PREVALENCE OF ANTIBODIES TO NEOSPORA-CANINUM IN A POPULATION OF URBAN DOGS IN ENGLAND

Of 163 dogs, randomly selected from those examined at the University of Liverpool Small Animal Hospital, 12.9 per cent had antibody titres greater-than-or-equal-to 1/200 to Neospora caninum in an indirect fluorescent antibody test. None was apparently suffering clinical neosporosis. There was no association between the occurrence of neospora antibodies and either toxoplasma antibodies measured by the dye test, sex, age, type of feeding or the presence of other dogs in the household. Antibody was detected at titres greater-than-or-equal-to 1/200 in nine breeds, suggesting that there is a substantial level of subclinical infection in British dogs.