The diagnosis of Neospora abortions in cattle

Authors: Drake JM, Reichel MP
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 44, Issue 4, pp 151-154, Aug 1996
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: Cattle, Livestock, Production animal, Ruminant
Subject Terms: Abortion/stillbirth, Clinical pathology, Diagnostic procedures, Reproduction, Protozoa, Disease/defect, Infectious disease, Reproduction - female
Article class: Short Communication

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Abstract: An indirect immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for specific anti-Neospora antibodies in bovine sera and foetal fluids were compared with histological examination results on aborted foetal material. The agreement between serological and histological examination results was poor, while the two serological tests showed a high degree of agreement. Serological testing of diagnostic serum samples and foetal fluids suggests that the prevalence of anti-Neospora antibodies in cattle which recently aborted is around 40%, in line with previous estimates of the number of abortions in dairy cattle caused by Neospora sp. A sero-epidemiological approach to the diagnosis of Neospora abortions in cattle may be suggested from these data.

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