Neospora caninum: Detection in wild rabbits and investigation of co-infection with Toxoplasma gondii by PCR analysis

• Published in: Experimental parasitology 2008-11, Vol.120 (3), p.255-260
• Main Authors: Hughes, J.M., Thomasson, D., Craig, P.S., Georgin, S., Pickles, A., Hide, G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Apicomlexa; Biological and medical sciences; Co-infection; Coccidiosis - complications; Coccidiosis - epidemiology; Coccidiosis - parasitology; Coccidiosis - veterinary; deoxyribonucleic acid; disease detection; disease prevalence; disease reservoirs; Disease Reservoirs - veterinary; DNA; DNA, Protozoan - analysis; ELISA; England - epidemiology; enzyme linked immunosorbent assay; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; IFAT; indirect florescent test; Life cycle. Host-agent relationship. Pathogenesis; Mammalia; mixed infection; Neospora - genetics; Neospora - isolation & purification; Neospora caninum; neosporosis; Oryctolagus cuniculus; PCR; polymerase chain reaction; Polymerase Chain Reaction - veterinary; Prevalence; Protozoa; Rabbit; rabbits; Rabbits - parasitology; SAG; strains; surface antigen gene; tissue distribution; Toxoplasma - classification; Toxoplasma - genetics; Toxoplasma - isolation & purification; Toxoplasma gondii; toxoplasmosis; Toxoplasmosis, Animal - complications; Toxoplasmosis, Animal - epidemiology; Toxoplasmosis, Animal - parasitology; Tris–EDTA buffer; Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution; wild animals; Wildlife
• ISSN: 0014-4894; 1090-2449
• DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2008.07.011

Neospora caninum is an important pathogen of cattle causing significant economic loss. There is much current interest in wild animal reservoirs for this parasite. The role of the rabbit in this is currently unknown. DNA samples from the brains of wild rabbits ( Oryctolagus cuniculus) collected from the Malham area of the Yorkshire dales were investigated by species-specific PCR for the presence of N. caninum and Toxoplasma gondii. We found prevalences of N. caninum of 10.5% (6/57) and T. gondii of 68.4% (39/57) with 8.8% (5/57) co-infected. Strain typing of T. gondii positive rabbits revealed strain types I–III were present in this population. Investigation of tissue distribution determined N. caninum DNA was most often detected in the brain and heart, less often in the tongue and not in the liver. To our knowledge this is the first report of N. caninum detection in naturally infected wild rabbits.