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Neosporosis is a parasitic disease caused by the protozoan Neospora caninum which results in major economic losses for cattle breeding due to abortion and other reproductive disorders. Gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) are commonly used as experimental models for neosporosis due to their high susceptibility to N. caninum infection, both by oocysts ingestion as by tachyzoites/bradyzoites parenteral inoculation. However, the risk of transmission by tachyzoites ingestion is not fully elucidated. In this study, infection of neonate gerbils by N. caninum (NC-1 strain) tachyzoites inoculated by the oral route and the parasite distribution in gerbils' tissues were evaluated by protozoan DNA detection. Seventeen neonate gerbils, aged 4-5 days, were inoculated with 4x1 05 tachyzoites by the oral route and one gerbil was kept as uninfected control. N. caninum DNA was detected in 100% of the inoculated gerbils, showing that the oral route is effective as a potential route of infection of neonates by N. caninum tachyzoites. N. caninum DNA was reported in all organs evaluated (heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, spleen and brain), with different frequencies. These results showed systemically distributed infection of neonate gerbils after oral inoculation of tachyzoites [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]