SREL Reprint #3207

Prevalence of antibodies to Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii in gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) from South Carolina

D. S. Lindsay1, J. L. Weston2, and S. E. Little3

1Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Center for Molecular Medicine and Infectious
Diseases, Virginia–Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech,
1410 Prices Fork Road, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0342, USA
2Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, P.O. Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802, USA
3Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine,
UGA, Athens, GA 30602, USA

Abstract: Little is known about the epidemiology of Neospora caninum in wild mammal populations. It has been suggested that a sylvatic cycle exists for N. caninum. Dogs and potentially other canids are a definitive host for N. caninum. The present study was done to determine the prevalence of antibodies to N. caninum in a population of gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) from a nonagricultural setting in South Carolina. We also determined the prevalence of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in these animals. Antibody levels were measured in direct agglutination tests using either N. caninum or T. gondii formalin-fixed tachyzoites as antigen. Four (15.4%) of the 26 gray foxes had titers to N. caninum. Titers to N. caninum were low being 1:25 in three gray foxes and 1:50 in the fourth gray fox. Antibodies to T. gondii were observed in 16 (61.5%) gray foxes. Titers to T. gondii were usually >1:50 and two gray foxes had titers of 1:1600. Results of this study indicate that gray foxes have more exposure to T. gondii than to N. caninum in this environment.

Keywords: Agglutination test; Neospora caninum; Toxoplasma gondii; Urocyon cinereoargenteus; Gray fox; Prevalence; Epidemiology

SREL Reprint #3207

Lindsay, D. S., J. L. Weston, and S. E. Little. 2001. Prevalence of antibodies to Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii in gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) from South Carolina. Veterinary Parasitology 97(2001): 159-164.

This information was provided by the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (srel.uga.edu).