Tropical animal health and production最新文献

{"title":"The use of nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) after artificial insemination in high milk yielding cows.","authors":"S A Tsiligianni, A Saratsi, Th Tsiligianni","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05396-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-026-05396-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Reproductive performance is markedly reduced during high milk production. In this study, we used a combination of meloxicam, a non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), known to inhibit the synthesis of prostaglandins, with or without GnRH, a hormone commonly used to induce ovulation or luteinization in cattle. The effects of meloxicam (0.5 mg/kg BW) alone or in combination with GnRH (100 µg of gonadoreline) were evaluated in cows with medium (MMY, n = 59, 30-40 L milk at the 10-day interval before and after AI) and high (HMY, n = 57, > 40 L) milk production from 90 to 120 days in milk. Cows (n = 46) received ovsynch with double PGF_2α at day 7 and 8 after the 1st GnRH; 24 of these cows received GnRH at day 7 after AI and NSAID at day 15 after AI (meta-ovsynch, OS+GnRH+NSAID), the rest (n = 22) was the control group (OS). Furthermore, cows (n = 70) at natural estrous were divided randomly into 3 AI groups: (1) AI (n = 24), cows received only AI, (2) AI+NSAID (n = 24) cows received NSAID 15 d after AI and (3) AI+GnRH+NSAID (n = 22) cows received GnRH 7 d after AI and NSAID 15 d after AI. Pregnancy diagnosis was performed by PAG 28 d after AI. Z_0.5 criterion was used to compare the conception rates (CR). Between ovsynch groups no significant difference was observed. Among AI groups, the CR was higher (P = 0.012) in the AI+GnRH+NSAID (72.73%) than in the AI group (41.67%). Furthermore, in HMY cows, significantly higher CR was recorded in the AI+GnRH+NSAID (70%) compared to the AI+NSAID (25%) or the AI (42.86%) groups; in MMY cows, CR was higher (P < 0.05) in the AI+NSAID (83.33%) and AI+GnRH+NSAID (75%) compared to the AI group (40%) It seems that different protocols could be used depending on the milk yield at AI.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149220854","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genetic and genomic insights into morphological defects in nellore cattle: a comprehensive review.","authors":"Milena Aparecida Ferreira Campos, Hinayah Rojas de Oliveira, Louise Sarmento Martins de Oliveira, Henrique Alberto Mulim, Eduarda da Silva Oliveira, Gregorio M F de Camargo, Raphael Bermal Costa","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05433-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11250-026-05433-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Morphological defects in Nellore cattle, including abnormalities in conformation, feet and legs, navel structure, pigmentation, and craniofacial development, negatively impact productivity, welfare, and long-term herd sustainability. This comprehensive review aimed to synthesize existing genetic and genomic evidence on these defects in purebred Nellore cattle. Studies were identified through searches of Web of Science, PubMed, and SciELO up to September 2025. Eligible studies included genetic or genomic analyses of morphological defects in purebred Nellore cattle. The methodological characteristics and limitations of the included studies were evaluated descriptively. Results were synthesized using a narrative descriptive approach due to heterogeneity in phenotypes and methodologies. A total of 89 studies were included. This review summarizes phenotype definitions and scoring systems (e.g., MES, EPMURAS, MERCOS) used in breeding programs. Most reported heritability estimates ranged from approximately 0.10 to 0.68 across traits and analytical scales, with liability-scale estimates for binary defects reaching 0.54 for depigmentation. Genetic correlations with growth traits were generally favorable or weak, whereas evidence regarding reproductive traits was limited and less consistent. Linear models are widely used to analyze morphological defects but may underestimate genetic variance for categorical and unbalanced traits, whereas threshold models offered improved theoretical suitability at higher computational cost. Key limitations across studies included evaluator subjectivity, imbalanced score distributions, limited phenotypic granularity, and environmental heterogeneity. Morphological defects show sufficient genetic variability to support inclusion in genetic evaluations. Standardized phenotyping protocols, improved scoring strategies, and expanded genomic analyses are needed to enhance selection accuracy and animal welfare in Nellore cattle.