A Review of Neospora caninum and Neospora-like Infections in Animals

Neospora caninum is a recently recognized protozoan parasite of animals. Until 1988, it was misdiagnosed as Toxoplasma gondii. Neospora caninum or Neospora-like parasites cause paralysis and death in dogs and neonatal mortality and abortion in cattle, sheep, goats and horses. Its life cycle is not known. Tachyzoites and tissue cysts are the only asexual stages known and the carnivorous definitive host is not known. Transplacental transmission is the only known natural route of infection