A Literature Review of Neospora caninum Infection in Humans

Background: Neosporosis is a parasitic disease caused by Neospora caninum. This parasite is an obligateintracellular coccidia similar to Toxoplasma gondii with a global distribution. With regard to the experimentalstudies, vertical transmission of the parasite in the monkey (non-human primates) has increased the concernabout the zoonotic potential of this disease. The principal aim of the current research was to perform a minireviewon investigations regarding the Neospora infection in humans on a global scale for the first time.Methods: All peer-reviewed articles (published until April ۲۰۲۱) on the Neospora infection in humans weresearched in English databases such as Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Scopus, PubMed, and ProQuest.Results: Based on data in the available articles, the presence of antibodies against the Neospora infection wasbetween ۰ and ۳۷.۷% in people from different countries. The seroprevalence rate of this infection in HIVpositiveindividuals was higher (۲۶.۶% and ۳۷.۷%) compared to other cases. Finally, the genomic DNA ofNeospora was detected up to ۱% using molecular biology techniques.Conclusions: Overall, the detection of anti-Neospora antibodies in humans indicated that people have beenexposed to the parasite. Comprehensive research studies are essential for clarifying the risk factors associatedwith the Neospora infection in humans. This report provides the baseline information for future researchers.Molecular investigations and genotypic works on N. caninum isolates are highly recommended as well.

Keywords:

Epidemiology , Neospora caninum , Human , Zoonosis