Frequency of Neospora caninum antibodies in cattle from northeastern Mexico.

The objective in this study was to determine the frequency of antibodies against Neospora caninum in dairy and beef cattle from northeastern Mexico. A total of 44 farms belonging to different counties of the states of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas were sampled. Five hundred ninety one samples were included. A commercial kit was used for screening antibodies against Neospora caninum. A frequency of 45% was found in the state of Coahuila, 40% in Nuevo Leon, and 16% in Tamaulipas. The frequency for the northeastern region was 36%. These results indicated that dairy and beef cattle are positive for the protozoon Neospora caninum in serology tests. Thus, zoo sanitary programs are needed for control and eradication of this disease and thereby improve production in northeastern Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]