Neospora caninum is an obligate intracellular parasite that can infect domestic and wild canids, ruminants, and horses. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between the presence of antibodies to N. caninum and reproductive loss in beef heifers in the South Pantanal region of Mato Grosso, Brazil. A total of 1098 heifers were evaluated from breeding to calving with regard to reproductive performance, and serology for neosporosis was assayed by indirect immunofluorescence reaction. The prevalence of N. caninum in cows that had failed to conceive was 22.13% higher than in those that had conceived (p < 0.0001), indicating a significant correlation between non-conception and presence of anti-N. caninum antibodies. The extraction rates for seropositive and seronegative heifers were 28.24 and 50.12%, respectively, with a statistically significant value (p < 0.0001) that showed a decrease of 44% in the extraction rate of seropositive animals. The results emphasize the importance of diagnosis for monitoring of neosporosis in primiparous cows, and indicators of seropositive females as a factor in strategies for culling the beef cattle herd.Keywords: Reproduction, bovine, diagnostic, abortion, Neospora caninum. ResumoNeospora caninum é um parasita intracelular obrigatório que pode infectar canídeos domésticos e selvagens, ruminantes e equídeos. Neste trabalho estudou-se a associação entre soropositividade para Neospora caninum e perda reprodutiva em novilhas de corte na região do Pantanal Sul-Mato-Grossense. Foram avaliadas 1098 novilhas da estação de reprodução ao nascimento dos bezerros com relação ao desempenho reprodutivo e realizada a sorologia para N. caninum através da reação de imunofluorescência indireta. A soroprevalência de N. caninum nas vacas que falhara na concepção foi 22,13% maior que nas que conceberam (p < 0,0001), indicando que há uma correlação significativa entre a não concepção e a presença de anticorpos anti-N. caninum. As taxas de desfrute para as novilhas soropositivas e soronegativas para neosporose foram de 28,24 e 50,12%, respectivamente, mostrando uma redução de 44% na taxa de desfrute de novilhas soropositivas para N. caninum. Ressalta-se a importância do monitoramento do diagnóstico da neosporose em primíparas, e o indicador de fêmeas soropositivas como um fator nas estratégias de descarte no rebanho bovino de corte.Palavras-chave: Reprodução, bovinos, diagnóstico, aborto, Neospora caninum.

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A cross-sectional study on HIV/AIDS was carried out in 108 outpatients from the university hospital of the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil, from July to December 2008, to investigate latent tuberculosis infection using the tuberculin skin test (TST). The prevalence of positive results was 13.9%. The CD4+ T cell count (p = 0.091) and the diagnosis time (p = 0.010) were statistically significant when compared with TST positivity. In the cohort of HIV/AIDS patients who had latent tuberculosis infection, the median diagnosis time was eight years. Undetectable viral load presented significant association (p = 0.046) with tuberculosis infection. The fact that numerous individuals with HIV/AIDS infection presented a negative reaction to the tuberculin skin test is probably related to alterations in the cellular immune response induced by HIV infection. The tuberculin test is a useful tool for the detection of latent tuberculosis infection and should be performed in all HIV/AIDS individuals at the time of the diagnosis and on a yearly basis, if negative. Both the early identification of the tuberculosis infection by the tuberculin skin test at the moment of immunological restoration and chemoprophylaxis in infected individuals are mechanisms to control HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis coinfection