Detection of Neospora caninum DNA in capybaras and phylogenetic analysis.

The role of rodents in the sylvatic cycle of Neospora sp. and in the neosporosis epidemiology is still uncertain. The aim of the present work was to detect Neospora caninum and to determine its prevalence in capybaras (Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris), to help elucidate the role of this rodent in the life cycle of the parasite. N.caninum DNA was detected by PCR using 4 different sets of primers specific to the Nc5 and ITS1 sequences. The parasite was found in the lymph nodes, heart, liver, and blood of 23% of the twenty-six capybaras studied. Sequencing the amplified DNA revealed 98% of similarity with N. caninum sequences deposited in the Genbank. Our findings provide the first molecular evidence of N. caninum infection in capybaras, supporting the hypothesis that these rodents can act as reservoirs of N. caninum and play a role in the life cycle of this parasite.