Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in European brown hares in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria

• Published in: Veterinary parasitology 2010-07, Vol.171 (1), p.155-158
• Main Authors: Bártová, Eva, Sedlák, Kamil, Treml, František, Holko, Ivan, Literák, Ivan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: animal diseases; Animals; antibodies; Antibodies, Protozoan - blood; antibody detection; Austria - epidemiology; blood serum; Coccidiosis - epidemiology; Coccidiosis - parasitology; Coccidiosis - veterinary; Czech Republic - epidemiology; disease prevalence; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay - veterinary; Europe; fluorescent antibody technique; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; hares; Hares - parasitology; indirect fluorescent antibody test; Lepus; Lepus europaeus; mixed infection; Neospora - isolation & purification; Neospora caninum; Neosporosis; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Serological survey; Slovakia - epidemiology; Toxoplasma - isolation & purification; Toxoplasma gondii; Toxoplasmosis; Toxoplasmosis, Animal - epidemiology; Toxoplasmosis, Animal - parasitology
• ISSN: 0304-4017; 1873-2550
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.03.002

European brown hares ( Lepus europaeus) coming from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria were tested for serum antibodies against Neospora caninum by a competitive-inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and for serum antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii by an indirect fluorescent antibody test. In a total of 925 samples, 280 (30%) and 132 (14%) reacted positively for N. caninum and T. gondii antibodies, respectively. Out of 333 hares in the Czech Republic, 129 (39%) and 71 (21%) reacted positively for N. caninum and T. gondii antibodies, respectively. Out of 209 hares in Slovakia, 8 (4%) and 13 (6%) reacted positively for N. caninum and T. gondii antibodies, respectively. Out of 383 hares in Austria, 143 (37%) and 48 (13%) reacted positively for N. caninum and T. gondii antibodies, respectively. Mixed infection (concurrent presence of both N. caninum and T. gondii antibodies) was found in 25 (8%) hares in the Czech Republic, in 14 (4%) hares in Austria and in none hare in Slovakia. It is the first report of antibodies against Neospora caninum in hares in the Czech Republic and Austria.