Soroprevalência e fatores associados à infecção por Neospora caninum em ovinos e caprinos no Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil

Abstract

Neospora caninum, cyst-forming protozoan Apicomplexa, is responsible for neosporosis, parasitic disease, considered a major cause of abortion in cattle in various parts of the world, yet with few studies in goats and sheep. The main objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with infection by N. caninum in goats and sheep from farms located, respectively, 90 and 63 towns spread over eight mesoregions the state of Minas Gerais. To study the risk factors were analyzed questionnaires given by veterinarians Miner Agricultural Institute (IMA) issues are the main characteristics of the animal health flocks of goats and sheep. A database consisting of 667 serum samples of 488 goats and sheep, was subjected to immunofluorescence indirecte (IFI) and were considered positive animals with anti-N. caninum at a dilution ≥ 1:50. After the survey was mounted a database by the software Epidata 3.1 and analyzed in PASW 18.0 program. Of 667 serum samples from goats, 11.4% showed positive reactions to N. caninum. Of the 90 farms studied, 51.1% (46) had at least one seropositive goat. For goats, the factors that significantly increased the risk of infection for N. caninum were the presence of fold (OR = 5.647 IC 95% 2.000 - 15.947) and extensive husbandry system(OR = 7.583 IC 95% 1.309 - 43.922). For the sheep, of 488 serum samples, 13.1% were seropositive to N. caninum and the 63 properties analyzed, 49.2% (31) had at least one sheep reagent. Sheep from the middle region of Belo Horizonte showed less chance of infection by N. caninum compared to Mesoregion Central Mineira, Minas Northweast and West of Minas. Infection with N. caninum is present in flocks of goats and sheep from different meso-regions of Minas Gerais and associated significantly (p <0.05) fold and the presence of the extensive system of exploitation, for the goats, and the regions were, Central Mineira, Northwest and Western of Minas relation to the Metropolitan Belo Horizonte, for the sheep.