Prevalência de anticorpos IgG anti-Neospora caninum e anti-Toxoplasma gondii em bovinos e caninos das mesorregiões Norte e Centro Maranhense, Maranhão, Brasil

Abstract

The protozoan Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii cause neurological and reproductive disorders in cattle, and neuromuscular changes in dogs. The bovine creation in the state Maranhão - Brazil represents a sector of the economy of high importance, however, the losses caused by parasitic diseases represent a serious problem for the development of livestock. The objective in the present study was to determine the prevalence of anti-N. caninum and anti-T. gondii antibodies in sera from dairy cattle and dogs of rural properties of three microrregions in the state of Maranhão. There were visited properties of dairy cattle, where collected blood samples from cattle (812) and dogs (93), of both sexes and different ages. Serum samples were packed in eppendorfs and stored at -20°C until the realization of the Indirect Immunofluorescence test (IFI). It was used the cut-off of 1:200 and 1:50 to anti-N. caninun and 1:64 and 1:16 for anti-T. gondii in cattle and dogs, respectively. It was used as antigen, tachyzoites of the strains NC-Bahia, NC-1 and Rh-Toxoplasma, produced in theLaboratory Diagnosis of Parasitism of Animals, School of Veterinary Medicine of the Federal University of the state of Bahia - Brazil. Of the total samples of cattle examined, it was found that 50.74% (412/812) and 70.20% (570/812) were seropositive for N. caninum and T. gondii, respectively. The titles of antibodies to N. caninum in cattle ranged from 1:200 to 1:6400, while 108 (26.21%) of serum samples showed title of 1:200; 132 (32.04%) 1:400; 94 (22.81%) 1:800; 46 (11.16%) 1:1600; 23 (5.58%) 1:3200 and nine (2.18%) with titers of 1:6400. While, for T. gondii ranged from 1:64 to 1:1024, while 272 (47.72%) samples showed title of 1:64; 182 (31.93%) 1:128; 90 (15.79%) 1:256; 25 (4.39%) 1:512 and one (0.17%) with title of 1:1024. In samples of dogs, it was found that 62.37% (58/93) and 79.57% (74/93) were seropositive for N. caninum and T. gondii, respectively. The titles of antibodies to N. caninum ranged from 1:50 to 1:1600, with four (6.90%) samples with title of 1:50; nine (15.52%) 1:100; eight (13.79%) 1:200; 18 (31.03%) 1:400; 14 (24.14%) of 1:800 and five (8.62%) with title of 1:1600. For T. gondii the titles ranged from 1:32 to 1:2048; six (8.11%)samples with title of 1:32; nine (12.16%) 1:64; 14 (18.92%) 1:128; 22 (29.73%) 1:256; 13 (17.57%) 1:512; nine (12.16%) with 1:1024 and a (1.35%) 1:2048. No significant association was found (P>0.05) between the sex of the animals and seroprevalence for anti-N. caninum and anti-T. gondii in the two species studied. The high rates of seropositivity found for these parasites in cattle and dogs from all regions, suggest that there is spread of the parasites in the areas studied.