title: Seroprevalence of Besnoitia besnoiti infection and associated risk factors in cattle from an endemic region in Europe.
abstract: Bovine besnoitiosis, caused by the parasite Besnoitia besnoiti, is a chronic, debilitating disease with both cutaneous and systemic clinical signs that has re-emerged in Europe. This is the first random cross-sectional prevalence study of B. besnoiti infection in cattle carried out in an endemic area in Europe (Navarra, Spain). Dairy (n = 372) and beef (n = 340) cattle >1 year of age were randomly blood sampled. Serum was evaluated using a validated ELISA. True animal prevalence data were restricted to beef cattle (16.0%). The prevalence significantly increased with age and seropositive animals were mostly located in mountainous areas where the disease is endemic. Breed and sex were not found to be risk factors.
authors.affiliation: SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, Madrid 28040, Spain. Electronic address: gemaga@ucm.es.
authors.forename: Gema
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alvarez-García
authors.affiliation: SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, Madrid 28040, Spain.
authors.forename: Aurora
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernández-García
authors.affiliation: SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, Madrid 28040, Spain.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez-Expósito
authors.affiliation: SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, Madrid 28040, Spain.
authors.forename: Jose Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ruíz-Santa Quiteria
authors.affiliation: SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, Madrid 28040, Spain.
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aguado-Martínez
authors.affiliation: SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, Madrid 28040, Spain.
authors.forename: Luis Miguel
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Ortega-Mora
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003612:Dairying; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D021745:Sarcocystidae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Besnoitia besnoiti; Cattle; Endemic; Europe; Prevalence; Risk factors