Seroprevalence ofNeospora caninumin dairy cattle from north-west and centre of Romania

Abstract

Neosporosis is a disease that mainly affects cattle in both dairy and beef herds. The main definitive host of this parasite is the dog. Since 1984 and its first description a large number of data were published worldwide on this parasite. In Romania, the research regarding this parasite is limited. The purpose of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of Neospora caninum infection in dairy cattle from six regions in north-western Romania and to evaluate the intensity of infection in different animals groups. A total number of 901 samples (862 sera from adult cows and 39 sera from calves) were collected from dairy farms and were screened for the presence of specific IgG anti-bodies using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The overall seroprevalence for neosporosis was 34.6%. In adult cows and calves seroprevalences reached 34.8% (300/862) and 30.8% for calves (12/39) respectively. In cattle which had previously aborted, seroprevalence was 40.9%. These results indicate that N. caninum infection is widespread among animals reared in dairy systems from Romania and a program for farmer training and a strategy for reducing the economic impact of the disease are needed.

SEROLOGICAL SCREENING FOR Neospora caninum INFECTION IN A DAIRY CATTLE FARM WITH REPRODUCTIVE DISORDERS, IN SOUTH-EASTERN ROMANIA

“…Different seroprevalence rates recorded between the categories of animals with reproductive disorders and those with reproductive capacity are common to studies conducted worldwide and underline the impact of the disease on the infected herds (Köse et al, 2021). The increased seroprevalence rate recorded in cows with a history of abortion corresponds to previous data reported in a dairy herd in Spain (36.8%) (Pabón et al, 2007), dairy cattle farms from central and northwestern parts of Romania (40.9%) (Gavrea et al, 2011) and in a dairy cattle farm in South-Eastern Romania (Ilfov County, 66.6%) (Mitrea et al, 2012).…”

“…In European countries, N. caninum seroprevalence rates in dairy cattle varied between 16% and 76% (Gliga et al, 2022), and the association between reproductive disorders and neosporosis has already been reported. In Romania, the prevalence of infection with N. caninum reported in several serological studies in cattle, carried out in different areas of the country, varies from 5.1% to 60.3% (Gavrea & Cozma, 2010;Gavrea et al, 2011;Imre et al, 2011;Mitrea et al, 2012;Enachescu et al, 2012a;Gotu et al, 2021) and dogs (Enachescu et al, 2012b;Mitrea et al, 2013). Despite the high seroprevalence reported, there are limited data on N. caninum infection in dairy cattle, and no studies have evaluated the presence of infection over time in a limited area.…”

Toxoplasmosis Screening during Pregnancy in a Romanian Infectious Diseases Tertiary Center: Results of a 15 Years Follow-Up Program

“…IgG false positivity for T. gondii due to past contact with parasites genetically close to T. gondii , such as Neospora caninum, has been described in humans and animals [ 56 ]. Data on the seroprevalence of N. caninum in dogs [ 57 ], dairy cattle [ 58 ], and dairy goats [ 59 ] are available from Romania but not in humans.…”

Comparative study for the detection of antibodies to Neospora caninum in milk and sera in dairy cattle in southern Romania

“…In Romania, Neospora caninum infection in dairy cattle has only been recently serologically diagnosed in different areas of the country, with prevalences up to 56% (Gavrea and Cozma 2010, Gavrea et al 2011, Imre et al 2011, Mitrea et al 2012. Despite of the high seroprevalence reported, no studies have been performed in Romania to evaluate characteristics of testing milk for N. caninum antibodies.…”