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149220745","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sire-associated heterogeneity and birth-weight effects on lamb survival in Sonadi sheep under village production systems.","authors":"L Gautam","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05408-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-026-05408-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Lamb mortality constrains productivity and replacement in village sheep flocks, but field-based survival information for Sonadi sheep remains limited. Survival records of 9588 lambs born during 2017-2025 were analysed using Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox models. The sire-farmer mixed-effects analysis included 9199 lambs with known sire identity, 1107 deaths, 210 sires and 190 farmer flocks. Crude mortality to 12 months was 12.03%, and 51.8% of all deaths occurred during the first three months. Birth weight showed the strongest association with mortality among the measured covariates. Relative to lambs weighing > 2.5 kg, the overall mixed-model hazard ratio was 4.19 (95% CI 3.61-4.86) for lambs weighing 2.0-2.5 kg and 23.44 (18.91-29.06) for lambs weighing < 2.0 kg. A continuous natural-cubic-spline analysis confirmed a nonlinear association between birth weight and mortality hazard (likelihood-ratio χ² = 36.50, df = 3, P < 0.001). The proportional-hazards assumption was not fully satisfied; stage-specific analyses showed that the excess hazard associated with birth weight < 2.0 kg was greatest during 0-3 months (HR = 37.14) and declined thereafter. Farmer and sire-associated random-effect variances were 0.048 and 0.321, respectively; corresponding latent-scale ICCs were 2.40% and 15.93% and are interpreted as descriptive clustering measures rather than heritability. A censoring-aware 365-day ROC analysis using conditional inverse-probability-of-censoring weights gave an AUC of 0.755 and an internally derived candidate cut-point of 2.60 kg (sensitivity 72.1%, specificity 66.9%). The cut-point derived from 2017 to 2022 retained useful discrimination in 2023-2025 (AUC = 0.809). These findings identify low birth weight as an important field marker of lamb mortality and support its use for risk screening, while genetic interpretation of sire-associated clustering requires pedigree-based evaluation with maternal and management effects.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149220821","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cost-effective and efficient diagnosis of bovine theileriosis in a low-income setting.","authors":"Sakunika Amarasinghe, Menaka Marasinghe, P Gajavathany, Jeyathadchayini Pathmathas, Rupika S Rajakaruna, Piyumali K Perera","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05431-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-026-05431-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sample pooling combined with conventional polymerase chain reaction (cPCR) is a rapid and cost-effective approach for herd-level detection of Theileria spp., particularly in resource-limited settings. Bovine theileriosis is a tick-borne protozoan disease causing major economic losses to livestock production worldwide. In Sri Lanka, particularly in Jaffna, Theileria infections threaten cattle productivity, highlighting the need for affordable and sensitive surveillance tools. This study evaluated pooled cPCR for herd-level detection of Theileria spp. in cattle from three farms in Jaffna. Sixty blood samples (27, 26, and 7 animals per farm) and 27 ticks were collected. Giemsa-stained blood smears and individual cPCR analyses were performed. Then, three pools were prepared, taking 200 µL from each sample (one pool per farm) and analysed using cPCR targeting the major piroplasm surface protein (MPSP) gene. Microscopy detected a prevalence of 50%, whereas cPCR detected 81.7% (χ² = 13.374, p = 0.0003). Both Theileria orientalis (types 5 and 7) and Theileria sp. Yokoyama were identified. Pooling before cPCR and genomic DNA extraction reduced diagnostic costs by approximately 12-fold. Tick identification revealed predominance of Haemaphysalis bispinosa (88%). No significant associations were observed between infection prevalence and age, sex, or farm location. Despite widespread infection, most cattle were clinically healthy, indicating extensive subclinical circulation and possible endemic stability. Contrary to expectations, pooling samples from up to 27 cattle remained effective in herd-level detection of Theileria spp. despite low-parasitaemia levels. These findings demonstrate that pooled cPCR is a reliable and economical strategy for large-scale surveillance of bovine theileriosis in endemic, high prevalent and resource-limited settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149220786","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Protective effects of Moringa oleifera leaf powder and silymarin against combined aflatoxin B₁ and ochratoxin A-induced toxicity and immune dysfunction in broiler