Investigation of anti-Neospora caninum antibodies and disease-related risk factors in goats

Abstract

Neospora caninum is a parasitic protozoan that causes abortion, stillbirth, and premature culling in goats. The aims of this study were (i) to determine the prevalence of anti-N. caninum antibodies in goats in the Adana province of Turkey(ii), to identify risk factors for the disease, and (iii) to provide collective data on goat neosporosis. For this purpose, 383 sera were collected from goats of different breeds, ages, and sexes from 15 counties of Adana. A commercially available c-ELISA test kit was used to detect anti-N. caninum antibodies. To identify risk factors that influence the prevalence of neosporosis, an oral survey was conducted, and the data collected were evaluated by the logistic regression analysis. The prevalence was determined as 8.9% (34/383) at the individual level and 66.6% (10/15) at the flock level. Statistical analysis indicated that the co-presence of sheep, the animals’ being of pure breed and the purchasing of animals from different flocks are the factors that increase the prevalence of neosporosis, while feeder disinfection decreases it.