Serological survey of Neospora caninum infection in dairy cattle herds in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

A serological survey for antibody activity to Neospora caninum was carried out in Aguascalientes, a state in the central part of Mexico. One-hundred and eighty-seven serum samples from 13 dairy herds were tested by the ELISA test. The herd prevalence was 100% and the overall prevalence was 59% (n=110). Seventy-six of 97 seropositive cows had previous records of abortion. There was a statistically significant difference between the groups (P<0.05). However, the odds ratio was 1.4, suggesting an association between abortion and seropositivity. Neosporosis in dairy cattle appears to be widespread in Mexico, warranting more epidemiological studies to determine the distribution of the causative protozoan.