Prevalence of antibodies against Neospora spp. and Sarcocystis neurona in donkeys from northeastern Brazil.

This research paper discusses the presence of antibodies against two disease-causing protozoa, Neospora spp. and Sarcocystis neurona, in donkeys found in northeastern Brazil. It reveals that 2% of the tested donkeys displayed antibodies against Neospora spp., while between 3 to 21% showed antibodies against S. neurona.

Understanding the Pathogens

• Neospora spp. and Sarcocystis neurona are two species of coccidian protozoa, microscopic single-celled parasites, that pose potential health hazards to horses in America, specifically causing neurological illnesses.

Objective and Methodology of the Study

• The researchers conducted a seroprevalence study to investigate the presence of antibodies against these two parasites in donkeys in Brazil.
• A total of 333 donkeys, hailing from northeastern Brazil, were involved in the study.
• Researchers employed two tests: the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) to detect antibodies against the parasites in the serum, and the direct agglutination test (SAT) specifically to detect S. neurona antibodies.

Key Findings

• Through IFAT, researchers discovered that 2% (or 7 out of 333) of the donkeys carried antibodies against the Neospora spp. parasite, indicating previous exposure or infection.
• The same test revealed the presence of S. neurona antibodies in 3% (or 10 out of 333) of the donkey population.
• However, when the researchers used the SAT, they found that 21% (or 69 out of 333) of the donkeys had antibodies against S. neurona, indicating a higher infection rate compared to the IFAT test.

Implications and Future Directions

• There was a notable discrepancy between the IFAT and SAT test results, pointing towards a poor concordance (as indicated by a low Kappa value of 0.051) and suggesting these tests may not be equally effective or accurate in detecting S. neurona antibodies.
• This research marks the very first detection of antibodies against Neospora spp. in Brazilian donkeys and also the first finding of antibodies against S. neurona in this same animal population.