First report of antibodies to Neospora spp. in horses from Portugal

Abstract Neospora spp. are intracellular protozoa with worldwide distribution and closely related to Toxoplasma gondii, which can infect a variety of mammals including horses. From September 2013 to June 2014, 185 horses from northern, central and southern parts of mainland Portugal were randomly sampled and tested for detection of immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibodies to Neospora spp. using an indirect multi-species enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) commercial test (ID Screen® Neospora caninum Indirect Multi-species; ID.vet Innovative Diagnostics, Grabels, France). Two horses (1.1%; CI: 0.1-3.8%), one male and one female, were found to be seropositive for Neospora spp. Both seropositive animals were horses housed indoors but with access to outdoors, used for leisure activities and were apparently healthy, with good body condition and with no alterations at physical examination. This was the first serologic survey of antibodies to Neospora spp. carried out in horses from Portugal.

摘要：新孢子虫属（Neospora spp.）是一类呈全球分布的细胞内原生动物，与刚地弓形虫（Toxoplasma gondii）亲缘关系密切，可感染包括马在内的多种哺乳动物。2013年9月至2014年6月，研究团队从葡萄牙本土北部、中部与南部地区随机采集185份马样本，采用商业化间接多物种酶联免疫吸附试验（enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, ELISA）检测试剂盒（ID Screen® 犬新孢子虫间接多物种检测试剂盒；ID.vet Innovative Diagnostics，法国格拉布），对新孢子虫属特异性免疫球蛋白G（IgG）抗体进行检测。结果共检出2份血清学阳性样本，阳性率为1.1%，置信区间（confidence interval, CI）为0.1%~3.8%，分别为1匹公马与1匹母马。两匹阳性马均为舍饲但可户外活动的休闲用马，外观健康、体况良好，体格检查未发现异常。本研究为葡萄牙首次针对马源新孢子虫属抗体的血清学调查。