Neosporosis is a worldwide disease caused by a protozoan (Apicomplexa, Sarcocystidae), called Neospora caninum (N. caninum). In Latin America was diagnosed in Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Peru. In Uruguay, the prevalence in dairy cattle is undetermined, with only a few reports in some areas from medium and large farmers. The main of this study was to determine the presence of serologically positive animals against N. caninum in small dairy farmers in critical context from central region of Uruguay (Departments of Durazno and Tacuarembó). Using a commercial ELISA kit, 734 sera of adult dairy cows were analyzed, resulting in 211 positive (28.8%), 517 negative (70.5%) and six animals with uncertain outcome (0.7%). The results demonstrated the exposure of cattle to the parasite, which is the first serological survey of N. caninum in basins of small dairy farmers in critical context in Uruguay.
Neospora caninum; ELISA; dairy cows; Uruguay