Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinária ()

Neospora spp. antibodies in horses from two geographical regions of the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil

  • Anderson Barbosa de Moura,
  • Márcio Orides da Silva,
  • Juliana Antunes Farias,
  • Achilles Vieira-Neto,
  • Antonio Pereira de Souza,
  • Amélia Aparecida Sartor,
  • Joandes Henrique Fonteque,
  • Silvério Bunn

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/S1984-29612013000400023
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 22, no. 4
pp. 597 – 601

Abstract

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The aims of this study were to determine occurrences ofNeospora spp. IgG antibodies in horses from two geographical regions of the state of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil, and identify risk factors for infection. Analyses were performed on 615 samples using the immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT ≥ 1:50). Out of the 615 samples, 25 (4.1%) were positive for Neospora spp. The titers for Neospora spp. were distributed as follows: 1:50 (13), 1:100 (eight), 1:200 (three) and 1:400 (one). Out of the 311 samples taken in the mountain region, eight were positive (2.6%). Among the samples from the coastal region (304), 17 had Neospora spp. antibodies, thus indicating occurrence of 5.6%. Although no statistically significant difference was observed (P = 0.06704), the prevalence among animals of the coast was 2.2 times higher than that of the mountain region. Contact with dogs and/or cattle (P = 0.007596) were identified as risk factor forNeospora spp. infection.

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