Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Neospora caninum antibodies found in 7.9% of dogs in Portugal
By Maia, Carla et al.·Published in Parasite (Paris, France)·2014·Unidade de Parasitologia Mé·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Prevalence and correlates of antibodies to Neospora caninum in dogs in Portugal.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that 7.9% of dogs in Portugal tested positive for antibodies to Neospora caninum, a parasite that can cause neurological issues. Stray dogs had a higher rate of infection (13.6%) compared to hunting dogs (1.7%). Dogs showing musculoskeletal or neurological symptoms had a higher likelihood of being positive for the parasite. This suggests that if your dog is experiencing neurological problems, neosporosis should be considered as a possible cause.
People also search for: dog neurological problems · Neospora caninum symptoms in dogs · treatment for dog neurological disease
Abstract
Neosporosis, caused by Neospora caninum, is an important cause of abortion in cattle and of neurological disease in dogs. This study investigated the prevalence and correlates of antibodies to N. caninum in 441 dogs from the five regions of mainland Portugal. A commercial competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) was used and specific antibodies were detected in 35 (7.9%) dogs. Seroprevalence levels were significantly different among some of the studied regions, as well as between stray dogs (13.6%) and hunting dogs (1.7%). The difference between seropositivity in dogs presenting musculoskeletal or neurological signs (21.4%) and that in animals without clinical signs compatible with neosporosis (5.6%) was close to statistical significance. This is the first report on the seroprevalence of N. caninum in dogs in Portugal. Neosporosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of neurological disorders of dogs.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24972327/