Serologic Screening for Neospora caninum, France

International audienc

Lack of Serologic Evidence of Neospora caninum in Humans, England

Retrospective testing of 3,232 serum samples from the general population and 518 serum samples from a high-risk group showed no evidence of human exposure to Neospora caninum in England. Results were obtained by using immunofluorescence antibody testing and ELISA to analyze frequency distribution

Job Search and Savings: Wealth Effects and Duration Dependence

This article studies a risk-averse worker's optimal savings and job search behavior as she moves back and forth between employment and unemployment. We show that job search effort is negatively related to wealth under the assumption of additively separable utility. Consequently, job search exhibits positive unemployment duration dependence because wealth is drawn down to smooth consumption as the spell progresses. Finally, given optimal search, savings still provide imperfect insurance against income fluctuations; precautionary savings are built up during employment spells and run down during unemployment spells, but the consumption path will not be perfectly smooth over states.

Serological Evidence of Human Infection with the Protozoan Neospora caninum

Neospora caninum is a protozoan parasite that is closely related to Toxoplasma gondii. Dogs are a definitive host. Prior to its discovery in 1988, N. caninum infection in animals was often mistakenly diagnosed as toxoplasmosis. Neosporosis in animals is characterized by encephalitis, abortion, and other conditions that clinically and pathologically resemble toxoplasmosis. The potential of N. caninum to infect humans is unknown. Therefore, evidence of human exposure to this parasite was sought by screening for antibodies in blood donors by indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) tests and immunoblotting. Of 1,029 samples screened, 69 (6.7%) had titers of 1:100 by IFA testing. Fifty of the 69 (72%) sera that were positive for N. caninum were also negative for a closely related protozoan pathogen of humans, T. gondii. Immunoblot analysis confirmed the specificity of the positive sera for N. caninum antigens, with several sera recognizing multiple Neospora antigens with molecular masses similar to those of antigens recognized by monkey anti-N. caninum serum. An immunodominant antigen of approximately 35 kDa was observed with 12 sera. These data provide evidence of human exposure to N. caninum, although the antibody titers in healthy donors were low. The significance of human exposure to, and possible infection with, this parasite is unknown and warrants further study