Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
3-4
pubmed:dateCreated
2005-3-2
pubmed:abstractText
A cross-sectional serological survey was conducted on cattle pasturing in an area of the southern Italian Apennines to evaluate the seroprevalence to Neospora caninum, and to investigate the climatic, environmental, farm management, and individual animal factors that influence the distribution of this protozoan. Blood samples were collected from 864 pastured cattle raised on 81 farms. Serum samples were tested for antibodies to N. caninum using an ELISA assay (HerdCheck), IDEXX). A geographical information system (GIS) for the study area was constructed using the following remote sensing (RS) and landscape feature data: autumn-winter, spring and summer normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), land cover, elevation, slope, aspect, mean rainfall and minimum, mean, and maximum temperature in spring, summer, autumn and winter. Data on each of these features were then extracted for "buffer zones" consisting of the area included in a circle of 3 km diameter centered on the 81 geo-referenced centroids of the main cattle pastures. Climatic and environmental data obtained from RS and GIS and individual animal characteristics and farm management data obtained from a questionnaire were analyzed in relation to N. caninum seropositivity and antibody titres both by linear and logistic regression models. Out of the 81 farms sampled, 63 (77.8%) had at least one tested animal positive for N. caninum. Out of the 864 bovine sera samples, 266 (30.8%) were found to have antibodies to N. caninum. The results of the logistic regression model show that significantly high seroprevalence to N. caninum was found in heifers/steers and adults, in cattle raised on farms having a large number of dogs, and in cattle raised in buffer zones having high minimum temperatures in the spring, and a narrow extension of summer NDVI. In addition, positive linear correlations were found between N. caninum antibody titres and the number of dogs on farm, and the minimum temperature in spring. All the above determined risk factors for N. caninum seroprevalence indicate that horizontal infection resulting from the ingestion of oocysts shed by dogs is the most probable route of N. caninum infection in pastured cattle of the southern Italian Apennines.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Mar
pubmed:issn
0304-4017
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:day
31
pubmed:volume
128
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
219-30
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed-meshheading:15740859-Animal Husbandry, pubmed-meshheading:15740859-Animals, pubmed-meshheading:15740859-Antibodies, Protozoan, pubmed-meshheading:15740859-Cattle, pubmed-meshheading:15740859-Cattle Diseases, pubmed-meshheading:15740859-Coccidiosis, pubmed-meshheading:15740859-Cross-Sectional Studies, pubmed-meshheading:15740859-Dogs, pubmed-meshheading:15740859-Ecosystem, pubmed-meshheading:15740859-Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, pubmed-meshheading:15740859-Female, pubmed-meshheading:15740859-Geographic Information Systems, pubmed-meshheading:15740859-Italy, pubmed-meshheading:15740859-Male, pubmed-meshheading:15740859-Neospora, pubmed-meshheading:15740859-Seasons, pubmed-meshheading:15740859-Seroepidemiologic Studies, pubmed-meshheading:15740859-Statistics, Nonparametric, pubmed-meshheading:15740859-Weather
pubmed:year
2005
pubmed:articleTitle
Neospora caninum in pastured cattle: determination of climatic, environmental, farm management and individual animal risk factors using remote sensing and geographical information systems.
pubmed:affiliation
Dipartimento di Patologia e Sanità Animale, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, CREMOPAR Regione Campania, Via della Veterinaria 1, 80137 Napoli, Italy.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article