chickens.","authors":"Muhammad Asad Ali, Iman Mustafa, Muhammad Mubeen Ahmad, Athar Farooq, Muhammad Tayyab Naveed, Muhammad Yahya Maarij, Muhammad Wasif Gulzar","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05415-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-026-05415-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) and ochratoxin A (OTA) frequently co-contaminate poultry feed and adversely affect growth, health, and immune function in broiler chickens. This study evaluated the individual and combined effects of dietary AFB₁ (150 µg/kg feed) and OTA (150 µg/kg feed) and investigated the protective potential of Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MLP; 10 g/kg feed) and silymarin (SIL; 1 g/kg feed), administered individually or in combination. A total of 240 one-day-old broiler chicks were randomly allocated to eight treatment groups (30 birds per group) and reared for 35 days under a completely randomized design. Growth performance, relative organ weights, hematological indices, serum biochemical parameters, immune responses, and pathological changes were evaluated. Birds co-exposed to AFB₁ and OTA (G4) exhibited the greatest reductions in growth performance, hematological indices, and immune responses, together with marked alterations in serum biochemical parameters and organ weights compared with birds exposed to either toxin alone. Dietary supplementation with MLP or silymarin partially alleviated these adverse effects, whereas combined supplementation (G7) significantly improved growth performance, organ weights, hematological and biochemical parameters, and immune responses compared with the AFB₁ + OTA group, with several parameters not differing significantly from the control group (P < 0.05). The phytogenic control group (G8) showed no detectable adverse effects throughout the experimental period. These findings indicate that combined supplementation with Moringa oleifera leaf powder and silymarin may represent a promising dietary strategy for mitigating the adverse effects associated with AFB₁ and OTA co-exposure in broiler chickens under the conditions of this 35-day study.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149220868","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparison of data mining algorithms and regression method for prediction of live body weight using biometric traits of non-descript indigenous chickens.","authors":"Joas Albino Tsenane, Thabang Sako, Madumetja Cyril Mathapo, Thobela Louis Tyasi, Obert Tada","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05391-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11250-026-05391-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The study aimed to investigate the relationship between live body weight and biometric traits, and to estimate live body weight from biometric traits of non-descript indigenous chickens. A total of 400 non-descript indigenous chickens (113 males and 287 females) were randomly selected from a multi-stage purposive sampling procedure following a cross-sectional study design. Live body weight (LBW), body length (BL), beak length (BKL), shank length (SL), shank circumference (SC), and comb height (CH) were measured. Data was analysed using Pearson's correlation, CHAID, CART, and stepwise linear regression. Correlation results revealed that LBW of males had a positive and high correlation (P < 0.01) with BL (r = 0.63), and LBW of females had a significant positive correlation (P < 0.01) with SC (r = 0.45). Regression results showed that for males, model combining BL, BKL, CH and SC (R² = 0.62, RMSE = 15.26, AIC = 2183.27, BIC = 2199.23) was best in estimation of LBW, while for females, model combining SC, BL, BKL and CH (R² = 0.36, RMSE = 12.31, AIC = 2011.20, BIC = 2027.17) was best in estimation of LBW. CHAID results revealed that SC was the best variable to estimate LBW, while CART model revealed that sex was the best variable for estimation of LBW. CHAID model (r = 0.79, R² = 0.63, RMSE = 11.73, AIC = 1969.45, BIC = 1973.44) outperformed stepwise regression and CART models. The study concludes that there was no model that had a good performance to predict live body weight of the chickens.