Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Calf with hindlimb weakness diagnosed with neosporosis infection
By Uesaka, Karin et al.·Published in The Journal of veterinary medical science·2018·Department of Veterinary Medicine, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A clinical case of neosporosis in a 4-week-old holstein friesian calf which developed hindlimb paresis postnatally.
- Species:
- cattle
Plain-English summary
A 4-week-old female Holstein Friesian calf was brought in because she couldn't use her hind legs properly. A vet found that her reflexes were weak or missing, and she had lost some normal responses during a neurological exam. The calf was diagnosed with an infection caused by Neospora caninum, which was confirmed by tests showing inflammation and cysts in her brain and spinal cord. The vet detected high levels of specific antibodies in her blood and spinal fluid, which helped confirm the diagnosis. Treatment details weren't provided, but identifying the infection is crucial for managing her condition.
People also search for: calf hind leg weakness · Neospora caninum infection treatment · calf neurological signs
Abstract
A 4-week-old female Holstein Friesian calf presented with hindlimb paresis. Neurologic examination of spinal reflexes revealed depressed or absent reflexes of the hindlimbs. Menace responses on both sides disappeared on examination of cranial nerves. The calf was finally diagnosed with Neospora caninum infection by pathological findings including nonsuppurative inflammation associated with cysts in the cerebrum and spinal cord. High levels of antibody against recombinant surface antigen 1 of N. caninum (NcSAG1) were detected by ELISA from both serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples. This result suggests that detection of antibodies against N. caninum by NcSAG1-ELISA in serum and CSF could be useful for the clinical diagnosis of neosporosis in calves with acquired neurological signs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29237996/