Seroprevalence of Antibodies to <i>Brucella</i> spp. and <i>Neospora caninum</i> in Cattle from Delta Region of Egypt: Correlation of Seropositivity with Abortion History
Bovine brucellosis and neosporosis are reported as potential abortifacient infections in cattle worldwide. Brucellosis is additionally a zoonotic bacterial infection caused by numerous <i>Brucella</i> species. Meanwhile, neosporosis is a protozoan parasitic disease that is implicated in...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-10-01
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| Series: | Immuno |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5601/4/4/24 |
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| Summary: | Bovine brucellosis and neosporosis are reported as potential abortifacient infections in cattle worldwide. Brucellosis is additionally a zoonotic bacterial infection caused by numerous <i>Brucella</i> species. Meanwhile, neosporosis is a protozoan parasitic disease that is implicated in causing high economic losses in the cattle industry. Herein, we attempted to investigate the seroprevalence of specific antibodies to <i>Brucella</i> spp. and <i>Neospora caninum</i> using commercially available ELISAs. In addition, we conducted risk factor analysis and estimated the correlation of seropositivity of both pathogens with the recorded abortions in the tested herds. Serum samples from cattle (n = 460) collected from various governorates in the Delta region, northern Egypt, were targeted in this study. Overall, a seroprevalence of 5.4%, 33.3%, and 1.3% was revealed for <i>Brucella</i> spp., <i>N. caninum</i>, and mixed seropositivity, respectively. The location (Kafr El Sheikh vs. Dakahlia vs. Al-Qalyubiya vs. Damietta governorates) and a history of abortion (yes vs. no vs. unknown) were analyzed as risk factors of infection. Kafr El Sheikh governorate (57.7%, <i>p</i> = < 0.0001) and a history of abortion (54.1%, <i>p</i> = < 0.0001) were considered risk factors for <i>Brucella</i> spp. seropositivity compared to the reference factors Al-Qalyubiya (1.1%) and unknown abortion history (0.6%). In the case of <i>N. caninum</i>, the location was also considered a risk factor because the seropositive rates were significantly higher in Damietta (51%, <i>p</i> = 0.001) and Dakahlia (33.4%, <i>p</i> = 0.026) compared to Kafr El Sheikh (11.3%, set as a reference). Conversely to <i>Brucella</i>, animals without a history of abortion exhibited a higher seropositive rate for <i>N. caninum</i> (47.6%, <i>p</i> = 0.009) compared to those with a history of abortion (21.6%, set as reference). For further investigations into the association between abortion and the obtained seropositive rates, we also analyzed the reactivity by comparing samples of animals with, without, and unknown history of abortion. We detected high seroreactivity for <i>Brucella</i> spp. in samples collected from animals with a history of abortion, as demonstrated in the recorded antibody levels and correlation coefficient (Pearson r = 0.919). Based on our data, despite the higher seroprevalence of <i>N. caninum</i> compared to that of <i>Brucella</i> species, <i>Brucella</i> spp. might be the primary cause of abortion in our tested cattle population. |
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| ISSN: | 2673-5601 |