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149220704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multivariate phenotyping reveals thermoregulatory patterns in crossbred cattle.","authors":"Robson Mateus Freitas Silveira, Isadora Emanoela Pereira Costa Andrade, Luciano Barreto-Mendes, Larissa de Melo Coelho, Concepta McManus, Luiz Paulo Fávero, Débora Andrea Evangelista Façanha","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05416-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11250-026-05416-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Improving the adaptation of beef cattle production to climate change requires crossbreeding strategies that enhance the ability of animals to maintain thermal stability under hot conditions. The objective of this exploratory study was to assess how coat characteristics are associated with rectal-temperature variation and to identify thermoregulatory patterns in Red Angus × Nelore crossbred cattle raised under tropical conditions. Thirty clinically healthy crossbred bulls from two genetic compositions (½ Red Angus × ½ Nelore and ¾ Red Angus × ¼ Nelore) were evaluated at 210 and 360 days of age. Morphological, physiological, and environmental variables were recorded, including coat thickness, hair length, hair quantity, hair density, and rectal temperatures measured in the morning and afternoon. Univariate comparisons did not detect differences (p > 0.05) between the genetic groups in the evaluated coat traits or rectal temperatures, indicating substantial overlap between genetic compositions. In an exploratory logistic model developed to discriminate the two genetic groups, rectal temperature was positively associated with group classification [odds ratio (OR) = 1.41, p = 0.023], whereas hair length showed a negative association (OR = 0.53, p < 0.001), indicating that morphological and physiological traits jointly contributed to the observed differentiation. Correlation analysis showed that thicker coats tended to contain fewer and less densely distributed hairs, whereas hair quantity and density were strongly and positively associated, suggesting compensatory coat architectures. The exploratory clustering solutions suggested four candidate coat-related configurations: (i) short, dense coats and (ii) thick but less dense coats, both associated with lower daily rectal-temperature variation; and (iii) intermediate coats and (iv) long, dense coats, associated with greater thermal fluctuation. Although some overlap among clusters was observed, these configurations provide an exploratory basis for understanding how combinations of coat characteristics may influence thermoregulatory responses. The findings indicate that thermal regulation in crossbred cattle is better understood through combinations of morphological traits than through isolated characteristics. Future studies with larger, independent populations and additional physiological and productive measurements are needed to confirm the consistency and broader applicability of these patterns.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149220797","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Alterations in serum calcium and phosphorus levels, organ lesions and their relationships to egg production in point of lay pullets infected with Salmonella Gallinarum.","authors":"Simeon Chibuko Okafor, John Ikechukwu Ihedioha, John Osita Arinze Okoye","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05423-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-026-05423-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Salmonella Gallinarum (SG) is a bacterial pathogen associated with serious economic losses to the poultry industry worldwide in the form of decrease in egg production. In this study, the dynamics of serum calcium, phosphorus levels as well as lesions in some body organs, and how they relate to egg production in point of lay pullets (POLPs) infected with SG were investigated. Fifty POLPs (18 weeks old) were randomly assigned to two groups of 25 POLPs per group viz.: Infected POLPs orally inoculated with SG (10⁹ SG colony forming units/mL), and uninfected controls. Biochemical parameters were assayed following standard methods, and relevant tissue sections processed for histopathology. The infected POLPs showed significant (P < 0.01) drop in egg production when compared to the controls. The mean serum calcium level was significantly (P < 0.05) lower, whereas the mean phosphorus level, mean serum malondialdehyde (MDA) level, and catalase (CAT) activity were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the infected POLPs than the control group. There was a strong positive correlation between serum calcium level and egg production which was highly significant (r = 0.60; P < 0.01). The relationship between serum phosphorus level and egg production was negative and moderate, but highly significant (r = -0.45; P < 0.01). There was extensive pericardial effusion as well as inflammatory, necrotic and degenerative changes in the heart, liver, uterus, ovaries, kidneys, lungs and intestine of the infected POLPs. It was concluded that the drop in egg production associated with SG-infected POLPs had a strong and positive correlation with the decreased serum calcium level.