Molecular Identification of Neospora caninum Infection in Abort-ed Fetuses of Sheep, Cattle, and Goats in Mazandaran Province, Northern Iran

Behnaz  Salehi; Afsaneh  Amouei; Samira  Dodangeh; Ahmad  Daryani; Shahabeddin  Sarvi; Mohammad Reza  Safari-Kharyeki; Saeid  Salehi; Seyed Abdollah  Hosseini; Zahra  Hosseininejad

doi:10.18502/ijpa.v16i3.7102

Behnaz Salehi Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
Afsaneh Amouei Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
Samira Dodangeh Medical Microbiology Research Center, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
Ahmad Daryani Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
Shahabeddin Sarvi Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
Mohammad Reza Safari-Kharyeki Mahdasht Dairy and Meat Company, Panbe Choleh, Sari, Iran
Saeid Salehi Mazandaran Provincial Veterinary Department of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
Seyed Abdollah Hosseini Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
Zahra Hosseininejad Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijpa.v16i3.7102

Keywords: Neospora caninum; Ruminants’ aborted fe-tuses; Nested-PCR; Iran

Abstract

Background: We aimed to identify Neospora caninum DNA in the brain samples of aborted fetuses of cattle, goats, and sheep in Mazandaran, northern Iran, using PCR.

Methods: In total, 133 aborted fetuses (51 sheep, 78 cattle, and 4 goats) were randomly collected from different stages of gestation in various regions of Mazandaran, Iran, from Mar 2016 to May 2017. The DNA was extracted from all the brain samples using phenol chloroform isoamyl alcohol instructions. The Nc-5 gene was used for the detection of N. caninum DNA by nested-PCR assay.

Results: The detection of N. caninum DNA was confirmed by the observation of a 227 bp band in 24 samples of 133 aborted fetuses (18.1%). The highest prevalence rate of N. caninum was detected in the cattle (20.5%) followed by the sheep (15.6%); however, no positive cases were reported in the goats. The highest and lowest prevalence rates of the infection were reported as 23.8% and 8.6% in Qaemshahr, and Behshahr, respectively. The prevalence rate of infection (32%) in the early gestational period was higher than those in the middle (15%) and late (3.8%) gestational periods.

Conclusion: The obtained data of the present study indicated that N. caninum infection may partly be responsible for abortion and economic loss in livestock farming in Mazandaran Province.