Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How vets diagnose muscle and nerve neosporosis in dogs
By Alf, Vanessa et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2024·Section of Clinical and Comparative Neuropathology, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A multimodal approach to diagnosis of neuromuscular neosporosis in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 16 dogs with muscle weakness and other neuromuscular signs were diagnosed with neosporosis, an infection caused by the parasite Neospora caninum. The dogs underwent various tests, including blood tests and muscle biopsies, to confirm the infection. Results showed that a combination of tests was necessary for accurate diagnosis, as some dogs tested positive with different methods. Treatment details weren't specified, but the study emphasized the importance of using multiple diagnostic approaches to confirm neosporosis in dogs.
People also search for: dog muscle weakness neosporosis · how to diagnose neosporosis in dogs · treatment for dog neuromuscular disease
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Early diagnosis of neosporosis in dogs is challenging. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility of a compound multimodal testing approach for diagnosing in dogs neuromuscular and combined forms of neosporosis. ANIMALS: A total of 16 dogs diagnosed with solely neuromuscular neosporosis or with a combination of neuromuscular and central nervous system neosporosis. METHODS: Retrospective review of clinical signs, laboratory findings, treatment, and outcome with focus on the diagnostic utility of different tests. Development of a chromogenic in situ hybridization (ISH) assay for the identification of Neospora caninum in paraffin-embedded muscle samples. RESULTS: 13/16 dogs had only neuromuscular signs of neosporosis, 3/16 had disease signs with concomitant central nervous system (CNS) involvement. Serology was performed in 15/16, with 10/15 showing titers >1 : 160 at admission. PCR on muscle samples detected N. caninum DNA in 11/16. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) detected N. caninum in 9/16 and ISH in 9/16. Histopathology revealed inflammatory myopathy in 10/16, necrotizing myopathy in 5/16, borderline changes in 1/16 and tachyzoites in 9/16. In 4 cases, N. caninum infection was confirmed with all 5 diagnostic methods, 3 cases with 4, 2 with 3, 6 with 2, and 1 animal with 1. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Diagnosis of N. caninum infection should rely on a multimodal diagnostic approach and negativity of 1 single test should not allow for exclusion. Serology in combination with direct parasite identification via histopathology, DNA via PCR, or both modalities, appears a reliable diagnostic approach.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39016150/