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Veterinary Archives, Vol. 80 No. 2, 2010.

Original scientific paper

Seroprevalence and potential risk factors of Neospora caninum infection in dairy cattle in Croatia

Relja Beck orcid id orcid.org/0000-0002-5304-2875 ; Croatian Veterinary Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
Albert Marinculić ; Department for Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases with Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Željko Mihaljević ; Croatian Veterinary Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
Miroslav Benić ; Croatian Veterinary Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
Franjo Martinković ; Department for Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases with Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

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Abstract

Neospora caninum, a cyst forming coccidian parasite, is an important cause of abortion in cattle worldwide. The present work aims to update knowledge of the presence of Neospora in cattle from Croatia. The survey was carried out on dairy cows in the Bjelovar-Bilogora County in northwest Croatia (2652 km2). The cows were selected by simple randomization from county dairy producer records. Cows were tested for the presence of N. caninum antibodies with the Neospora-Ab iscom enzyme-linked immunoassay kit (SVANOVIR). N. caninum antibodies were detected in 23 from 395 (5.6%, confifi dence interval (CI); CI 95%; 3.5 to 8.1) lactating cows. Epidemiological studies of potential risk factors, such as the presence of a dog, cat, swine, free range poultry and management practices, such as silage processing and pasture practising showed that none of these factors was associated with N. caninum antibodies. Seropositivity of cows was associated to abortion (odds ratio (OR);
OR = 8.307, P = 0.002) and to purchasing of replacement animals from other sources (OR = 5.27, P = 0.0002). A strong correlation was also found between antibodies, history of abortion and origin (imported animals) of heifers or cows (OR = 5.52; P = 0.001).

Keywords

Neospora caninum; cattle; abortion; risk factors; Croatia

Hrčak ID:

56257

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/56257

Publication date:

26.4.2010.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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