REDESCRIPTION OF NEOSPORA CANINUM DUBEY, CARPENTER, SPEER, TOPPER, UGGLA, 1988 AND ITS DIFFERENTIATION FROM RELATED COCCIDIA ESPECIALLY ISOSPORA BIGEMINA AND HAMMONDIA HEYDORNI

Authors: Dubey, Jitender; BARR, B - UNIV CALIFORNIA; BARTA, J - UNIV GUELPH; BJERKAS, I - NORW. SCH. VET. SCI.; BJORKMAN, C - SWEDIST UNIV AG. SCI.; BLAGBURN, B - CORNELL UNIVERSITY; BOWMAN, D - COLL. VET. MED.; BUXTON, D - PENTLAND SCI. PARK; ELLIS, J - UNIV TECHNOLOGY; Hill, Dolores

Submitted to: International Journal for Parasitology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/10/2002
Publication Date: 8/10/2002
Citation: Dubey, J.P., Barr, B.C., Barta, J.R., Bjerkas, I., Bjorkman, C., Blagburn, B.L., Bowman, D.D., Buxton, D., Ellis, J.T., Hill, D.E. 2002. Redescription of neospora caninum dubey, carpenter, speer, topper, uggla, 1988 and its differentiation from related coccidia especially isospora bigemina and hammondia heydorni. International Journal for Parasitology 32:929-946.

Interpretive Summary: Neospora caninum is a single-celled parasite of livestock. It causes abortion in livestock and paralysis in dogs. In the present paper Scientists from the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and many institutions from world review current information on the biology of Neospora caninum and neosporosis. This information will be of interest to biologists, parasitologists and pathologists.

Technical Abstract: Neospora caninum is a protozoan parasite of animals, which before 1984, was misidentified as Toxoplasma gondii. Infection with this parasite is a major cause of abortion in cattle and causes paralysis in dogs. Since the original description of N. caninum in 1988, considerable progress has been made in the understanding of its life cycle, biology, genetics and diagnosis. Here we redescribe the parasite, distinguish it from related coccidia, and provide accession numbers to its type specimens deposited in museums.