The Seroepidemiological Investigation into Neospora caninum in Cattle in Sanandaj, Kordestan Province

Neospora caninum is one of the cattle abortion causes throughout the world. It has a significant economic impact on cattle production. The objective of the present study was to determine the infection rate of cattle to N. caninum and defining its related risk factors in dairy cattle farms of Sanandaj، west Iran. A total of 336 sera collected from dairy cattle farms in Sanadaj nd examined by commercial N. caninum IDEXX Elisa kit. N. caninum antibodies were detected in 64 (17. 6%) of the cattle. The infection rates of this protozoan parasite in cattle، reared in industrial and native farms، were 9. 03% and 25. 8%، respectively (P<0. 001). According to the age، it was observed that the infection rate increases upon the older ages.. The infection to N. caninum in lactating cattle was 22. 89%، whereas in non-lactating cattle was 10. 06%. This difference was significantly revealing (P=0. 002). Among the farms with dogs، the percentage of seropositive cattle was 46. 8%، whereas in farms without dogs it was 7. 43%. The difference was highly significant (P<0. 001). This finding seems to be a good indication of dog influences on transmitting the parasite to cattle. In addition، the infection rate in cattle with the history of abortion was significantly higher than the rate of infection in cattle without the history of abortion (P<0. 01). However، there were no significant differences among the infection rates of the pregnant and non-pregnant cattle (P = 0. 669). This project was performed، for the first time، in Sanandaj and the Kordestan province.