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Between January and April 1995, the brains and hearts of 281 aborted lambs derived from 209 submissions to veterinary investigation centres in England and Wales were examined histologically. One-hundred-and-seventy-nine samples of fetal pleural fluid from these lambs and 141 from lambs not examined histologically were examined for antibodies to Neospora by an indirect fluorescent antibody test. Non-suppurative myocarditis and encephalitis were present in nine lambs. Immunocytochemistry using antisera against Neospora caninum and Sarcocystis species resulted in no labelling but anti-sera to Toxoplasma gondii revealed labelled organisms in four lambs. No significant antibody titres against Neospora were detected in any of the samples of fetal pleural fluid. These results suggest that Neospora infection is not associated with significant numbers of abortions in sheep in England and Wales.

Selected brains and fetal viscera from 190 aborted or stillborn bovine fetuses submitted to Veterinary Investigation Centres in England and Wales between August 1992 and January 1993 were examined histologically. Non-suppurative inflammation of the brain and/or myocardium and placental cotyledons was identified by light microscopy in 20 (10.5 per cent). An immunocytochemical examination of fixed tissue sections using antisera against Neospora caninum, Toxoplasma gondii and Sarcocystis species revealed positive immunolabelling for N caninum in the brains of eight (4.2 per cent), but no labelling with anti-T gondii or anti-Sarcocystis species antisera was evident. These results suggest that N caninum may be an important cause of reproductive failure in cattle in England and Wales.