Seroprevalence of Neospora caninum in cows with abortion history and in dogs sharing the same area in the Kars Region, Turkey

SUMMARY The purpose of this study is to determine the seroprevalence of N. caninum in cows with abortion story and in dogs (n = 40) living in the same area using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA). Among the 11 villages regrouping 78 herds (2082 cows) explored in the Kars region, the total abortion rate was 7.1% (148 cows) and among them 7.4% (11 cows) were seropositive for N. caninum and belonged to 7 villages. The neosporosis seroprevalence was similar for local breeds (7.6%) and for Simmental breed (6.3%) and was slightly higher but not significantly in young females (1.5-3 years old). In the great majority of seropositive cases (81.8%), cows have aborted between the 6th and the 8.5th gestational months, corresponding to the winter months. In dogs, seropositivity rate was 12.5% and positive dogs, mainly 1.5-3 years old, stemmed from 2 villages in which seropositive cows were detected. In conclusion, the association of N. caninum in cows and in dogs sharing the same environment in the Kars region was observed, but transmission modalities require further investigations.