First Report of Neospora caninum Infection in Adult Alpacas (Vicugna pacos) and Llamas (Lama glama)

• Published in: The Journal of parasitology Vol. 90; no. 4; pp. 864 - 866
• Main Authors: Chávez-Velásquez, A, Álvarez-García, G, Collantes-Fernández, E, Casas-Astos, E, Rosadio-Alcántara, R, Serrano-Martínez, E, Ortega-Mora, L. M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lawrence, KS American Society of Parasitologists 01.08.2004; Allen Press Inc
• Subjects: Abortion; adult animals; Alpacas; Animals; Antibodies; Antibodies, Protozoan - blood; antibody detection; Antigens; Biological and medical sciences; Blotting, Western - veterinary; Camelids, New World - parasitology; Coccidiosis - diagnosis; Coccidiosis - epidemiology; Coccidiosis - immunology; Coccidiosis - veterinary; Dilution; Fetus; Fetuses; Fluorescence; fluorescent antibody technique; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect - veterinary; Fluorescent antibody test; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; General aspects and techniques. Study of several systematic groups. Models; immunoblotting; Indirect fluorescent antibody test; Infant mortality; Infections; Invertebrates; Lama glama; Llamas; Neospora - immunology; Neospora caninum; neosporosis; new host records; Parasites; Parasitology; Peru - epidemiology; Research Notes; Serology; seroprevalence; Sporozoites; Ungulates; Veterinary medicine; Vicugna; Vicugna pacos; Western blotting; Peru; Infection; Protozoa; Apicomplexa; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Neospora caninum; Parasite; Artiodactyla; Lama vicugna; Ungulata
• ISSN: 0022-3395; 1937-2345
• DOI: 10.1645/GE-260R

Neospora caninum is a cyst-forming coccidian that mainly affects bovines, although Neospora infection has also been described in other domestic and wild ruminant species. Serum samples from 78 alpacas (Vicugna pacos) and 73 llamas (Lama glama) at a unique dilution of 1:50 tested by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) were further analyzed serologically by IFAT and Western blot in both ruminant species to avoid cross-reactions with closely related coccidian parasites and to confirm the existence of N. caninum–specific antibodies. IFAT titers ranging between 1:50 and 1:800 were found. When using Western blot, N. caninum tachyzoite–specific immunodominant antigens with apparent molecular weights of 17–18, 34–35, 37, and 60–62 kDa were also recognized, although some sera with 1:50 IFAT titers proved not to have N. caninum–specific antibodies. As expected, higher IFAT titers were associated with higher anti–N. caninum reactivity in Western blot. This report documents for the first time the presence of N. caninum infection in adult alpacas and llamas from Peru.