Neospora caninum, A potential cause of reproductive failure in dairy cows from Northern Greece.

Neospora caninum infection has been reported in a large number of intermediate hosts, such as ruminants, rabbits, mice, etc. but neosporosis has emerged as a serious disease in cattle and dogs worldwide. Abortions and other infertility issues have been reported in the infected cows, leading to great economic losses in farmers. The aim of our study was to assess N. caninum seroprevalence in dairy cattle from Northern Greece (region of Xanthi) by using the indirect fluorescent antibody technique. Blood samples were collected from 875 Holstein - Friesian dairy cows and tested for Neospora caninum antibodies. Among the cows that were studied, 184 (21.03%) were positive for N. caninum antibodies and concurrently their farms had a known previous history of infertility problems, such as abortions, increased number of artificial inseminations needed for conception, increased rate of returning to estrus and retention of fetal membranes.

Importance of colostrum IgG antibodies level for prevention of infection with Cryptosporidium parvum in neonatal dairy calves.

Cryptosporidiosis is one of the most common zoonosis worldwide, causing intestinal infection to both humans and livestock. The purpose of this study was to assess whether the level of anti-C. parvum IgG antibodies transferred through colostrum from dams to newborn calves impacts the susceptibility to cryptosporidiosis. A number of 50 dams and their healthy newborns were included in the study. Colostrum samples were collected within 12 h after birth and anti-C. parvum IgG antibody levels were determined by single radial immunodiffusion. The health condition of the newborns was daily monitored, and fecal samples were collected at first diarrheic episode of a calf. In all dams, the anti-C. parvum IgG antibody concentration in colostrum varied between 570 and 4070 mg/dl; in dams who gave birth to calves with diarrhea and were C. parvum-positive, the antibody concentration in colostrum varied between 680 and 3680 mg/dl (Table 1). The point-biserial correlation showed a negative correlation between the levels of anti-C. parvum antibodies and manifestation of clinical cryptosporidiosis (r=-0.425). Our findings highlight the importance of IgG levels in colostrum received by neonatal calves during their first day of life for prevention of C. parvum infection.