title: [Risk factors and prevalence of antibodies anti-Neospora caninum in urban and rural dogs from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil].
abstract: Serum samples from 339 dogs from rural (beef and dairy farms) and urban areas of Municipality of Pelotas, RS, were tested by indirect fluorescent antibody test to verify the presence of antibodies anti-Neospora caninum. Data from dogs took part of an epidemiologic questionnaire to identify possible risk factors associated with the seropositivity. Antibodies anti-N. caninum were found 15.6% (53/339) of serum samples, with 5.5% (6/109) of positive dogs from urban area and 20.4% (47/230) from rural area. The analysis multivariate of the risk factors in showed that rural dogs have 3.5 times more chance of contact with the parasite than urban dogs. Dogs with more than 3-years old have a greater risk (OD = 4.1) to be positive for N. caninum than dogs with less than 3-years. Rural dogs from beef farms presented greater risk (OD = 2.8) to be positive when compared with dogs from dairy farms. Seropositivity rate increased 2.2 times in farms which the carcasses of dead animals and aborted fetus were not appropriately removed. N. caninum is present in the southern region of the Rio Grande do Sul, infecting urban and rural dogs.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Parasitologia, Instituto de Biologia, Departamento deMicrobiologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Campus Universitário, Pelotas, RS 96010-900, Brazil. niltonacfilho@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Nilton A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Da  Cunha Filho
authors.forename: Andréia Da S
authors.initials: Ada S
authors.lastname: Lucas
authors.forename: Felipe Geraldes
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Pappen
authors.forename: Alessandra Mara A
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ragozo
authors.forename: Solange Maria
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Gennari
authors.forename: Thomaz Lucia
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Junior
authors.forename: Nara Amélia Da R
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Farias
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D001938:Brazil; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D004285:Dogs / Q000097:blood*; D018688:Neospora / Q000276:immunology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012423:Rural Health; D014504:Urban Health
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan