Seroprevalence of neosporosis in stray adult dogs in Chalkidiki, Northern Greece

Abstract

Despite the importance of N. caninum in veterinary medicine, knowledge on the prevalence of this parasitosis in dogs is limited in some countries. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of canine neosporosis in dogs in Chalkidiki, Northern Greece. This prospective study was conducted between January 2018 and December 2019 in stray dogs aged ≥6 months old. Blood samples were collected by venipuncture before the female and male dogs underwent the spay and castration procedures, respectively. The indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to screen dogs for the presence of IgG antibodies against N. caninum . Of 511 dogs included in this study, 39 (7.63%) were positive for IgG antibodies against N. caninum . Of all the dogs, 221 were males and 290 females, with positive results for IgG antibodies found in 16 (7.24%) males and 23 (7.93%) females. Because of their free ranging, stray adult dogs, in addition to ingestion of sporulated oocysts from the environment, they can have direct access to ingest tissue cysts originating from miscarriage products of cattle abortions or consumption of row meat of other intermediate hosts. Preventive measures should be developed and implemented to break the domestic cycle between dogs and bovine. We want to highlight the importance of regional reporting of neosporosis prevalence and control measures by veterinarians and veterinary authorities to farmers and public, in order to avoid this disease’s spread.