Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports. 2026 May;70:101479. doi: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2026.101479. Epub 2026 Mar 29.
ABSTRACT
Neosporosis is caused by Neospora caninum, an obligate intracellular protozoan with a wide range of intermediate hosts, including goats, in which it can cause reproductive and neurological disorders. Despite its importance in goats, to date, there are no epidemiological data on neosporosis in this animal species in the state of Goiás, Brazil, a fact that motivated the present study. Therefore, the objective of this research was to evaluate the seroprevalence, spatial distribution, and risk factors associated with N. caninum infection in goats in the state of Goiás, Brazilian cerrado region. For this purpose, 781 blood serum samples obtained from goats from the five mesoregions of the state were analyzed using the indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) for the detection of anti-N. caninum IgG antibodies. At the time of sampling, epidemiological data regarding animal sex and age, breed, farm size, rearing system, type of farming, purpose of the herd, water source, carcass disposal, veterinary assistance, herd replacement, slaughter location, and presence of domestic or wild canids were collected and analyzed as potential risk factors. Statistical analyses included odds ratio (OR) calculations using Statistica software, version 10. The overall seroprevalence found was 18.56% (145/781), ranging from 10.96% (16/146) in the East mesoregion to 27.83% (32/115) in the Northwest mesoregion, and from 0% in the Pires do Rio microregion to 41.86% in the Rio Vermelho microregion. The following factors were identified as statistically associated with seropositivity (p ≤ 0.05): purpose of the herd (subsistence and reproduction), carcass disposal (abandoned in the pasture and buried), slaughter location (at the abattoir), and the absence of veterinary assistance. Caprine neosporosis is widely distributed across all regions of the state of Goiás, which reinforces the need for the adoption of biosecurity measures to control the disease in the locality.
PMID:42034961 | DOI:10.1016/j.vprsr.2026.101479
