Microsatellite pattern analysis of Neospora caninum from a naturally infected goat fetus

Neospora caninum is an apicomplexan protozoan responsible for abortion in ruminants. The present study aimed to diagnose an abortion from an Anglo Nubian goat from a dairy herd located in Buenos Aires province, Argentina. The goat delivered a fetus of approximately 3 months gestation that was studied by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT), Immunoblot (IB), histopathology (HP), immunohistochemistry (IHC), and molecular assays (PCR, sequencing and microsatellite genotyping). Interferon gamma knock-out mice were inoculated with a pool of tissues for isolation attempts. The mother had IFAT titers of 1:3200 and 1:400 for N. caninum and Toxoplasma gondii, respectively, as well as positive IB reactions, whereas the fetus was seronegative to both parasites by IFAT and IB. The fetus had severe multifocal necrotizing myocarditis and hepatitis, moderate interstitial pneumonia, and nephritis. Myocardium sample resulted positive by IHC, evidencing clusters of N. caninum tachyzoites within myocardiocytes associated with histopathological lesions. Neospora caninum-DNA was detected by PCR in heart, liver, lungs, kidney, and muscle from the fetus, and was negative for T. gondii by PCR. NC-5 and 18 S rRNA gene fragment sequences showed 100% identity with N. caninum. Inoculated mice bled 30 days post-inoculation resulted seronegative to N. caninum and T. gondii by IFAT, and showed no clinical signs. Multilocus-microsatellite genotyping revealed a genetic profile that differed from previously reported N. caninum genotypes, with unique MS21 and MS10 alleles. These findings indicate that N. caninum was efficiently transmitted from the mother to the fetus. We report the first case of direct detection of N. caninum in a goat fetus in Argentina and N. caninum microsatellite genotyping in naturally infected goat.