Seroprevalence of Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii in dogs in Ahwaz, Iran

Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum are two closely related protozoan parasites infecting a wide range of warm blooded animals including dogs. This study was aimed to determine the seroprevalence of anti Neospora caninum and anti Toxoplasma gondii antibodies, in healthy dogs in Ahwaz, Iran. For this, 100 serum samples were taken from healthy dogs referred to some veterinary clinic in Ahwaz. Serodiagnosis of Neospora caninum was carried out using an indirect Elisa test and detecting anti Toxoplasma gondii antibodies (IGg Immunoglobulins) was carried out using an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT). From the total of 100 dogs, 18 had detectable antibodies for Neospora caninum and 28 for Toxoplasma gondii. No sex predisposition was detected in examined animals but age and living places were of high importance both for Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii infections. This study emphasizes the importance of guard dogs in prevalence of these protozoan diseases.