Seroprevalence of Neospora caninum Antibodies in Cattle in Veracruz, Mexico

The objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of Neospora caninum antibodies in 863 female cattle 1 to >= 6 years old from 78 herds of dairy, beef and crossbred cattle in Veracruz, Mexico. Serum samples were tested for the presence of N. caninum antibodies using an ELISA assay. Overall seroprevalence of N. caninum antibodies was 26%. By municipality, the highest prevalence was 47.4% and the lowest 6% (p<0.05). By age, the highest prevalence was found in. 5 year olds (28%) and the lowest (11.1%) in 1 year olds (p<0.05). Regarding the breed, the highest seroprevalence was observed in crossbred females (p<0.05). Considering the reproductive status, the highest seroprevalence was in cows with >5 calvings (32.1%) and the lowest was in pubertal heifers (11.1%; p<0.05). Seroprevalence was 26.2% in homebred and 23% in purchased animals (p>0.05). Prevalence in females with a history of abortions was 40 and 26.2% in females with no records of previous abortions (p<0.05). The results show that bovine neosporosis is widespread in the State of Veracruz, Mexico, as in other regions of the country.