Serosurvey and associated risk factors for Neospora caninum infection in Egyptian water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis)

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 22788 - 7
• Main Authors: Alshammari, Ayed, Marzok, Mohamed, Gattan, Hattan S., Salem, Mohamed, Al-Jabr, Omar A., Selim, Abdelfattah
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Nature Publishing Group UK 21.12.2023; Nature Portfolio
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50087-3

Neosporosis is a parasitic disease that causes reproductive disorders in animals, making it a barrier to maximum efficiency. The purpose of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of Neospora caninum ( N. caninum ) antibodies in water buffaloes from four governorates in northern Egypt. A commercial indirect-ELISA test was used to detect antibodies against N. caninum in the serum of 450 water buffaloes. The total seroprevalence of N. caninum in water buffaloes from Egypt was 31.3%, and the highest prevalence was observed in Gharbia governorate. The identified risk factors for N. caninum infections in water buffaloes were sex (OR = 1.96, 95%CI: 1.22−4.17), buffaloes more than 4 years of age ( OR = 5.80, 95%CI: 2.26−14.86), abortion in second trimester (OR = 16.48, 95%%CI: 2.99−34.03), history of abortion (OR = 3.45, 95%CI: 1.58−7.52) and contact with dogs (OR = 2.55, 95%CI: 1.51−4.32). Thus, more studies are needed to determine the role of buffaloes in the epidemiology of neosporosis in Egypt.