title: Neospora caninum in beef herds in New South Wales, Australia. 2: analysis of risk factors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the influence of farm-level and animal-level factors on the seroprevalence of antibodies to Neospora caninum and associations between seropositivity and reproductive outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire for a cross-sectional survey was posted to the 63 properties with a herd size ≥50 beef breeding cows that had participated in a previous seroprevalence study. Correspondence analysis, which does not appear to have been used previously in any Australian studies of livestock diseases, was used in conjunction with logistic regression to analyse the data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Geographic factors that increased the risk of seropositivity included higher rainfall North Coast location. Herd management factors that increased the risk of seropositivity included the use of Bos indicus genetics, cross-breeding and running several breeds in the one herd. Using fox control measures was found to be protective against infection with N. caninum. The risk of abortion was 12-fold greater in individual animals that were seropositive for N. caninum. Within a herd, the calving rate was 10.4% lower in herds with one or more N. caninum-positive animals (P = 0.03), but the difference in abortion rate was not significant between seropositive and seronegative herds (0.3% higher, P > 0.3).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirmed previous observations of increased risks for N. caninum seropositivity with being located in the coastal subtropics, some styles of herd management and canid exposure. In addition, it suggested that cross-breeding and proximity to an urban area may increase the risk, and that having pet dogs may reduce the risk of seropositivity.
authors.affiliation: New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Orange, New South Wales 2800, Australia.
authors.forename: B J
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4416-3579
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Moloney
authors.affiliation: EpiCentre, Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Heuer
authors.affiliation: New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, Camden, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Kirkland
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D000034:Abortion, Veterinary / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000235:genetics / Q000469:parasitology*; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology*; D002980:Climate; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D005589:Foxes; D016015:Logistic Models; D018688:Neospora / Q000276:immunology*; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: 
  Neospora caninum
  ; Australia; beef cattle; correspondence analysis; risk factors; seroprevalence