Comparing Neospora caninum serology results with pregnancy success and subsequent congenital infection in a South Dakota commercial cow calf herd
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21423/aabppro20173376Keywords:
reproductive failure, Neospora caninum, serologic monitoring, infection, pregnancy, congenital infectionAbstract
A 300-cow spring-calving commercial beef herd in northeastern South Dakota experienced an unusually high rate of reproductive failure in a group of home-raised and-bred first-calf heifers during the 2015 spring calving season. In the course of a small-scale case-control investigation, Neospora caninum seropositivity was associated with reproductive loss in individual animals. As a result, the herd embarked upon a prospective serologic monitoring program to better understand the dynamics of Neospora infection in the herd, including incidence rates in replacement heifer groups, correlation with pregnancy, and incidence of congenital infection.