The pathogenesis of neosporosis in pregnant cattle: inoculation at mid-gestation

To investigate the pathogenesis of bovine neosporosis, 14 pregnant cattle were each inoculated subcutaneously with either 10(7) or 5 x 10(8) Neospora caninum (strain NC1) tachyzoites at 140 days' gestation. Serial necropsies were then carried out over an 8-week period. In the placenta, Neospora DNA and histopathological changes were observed in samples taken 14 days post-inoculation (dpi), with focal necrosis of maternal caruncular septa and fetal placental villi, serum leakage, and a maternal and fetal inflammatory response. At subsequent samplings, pathological changes in the placenta showed signs of resolution. No parasitaemia was detected in the dams in the two weeks following inoculation. In the fetus, Neospora DNA was detected at 14 dpi, and histopathological changes in the fetal central nervous system at 28 and 42 dpi consisted of small foci of necrosis and inflammation. Resolution of placental lesions during the experiment indicated that the disease was being controlled, and fetal infection, although established, did not appear to be progressing to a fatal outcome. The two doses of tachyzoites produced similar results, but the higher dose elicited earlier and more extensive lesions in the placenta and fetus. Control animals remained negative for all parameters recorded. It is concluded that in bovine neosporosis the placenta plays a central role in the pathogenesis and epidemiology of the infection, and that while primary tissue destruction by the parasite may endanger the fetus, the maternal and fetal inflammatory responses may also be damaging.