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Infection and Immunity, March 2007, p. 1343-1348, Vol. 75, No. 3
0019-9567/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.00777-06
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Immunization of Cattle with Live Tachyzoites of Neospora caninum Confers Protection against Fetal Death

D. J. L. Williams,^1* C. S. Guy,¹ R. F. Smith,² J. Ellis,³ C. Björkman,⁴ M. P. Reichel,^5, and A. J. Trees¹

Veterinary Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, United Kingdom,¹ Division of Livestock Health and Welfare, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Leahurst, Neston, South Wirral CH64 7TE, United Kingdom,² Department of Medical and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Technology, Sydney, P.O. Box 123, Broadway, New South Wales 2007, Australia,³ Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7054, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden,⁴ Novartis Animal Health Australasia Pty. Ltd., Yarrandoo R&D Centre, 245 Western Road, Kemps Creek, NSW 2171, Australia⁵

Received 15 May 2006/ Returned for modification 9 June 2006/ Accepted 22 November 2006

Neospora caninum is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that causes abortion in cattle. It is normally found as a latent infection controlled by a T-helper-cell type 1 response involving CD4⁺ cytotoxic T cells and gamma interferon. Cattle may be infected by two different routes: transplacentally as a result of activation of the latent infection in the mother causing congenital infection or abortion and by ingestion of oocysts, which, if it occurs during gestation, can also result in abortion. Here, for the first time, we establish proof that live vaccination protects against fetal death, whereas immunization using whole-tachyzoite lysate in different adjuvants fails to protect against fetal death. Strong antibody responses were induced in all the vaccinated groups, and the quality and magnitude of these responses were similar in the live- and the lysate-vaccinated groups. In contrast, only the group immunized with live tachyzoites had strong cellular and gamma interferon responses prior to challenge, and these responses correlated with protection against fetopathy. These results suggest that a cellular immune response may be important in the mechanisms involved in protection against N. caninum-associated abortions.

Published ahead of print on 4 December 2006.

Editor: W. A. Petri, Jr.

Present address: Gribbles Veterinary Pathology, 840 Tremaine Avenue, Palmerston North, New Zealand.

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