Prevalence and risk factors of Neospora caninum in aborted fetus of sheep, goat, cattle, and buffalo

Abstract

Background Neospora caninum, a protozoa that is a leading cause of neurological illness in dogs (definitive host), abortion in cattle (intermediate host) and sporadic disease in other livestock species (sheep, goats, horses and other carnivores). The study was aimed to reveal the molecular epidemiology of N. caninum in aborted fetuses of cattle, goats, sheep and buffaloes in Bangladesh.Methods In total, 157 aborted fetuses (50 Cattle, 46 Buffaloes, 34 Goats and 27 Sheep) were randomly collected from various regions of Bangladesh. DNA was extracted from brain tissue to perform nested PCR and sequencing of ITS1 rDNA gene of N. caninum.Results A total of 20 aborted fetuses out of 157 were positive for N. caninum infection. Higher prevalence was observed in cattle (16.0%) followed by sheep (14.8%), goats (11.8%) and buffaloes (8.7%). Highest prevalence was found in animals during second trimester (21.51%) with aged 2 to 4 years (15.8%). Sequences from representative positive samples showed similarity between 99–100% for N. caninum ITS1 rDNA gene with other best hit scoring GenBank sequences. Multivariate logistic regression demonstrated that abortion in pregnancy, abortion history of the animals, contact with dog feces or presence of dog in animals farm or premises and management practices were significantly (p ≤ 0.001) correlated with N. caninum infection.Conclusion The study findings indicated that N. caninum infection is one of the major causes of abortion and economic loss in livestock farming. Broader molecular epidemiology is imperative for strategic planning to control and prevent neosporosis in livestock.