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Neospora caninum is the causative agent of neosporosis and was first described in
Norway in 1984. Neosporosis has already been detected in many countries, it must
therefore be assumed that it is spread worldwide.
Natural infections have been found
in dogs, cattle, horses, sheep, goats, red deer and cats. Numerous other animal species
can be experimentally infected.
Clinically, dogs and cattle are particularly severely affected. In the latter, at every stage
of gestation, the clinical picture is determined by abortions. In dogs, signs vary greatly,
ranging from ascending paralysis of the hind legs to muscle weakness, heart failure
or pneumonia. Young, congenitally infected dogs show more severe signs, sometimes
with sudden deaths. Older dogs often show signs of disseminated infection with
polyradiculitis, polymyositis and possibly multiple organ involvement. Thus, in older
dogs with neurological
signs, neosporosis should always be included as a differential
diagnosis. However,
due to the often high antibody prevalence in certain regions, it
is assumed that only a small percentage of infected dogs actually develops a clinical
disease.
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