in aborted bovine embryos using Histopathology, ELISA, PCR and Real time PCR

Bovine neosporosis is caused by Neosporacaninum, A parasite that causes abortion is often the only observed sign of disease.

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Neospora caninum in some Alborz and Qazvin farms.

in this reaserch 105 samples from bovine abortions were sent to the laboratory, from January 2018 to May 2019. Samples were screened for N. caninum in the brain, heart, kidney, liver, lung, spleen, and placenta, using HistoPatology, ELISA, conventional, PCR and Real Time PCR.. Elisa was used as an initial screen for indication of infectious abortion and the second was histopathology and PCR 

A mononuclear inflammatory infiltrate was predominant in the heart, kidney, liver, lung, brain, and placenta. N. caninum causes mononuclear inflammatory infiltrate in various organs and focal necrosis with mononuclear infiltrate in the brain, Non-suppurative lesions were also present in the lung, liver, kidney, and placenta, indicating that N. caninum infection is systemic. The rate of fetal infection with N. caninum, represented separately by each of the diagnostic techniques, was 8/6% with Elisa, 20/9% with Real Time PCR and 6/7% with conventional -PCR. 

The diagnosis of abortion due to N. caninum requires detection of the parasite through techniques that are specific, such as Histopathology, or PCR that are both specific and more sensitive, preferably associated with identification of histopathological lesions placenta and, importantly, fetal brain, should be encouraged to increase the success of the definitive diagnosis of neosporosis by tests of conventionalPCR and Real Time PCR.