Seroprevalence of Neospora caninum Infection in Dairy Cattle in Tabriz, Northwest Iran

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of antibody to Neospora caninum in healthy and aborted dairy cattle in Tabriz, capital of East-Azarbaijan in northwest of Iran. METHODS In this cross-sectional study serum samples were collected from 266 healthy and aborted Holestein-Feriesisnc cows from September 2008 to August 2009. The sera were analyzed to detect of antibody against N. caninum using the commercially ELISA kit. RESULTS Seroprevalence of antibody to N. caninum was 10.5% in Tabriz dairy cattle. Also the abortion rate in all cattle sampled was 33.6% but percentage of seropositive aborted cattle was 18.4%. CONCLUSION Neosporosis could be one of the possible causes of abortion in dairy cattle in Tabriz and regarding the distribution in dogs as definitive host for the parasite, further studies in dog and cattle are recommended.