They are the only hosts known to produce the fecal-borne oocyst stage in the agent's life cycle. Veterinarians, dairy farmers and other livestock producers have been frustrated by neosporosis, because it was not known how the disease was transmitted, McAllister says. As a result, no known methods of preventing spontaneous abortion epidemics had been discovered. I am proud of my assicitaion with UW and other collaborating institutions that made this research possible. McAllister's research suggests that the risk of neosporosis epidemic could be greatly reduced by the simple, low-tech solution of keeping animal feed in a fenced area or closed container.
Researchers detail study results and also suggest ways to eliminate the problem.
The discovery of the parasite host was the culmination of several years of research performed at UW, sponsored by a USDA National Research Initiative grant. Sporulated oocyst of N. caninum . Nomarski DIC illumination. Courtesy of Drs. M. McAllister and Bill Jolley, University of Wyoming.