ABSTRACT
This study was aimed at determining the prevalence of anti-Neospora caninum antibodies in serum samples from 667 goats, collected from 90 herds in 90 municipalities in eight of the twelve mesoregions of Minas Gerais State. The presence of anti-N. caninum antibodies was determined by IFAT with a cut-off value of 1:50. The true herd-level seroprevalence in the entire study area was 75.2% (CI 95%: 59.5-90.9%). The true individual-level seroprevalence in the entire study area was 10.7% (CI 95%: 8.3-13.4%) with titers ranging from 50 (50.5%) to 3200 (1.7%). The serological evidence from this study indicated that N. caninum infection is widely distributed among goat-rearing herds in Minas Gerais and further studies are needed in order to evaluate the impact of this parasite as a cause of reproductive disorders.
Subject(s)
Coccidiosis/veterinary , Goat Diseases/epidemiology , Neospora , Animals , Brazil/epidemiology , Coccidiosis/epidemiology , Coccidiosis/parasitology , Female , Goat Diseases/parasitology , Goats/parasitology , Male , Seroepidemiologic StudiesABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of anti-Neospora caninum antibodies and risk factors associated with seropositivity in 240 dogs from rural areas of the Lavras, Belo Horizonte and Nanuque regions, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT) with a cutoff of 50 was used to assess the frequency of seropositive dogs. The risk factor analysis was performed using the Chi-square test (χ2) and multiple logistic regression. The frequency of seropositivity for N. caninum was 15% of the dogs (36/240). Presence of dogs without defined breed (p = 0.018; OR = 5.9) and presence of cattle on the farm (p = 0.053, OR = 4.3) were associated with N. caninum seropositivity. Dogs in the Nanuque region had higher seropositivity for N. caninum (29.9%) than did those in the Lavras (6.2%) and Belo Horizonte (2.2%) regions (p < 0.05). The presence of seropositive dogs in rural areas of Minas Gerais demonstrates the potential risk of horizontal transmission of N. caninum to cattle, especially from dogs without defined breed, which were four times more likely to be seropositive than purebred dogs were.
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Protozoan/blood , Dogs/blood , Neospora/immunology , Animals , Brazil , Female , Male , Risk Factors , Rural HealthABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of anti-Neospora caninum antibodies and risk factors associated with seropositivity in 240 dogs from rural areas of the Lavras, Belo Horizonte and Nanuque regions, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT) with a cutoff of 50 was used to assess the frequency of seropositive dogs. The risk factor analysis was performed using the Chi-square test (χ2) and multiple logistic regression. The frequency of seropositivity for N. caninum was 15% of the dogs (36/240). Presence of dogs without defined breed (p = 0.018; OR = 5.9) and presence of cattle on the farm (p = 0.053, OR = 4.3) were associated with N. caninum seropositivity. Dogs in the Nanuque region had higher seropositivity for N. caninum (29.9%) than did those in the Lavras (6.2%) and Belo Horizonte (2.2%) regions (p < 0.05). The presence of seropositive dogs in rural areas of Minas Gerais demonstrates the potential risk of horizontal transmission of N. caninum to cattle, especially from dogs without defined breed, which were four times more likely to be seropositive than purebred dogs were.
O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar a frequência de anticorpos anti-Neospora caninum e fatores de risco associados à soropositividade, em 240 cães de áreas rurais, nas regiões de Lavras, Belo Horizonte e Nanuque, Minas Gerais, Brasil. Foi utilizada a reação de imunofluorescência indireta (RIFI), com um ponto de corte igual a 50, para avaliar a frequência de cães soropositivos. A análise dos fatores de risco foi realizada pelo teste de Qui-quadrado (χ2) e regressão logística múltipla. A frequência de cães soropositivos para N. caninum foi de 15% (36/240). A presença de cães sem raça definida (SRD) (p = 0,018; OR = 5,9) e bovinos na propriedade (p = 0,053; OR = 4,3) foi associada à soropositividade pelo N. caninum. A frequência de cães soropositivos foi mais elevada na região de Nanuque (29,9%), quando comparados aos das regiões de Lavras (6,2%) e Belo Horizonte (2,2%) (p < 0,05). A presença de cães soropositivos, em áreas rurais de Minas Gerais, demonstra o risco potencial da transmissão horizontal de N. caninum para os bovinos, especialmente os cães SRD, que apresentaram quatro vezes mais a chance de serem soropositivos em relação aos cães com raça definida.
