The human need to consume has put remarkable pressure on food stuff from animals. Meat and milk consumption has increased. According to data, the global percentage of animal abortion during the period between 1988 and 2003 varied from 7.5 to 12%. In Pakistan incidence rate of abortion varied from 6.8 to 23% between 1990 and 2009. N caninum is the most important cause of bovine abortion and fetal death thus causing major economic losses to the dairy and beef industry.
Keeping in view the importance of the disease the present proposed study was designed to record the seroprevalence of Neospora caninum infection in dogs, cattle and humans by using milk and serum samples.
Overall seroprevalence of N. caninum in dairy cattle detected by means of cELISA was found to be 43.4%.
The assessment of milk samples from lactating cows were determined for Neospora caninum antibodies by Iscom ELISA (SANOVIR® Sanova Biotech AB, Uppasala, Sweden) and showed a good level of agreement (r²=0.9959) between the two ELISA.
In addition to this an epidemiological study was conducted in dogs of different breeds and age groups. The serum samples of dogs were analyzed by cELISA showed a seropositivity of 23.5%.
Moreover, the current study described the seroprevalence and transmission of neosporosis in humans. A selection of 52 samples was analyzed for the presence of N. caninum antibodies. The serostatus of the humans towards neosporosis was determined by using antigen coated IFAT slides and conjugate (VMRD, Inc., Pullman, Washington USA). Overall low prevalence (1.9%) of N caninum antibodies was reported in this study, indicating, no strong evidence of N. caninum infection in humans.
Furthermore, in vitro drug trials was conducted to access the efficacy of three drugs Clindamycin, Diclazuril and Sulfadiazine, Diclazuril has best inhibitory effect against N caninum tachyzoites in cell culture.
MUHAMMAD MUDASSER NAZIR, AZHAR MAQBOOL
UVAS, Lahore
