Prevalência e fatores de risco associados à infecção por Neospora caninum (Dubey, Carpenter, Speer, Topper e Uggla, 1988) em bovinos no Arquipélago de Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco, Brasil

Abstract

Neospora caninum is an important etiologic agent of worldwide distribution, which causes abortions in dairy and beef cattle, and consequently significant economic losses to the avian production. The cattle in Brazil is by far the economic activity that occupies the largest area of land, including the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, where agriculture is a permitted activity, particularly for subsistence, where it is exercised in order rustic and low productivity. This work aims to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with infection by Neospora caninum in cattle in Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco, Brazil. They collected 122 samples of bovine serum, and 16 dogs serum samples from 10 properties in the perimeter of the same areas in a radius of 2 km from the handling corral the center, were also collected 22 samples of dogs. The collections occurred in beef cattle or milk, male or female, of different age groups, with clinical history of infection or not neosporosis. The diagnosis of infection was performed by anti N. caninum IgG antibody research by Immunofluorescence Reaction (IFA) was used as cut-off point 1: 200 and 1:50 for cattle and dogs respectively. Of the 122 cattle tested, 84 (68.85%) had anti Neospora caninum antibodies and 09 dogs total of 38 (23.68%) also showed reagents. It was noted in this study that Neospora caninum infection is widespread in all Archipelago properties, the introduction of control and prophylaxis measures being necessary, thus preventing the perpetuation of the agent in herds. The results of the univariate analysis of risk factors associated with infection by Neospora caninum showed no significant odds ratio, however the variables supplementary feeding, technology equipment for the animals, the presence of barn and milking showed a trend in the association between seropositivity of animals in this study . Logistic regression analysis of risk factors associated with infection by N. caninum showed a significant odds ratio of difference for the variables mixed farm (odds ratio p = 13.79) and not raise poultry (odds ratio p = 5,45), demonstrating the influence of these factors on the agent maintaining the studied herds.