Effects of Age and Breed on the Prevalence of Neospora caninum in Commercial Dairy Cattle from Pakistan

Abstract

Neospora caninum is a major cause of bovine abortion worldwide. A serological survey was carried out to determine the seroprevalence of exposure to N. caninum in dairy cattle based on age and breed from Punjab and Sindh provinces, Pakistan. Serum samples from 641 animals from 12 herds from Punjab (n = 7) and Sindh (n = 5) provinces were tested for antibodies against N. caninum using a commercially available competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Positive reactions to N. caninum were seen in 277 (43%) of the 641 of the samples. Seropositive animals were present in all 12 herds. Animals over 2 yr of age (47%) and crossbreds (55%) were more likely to be seropositive than the other cattle examined. These results indicate that N. caninum infection is widespread among dairy cattle in Pakistan.