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149220709","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Optimizing concentrate feeding and calcium-fatty acid supplementation for sustainable milk production in Indonesian smallholder dairy farms.","authors":"Wisri Puastuti, Endang Romjali, Chalid Talib, Dwi Yulistiani, Gresy Eva Tresia, Mariyono Mariyono, Lisa Praharani, Santiananda Arta Asmarasari, Priyono Priyono, Dicky Pamungkas, Eko Handiwirawan, Solehudin Solehudin, Paulus Cornelius Paat, Susana I W Rakhmani, Alek Ibrahim","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05429-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-026-05429-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Calcium-fatty acid (Ca-FA) supplementation has been proposed to improve dietary energy density and milk performance in early-lactation dairy cows. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary treatments varying crude protein (CP) levels, with and without Ca-FA supplementation, on milk production, milk composition, and fat-corrected milk (FCM) in lactating dairy cows across five dairy farmer cooperatives (DFCs) in West Java, Indonesia. The study employed a completely randomized design with a 5 × 4 factorial arrangements. The main factors were DFC location (Bogor, Cianjur, Cisarua, Garut, and Pangalengan) and dietary treatment (CP 16% with Ca-FA, CP 16% without Ca-FA, CP 13% with Ca-FA, and CP 13% without Ca-FA). A total of 154 cows from the five DFCs were included: 42 in Bogor, 33 in Cianjur, 16 in Cisarua, 20 in Garut, and 43 in Pangalengan. Average milk production ranged from 11.22 to 14.86 kg/head/day. Diet significantly affected milk yield (P < 0.05); Ca-FA supplementation at both 13% and 16% CP resulted in similar milk yields, which were higher than those of diets without Ca-FA. Milk fat content was not affected by DFC or diet alone (P > 0.05), but a significant DFC × diet interaction was observed (P = 0.037). Similarly, Ca-FA supplementation at both 13% and 16% CP produced comparable and higher FCM than non-supplemented diets, with no significant DFC × diet interaction. Break-even analysis further confirmed that the additional cost of CP16 could be offset by attainable milk prices and production volumes, demonstrating the economic feasibility of CP16 + Ca-FA adoption for smallholder farmers. In conclusion, Ca-FA supplementation significantly improved milk production and FCM. Supplementation with Ca-FA in early lactation allowed dietary CP to be reduced from 16% to 13% without compromising milk yield or FCM.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149220815","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of ecological and management factors on Toxoplasma gondii infection in small ruminants in Algeria.","authors":"Mohamed Douifi, Nabila Boukhalfa, Amine Abdelli, Madjid Sadi, Zohor Halfaoui, Asma Aiza, Nassima Ait Issad","doi":"10.1007/s11250-026-05437-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-026-05437-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic protozoan of major concern for small-ruminant production and public health. This study is among the first to simultaneously compare T. gondii seroprevalence across contrasting Algerian bioclimatic zones. In summer 2024, a cross-sectional study was conducted across 82 herds comprising 4,022 small ruminants in three provinces of central Algeria (Blida, Médéa, Djelfa), representing contrasting bioclimatic zones (humid, semi-arid, and arid). Blood samples were collected from 1,052 animals older than six months to assess the apparent seroprevalence of T. gondii and associated factors. The herd-level apparent seroprevalence was 87.8%, with goat herds showing the highest apparent prevalence (94.4%), followed by mixed (87.5%) and sheep herds (85.4%). The individual animal-level apparent seroprevalence was 38.2%, with goats exhibiting significantly higher seropositivity than sheep (49.8% vs. 34.8%; p < 0.001). A climatic gradient was observed at the individual level, with apparent seroprevalence of 50.8% in the humid region (Blida), 43.4% in the sub-humid region (Médéa), and 27.1% in the arid region (Djelfa) (p < 0.001). After adjustment in a mixed-effects logistic regression model accounting for within-herd clustering, species and province remained significantly associated with seropositivity, while age, sex, and reproductive history were not. At the herd level, small herd size (< 50 animals) (adjusted OR = 14.45, p = 0.004), sedentary farming systems (adjusted OR = 9.75, p = 0.006), and cat exposure (adjusted OR = 22.78, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with seropositivity. However, convenience sampling and a final sample size below the calculated minimum should be considered when interpreting representativeness. These findings highlight the importance of regionally adapted surveillance and risk-based biosecurity measures, particularly in sub-humid peri-urban areas with intensive small-herd management.</p>","PeriodicalId":23329,"journal":{"name":"Tropical animal health and production","volume":"58 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149220756","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}