Seroprevalence of Neospora Spp. in Horses in North East of Iran

Background: Neospora caninum, an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite, is recognized as a major cause of abortion in cattle, while limited information is presently available on the seropreva­lence of Neospora antibodies in horses' worldwide .The aim of the present study was to de­termine serologic prevalence of Neospora infection in horses in Iran.Methods: Sera from 150 horses from Mashhad suburb in Razavi Khorasan Province, northeast Iran were examined for antibodies to Neospora spp. using Neospora modified direct agglutina­tion test (N-MAT).Results: Antibodies to this parasite were detected in 45 (30%) of the examined serum samples. Thirty four percent of the samples had titer of 1:40 while then reduced to 30% when 1:80 serum dilution was applied as significant cut off titer.Conclusion: This study is the first investigation carried out on the Neospora in horses in Iran and indi­cates that horses in Iran are exposed to this parasite