Abstract:

Objective  To investigate the prevalence of Neospora caninum infection in the intestine of pet dogs in areas of Anhui and Zhejiang.  Methods  A total of 315 fecal samples from pet dogs were collected in pet clinics from April to December 2013 in Baohe District in Hefei city, Xuanzhou District in Xuancheng city, Fengyang County in Chuzhou city, Longzihu District in Bengbu city, and Si County in Suzhou City in Anhui Province, as well as in Yuhang District in Hangzhou city of Zhejiang province. All samples underwent nested-PCR targeting Neospora-specific gene NCLI-004830. The results were further confirmed by PCR amplification of N. caninum ITS1 followed by sequence analysis.  Results  The rate of N. caninum infection in the 315 samples was 1.59%(5/315). The infection rate in Chuzhou and Bengbu was 3.37% and 6.45%, respectively, and no N. caninum infection was found in the remaining areas. There was no association between the infection rate and the sex or age of the dogs.  Conclusion  N. caninum infection is prevalent in pet dogs in Chuzhou and Bengbu of Anhui.

Key words: Neospora caninum, Nested-PCR, Pet dog, ITS1, Anhui, Zhejiang