The Utility of Serological Analysis for <i>Neospora caninum</i> Infection in Dairy Cattle Farms Management: Serological Investigation and Evaluation of the Effects on Reproductive and Productive Performances in Two Study Herds in Northern Italy
<i>Neospora caninum</i> is recognized as a major cause of abortion in cattle, determining economic losses, particularly in dairy industries. To evaluate the impact of neosporosis on herd efficiency, and to understand how the serological analysis for <i>N. caninum</i> is expli...
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MDPI AG
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/6/786 |
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| author | Luca Villa Alessia Libera Gazzonis Emanuele Fumagalli Sergio Aurelio Zanzani Maria Teresa Manfredi |
| author_facet | Luca Villa Alessia Libera Gazzonis Emanuele Fumagalli Sergio Aurelio Zanzani Maria Teresa Manfredi |
| author_sort | Luca Villa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Neospora caninum</i> is recognized as a major cause of abortion in cattle, determining economic losses, particularly in dairy industries. To evaluate the impact of neosporosis on herd efficiency, and to understand how the serological analysis for <i>N. caninum</i> is explicative of the farm picture, an epidemiological study was designed in two dairy farms recruited as a case study. Blood samples were collected from 540 animals, including cows and heifers over 12 months, and analyzed by an indirect immunofluorescent antibody test with subsequent antibody titration. Overall, 94 animals (17.4%) were identified as positive to <i>N. caninum</i> antibodies (15.5% and 18.5% in Farm 1 and Farm 2), with differences between the farms concerning the antibody titers (Chi-square, <i>p</i>-value = 0.04), particularly in cows (Chi-square, <i>p</i>-value = 0.018). Consequently, a different pattern of abortion episodes was depicted in the two investigated farms. Considering reproductive and productive performances, the number of inseminations necessary to make an animal pregnant was higher in seropositive cows (2.4 and 2.9 in Farm 1 and 2, respectively) than in seronegative ones (2.1 and 2.4 in Farm 1 and 2, respectively). Similarly, particularly in Farm 1, the number of days in milk of not-pregnant cows was higher in seropositive (167.7) than seronegative animals (133.4). Moreover, although the association between <i>N. caninum</i> infection and milk production is still unclear, both the daily milk production and the 305-mature equivalent milk yield were lower in seropositive (31.02 and 11,838.94) than seronegative cows (33.59 and 12,274.88) in Farm 1; an opposite pattern was otherwise depicted in Farm 2. The study showed that even if <i>N. caninum</i> circulated equally in the two herds, the dynamics of the parasite infection and its outcome may be different, also depending on the specific situation of the farm. In this way, the integration of serological analysis for <i>N. caninum</i>, the reproductive and productive parameters, and the information on herd performances, could give specific indications for the application of control strategies. |
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| spelling | doaj.art-cb969cd1e0a047ee889cb3b5137ace732023-11-30T20:46:46ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152022-03-0112678610.3390/ani12060786The Utility of Serological Analysis for <i>Neospora caninum</i> Infection in Dairy Cattle Farms Management: Serological Investigation and Evaluation of the Effects on Reproductive and Productive Performances in Two Study Herds in Northern ItalyLuca Villa0Alessia Libera Gazzonis1Emanuele Fumagalli2Sergio Aurelio Zanzani3Maria Teresa Manfredi4Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell’Università 6, 26900 Lodi, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell’Università 6, 26900 Lodi, ItalyIndependent Researcher, 24121 Bergamo, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell’Università 6, 26900 Lodi, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell’Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy<i>Neospora caninum</i> is recognized as a major cause of abortion in cattle, determining economic losses, particularly in dairy industries. To evaluate the impact of neosporosis on herd efficiency, and to understand how the serological analysis for <i>N. caninum</i> is explicative of the farm picture, an epidemiological study was designed in two dairy farms recruited as a case study. Blood samples were collected from 540 animals, including cows and heifers over 12 months, and analyzed by an indirect immunofluorescent antibody test with subsequent antibody titration. Overall, 94 animals (17.4%) were identified as positive to <i>N. caninum</i> antibodies (15.5% and 18.5% in Farm 1 and Farm 2), with differences between the farms concerning the antibody titers (Chi-square, <i>p</i>-value = 0.04), particularly in cows (Chi-square, <i>p</i>-value = 0.018). Consequently, a different pattern of abortion episodes was depicted in the two investigated farms. Considering reproductive and productive performances, the number of inseminations necessary to make an animal pregnant was higher in seropositive cows (2.4 and 2.9 in Farm 1 and 2, respectively) than in seronegative ones (2.1 and 2.4 in Farm 1 and 2, respectively). Similarly, particularly in Farm 1, the number of days in milk of not-pregnant cows was higher in seropositive (167.7) than seronegative animals (133.4). Moreover, although the association between <i>N. caninum</i> infection and milk production is still unclear, both the daily milk production and the 305-mature equivalent milk yield were lower in seropositive (31.02 and 11,838.94) than seronegative cows (33.59 and 12,274.88) in Farm 1; an opposite pattern was otherwise depicted in Farm 2. The study showed that even if <i>N. caninum</i> circulated equally in the two herds, the dynamics of the parasite infection and its outcome may be different, also depending on the specific situation of the farm. In this way, the integration of serological analysis for <i>N. caninum</i>, the reproductive and productive parameters, and the information on herd performances, could give specific indications for the application of control strategies.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/6/786neosporosisdairy cowsherd efficiencyserologyabortion |
| spellingShingle | Luca Villa Alessia Libera Gazzonis Emanuele Fumagalli Sergio Aurelio Zanzani Maria Teresa Manfredi The Utility of Serological Analysis for <i>Neospora caninum</i> Infection in Dairy Cattle Farms Management: Serological Investigation and Evaluation of the Effects on Reproductive and Productive Performances in Two Study Herds in Northern Italy Animals neosporosis dairy cows herd efficiency serology abortion |
| title | The Utility of Serological Analysis for <i>Neospora caninum</i> Infection in Dairy Cattle Farms Management: Serological Investigation and Evaluation of the Effects on Reproductive and Productive Performances in Two Study Herds in Northern Italy |
| title_full | The Utility of Serological Analysis for <i>Neospora caninum</i> Infection in Dairy Cattle Farms Management: Serological Investigation and Evaluation of the Effects on Reproductive and Productive Performances in Two Study Herds in Northern Italy |
| title_fullStr | The Utility of Serological Analysis for <i>Neospora caninum</i> Infection in Dairy Cattle Farms Management: Serological Investigation and Evaluation of the Effects on Reproductive and Productive Performances in Two Study Herds in Northern Italy |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Utility of Serological Analysis for <i>Neospora caninum</i> Infection in Dairy Cattle Farms Management: Serological Investigation and Evaluation of the Effects on Reproductive and Productive Performances in Two Study Herds in Northern Italy |
| title_short | The Utility of Serological Analysis for <i>Neospora caninum</i> Infection in Dairy Cattle Farms Management: Serological Investigation and Evaluation of the Effects on Reproductive and Productive Performances in Two Study Herds in Northern Italy |
| title_sort | utility of serological analysis for i neospora caninum i infection in dairy cattle farms management serological investigation and evaluation of the effects on reproductive and productive performances in two study herds in northern italy |
| topic | neosporosis dairy cows herd efficiency serology abortion |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/6/786 |
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