TABLE 1.

Results obtained in brain samples from bovine aborted fetuses and inoculated mice tested by real-time PCR, histopathology, and nested PCR for the N. caninum infection

Sample	Tissue type	No. of tachyzoites/ mg of tissuea	Results of:
			HPb	Nested PCR
Fetus
1	Frozen	0	−	−
	Paraffin embedded	10.2		+
2	Frozen	7.5	−	+
3	Frozen	3.7	−	+
4	Frozen	2.9	−	+
5	Frozen	0	−	−
6	Frozen	0	−	−
7	Frozen	13	+	+
8	Frozen	17.4	+	+
	Paraffin embedded	0		−
9	Frozen	26.6	+	+
10	Frozen	13.2	+	+
11	Frozen	9.7	+	+
	Paraffin embedded	0		−
12	Frozen	0	+	+
Mousec
1	Frozen	3.1	−	+
2	Frozen	0	−	−
	Paraffin embedded	0		−
3	Frozen	0	−	−
	Paraffin embedded	0		−
4	Frozen	3	+	+
	Paraffin embedded	0		−
5	Frozen	109.6d	+	+
6	Frozen	3.5	+	+
Controls	Frozen	0	−	−

^aValues are the means of two or more assays.

^bHP, histopathological study; a “+” indicates that brain samples showed compatible or characteristic lesions of neosporosis.

^cMice 1 and 4 were infected with 5 × 10⁶ Nc-1 tachyzoites subcutaneously, mice 2 and 6 were infected with 10⁶ tachyzoites intraperitoneally, and mice 3 and 5 were infected with 10⁶ tachyzoites subcutaneously.

^dParasite tissue cysts were observed in the brain during the histopathologic examination.