Prevalence of anti-N. caninum and anti-N. hughesi antibodies in horses and associated risk factors in two selected equine zones of Punjab, Pakistan

IF 1.4 Q3 PARASITOLOGY

Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports Pub Date : 2025-02-01 DOI:10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101211

Muhammad Talha Talib , Amar Nasir , Muhammad Kashif , Abdur Rahman , Aziz Ur Rehman , Haroon Akbar , Ans Nadeem , Daniel Keith Howe , Muhammad Nouman Azam

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of anti-Neospora (N.) caninum and anti-N. hughesi antibodies in horses and to appraise the associated risk factors in the two central districts (Jhang and Toba Tek Singh) of Punjab Province, Pakistan. A total of 300 horse sera were analyzed for the presence of antibodies to Neospora spp. using a competitive ELISA. The overall prevalence of antibodies against Neospora species in horses was 25 % (75/300; 95 % CI 20.1–29.9). The prevalence of antibodies to N. caninum and N. hughesi species was 12.3 % (37/300; 95 % CI 8.6–16) and 19.3 % (58/300; 95 % CI 14.8–23.8), respectively. Out of 300 sera samples, 6.7 % (20/300; 95 % CI 3.9–9.5) were screened positive for both Neospora spp. The statistical analysis showed that age, reproductive complications history of mares, the presence of dogs on the farm, and regular deworming practices were the key contributing factors towards Neospora seropositivity in horses. The pregnancy status of the mares was also identified to be a significant risk factor particularly for N. caninum seropositivity, as indicated by odds ratio. The gender of the animals was not observed as a potential risk variable for Neospora antibodies in horses. This study suggests that horses in Pakistan are vulnerable to infection by this protozoan parasite which possesses potential to negatively impact the reproductive performance, requiring pragmatic diagnostic and control measures to prevent its spread on horse farms.

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anti-N的流行。犬和抗n。在巴基斯坦旁遮普省的两个选定的马区，马的抗体和相关的危险因素

本研究的目的是确定抗犬新孢子虫（N.）和抗N.。并评估巴基斯坦旁遮普省两个中心区（Jhang和Toba Tek Singh）的相关危险因素。采用竞争性ELISA法分析了300份马血清中新孢子虫抗体的存在。马中新孢子虫抗体的总体流行率为25% (75/300；95% ci（20.1-29.9）。抗体阳性率为12.3% (37/300；95% CI 8.6-16)和19.3% (58/300；95% CI 14.8-23.8)。在300份血清样本中，6.7% (20/300；95% CI（3.9 ~ 9.5）均为新孢子虫阳性。统计分析表明，马的年龄、繁殖并发症史、狗在农场的存在以及定期驱虫是导致马新孢子虫血清阳性的主要因素。根据比值比，母马的妊娠状况也被确定为犬奈瑟菌血清阳性的一个重要危险因素。没有观察到动物的性别是马新孢子虫抗体的潜在风险变量。这项研究表明，巴基斯坦的马很容易受到这种原生动物寄生虫的感染，这种寄生虫有可能对繁殖性能产生负面影响，因此需要采取实用的诊断和控制措施来防止其在马场传播。

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来源期刊

Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports Multiple-

CiteScore

2.90

自引率

7.10%

发文量

126

审稿时长

97 days

期刊介绍： Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports focuses on aspects of veterinary parasitology that are of regional concern, which is especially important in this era of climate change and the rapid and often unconstrained travel of people and animals. Relative to regions, this journal will accept papers of the highest quality dealing with all aspects of disease prevention, pathology, treatment, epidemiology, and control of parasites within the field of veterinary medicine. Also, case reports will be considered as they add to information related to local disease and its control; such papers must be concise and represent appropriate medical intervention. Papers on veterinary parasitology from wildlife species are acceptable, but only if they relate to the practice of veterinary medicine. Studies on vector-borne bacterial and viral agents are suitable, but only if the paper deals with vector transmission of these organisms to domesticated animals. Studies dealing with parasite control by means of natural products, both in vivo and in vitro, are more suited for one of the many journals that now specialize in papers of this type. However, due to the regional nature of much of this research, submissions may be considered based upon a case being made by the author(s) to the Editor. Circumstances relating to animal experimentation must meet the International Guiding Principles for Biomedical Research Involving Animals as issued by the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (obtainable from: Executive Secretary C.I.O.M.S., c/o W.H.O., Via Appia, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland).