Seroprevalence of antibodies to Neospora caninum in dogs in the state of Alagoas, Brazil

• Autor(a) principal: Sousa,Maria Evódia de
• Data de Publicação: 2012
• Outros Autores: Porto,Wagnner José Nascimento, Albuquerque,Pedro Paulo Feitosa de, Souza Neto,Orestes Luiz de, Pinheiro Júnior,José Wilton, Mota,Rinaldo Aparecido
• Tipo de documento: Relatório
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinária (Online)
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1984-29612012000300019
• topic: Neosporosis; dogs; epidemiology; diagnosis; IFAT

This study investigated occurrences of antibodies to anti-Neospora caninum in dogs in the state of Alagoas, Brazil, and the risk factors associated with the infection. To investigate antibodies against N. caninum, an indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) was used. To identify risk factors associated with infection by N. caninum, univariate analyses on variables of interest were conducted. The study analyzed 237 samples from dogs of both sexes and different breeds and ages, both from rural and from urban areas. Ten animals (4.2%) were seropositive: five (4.8%) from rural areas and five (3.8%) from urban areas. Regarding sex, five (4.0%) were male and five (4.5%) were female. In relation to breed, four animals of undefined breed and six of defined breed were positive. The ages of the seropositive animals ranged from two months to eleven years. Results show there are no significant associations between seropositivity and the variables analyzed. Results indicate neosporosis must be included in differential diagnosis of dog neurological disorders.