An Analysis of the Economic Impact of Neospora caninum in Ontario Dairy Cattle
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21423/aabppro20025073Keywords:
Neospora caninum, economic effect, infection, milk productionAbstract
The difficult task of establishing the economic impact of Neospora caninum infection in dairy cattle is complicated by the broad parameters defining the effects of N. caninum infection. Estimates of the impact of the abortifacient effects have ranged from annual losses of $6.78 million (USD) in New Zealand to $35 million for California. $7.3 million is lost annually in Japan by decreased milk production in infected animals. A negative effect on milk production has not proven universal, yet assumptions regarding it are integral to an accurate economic estimate. This work describes the results of an analysis of the association between N. caninum infection and milk production in two Ontario dairy herd populations. In one group of cows from herds experiencing N. caninum-abortion problems (group A), seropositive animals produced 607 lb (276 kg) less 305-day milk than seronegative cows (n=1196, p<0.05). By contrast, in the second population of herds (group B), considered representative of Ontario, seropositive animals produced 332 lb (151 kg) more 305-day milk compared to seronegative cows (n=3162, p=0.10). The objective of this work was to quantify the economic effect of N. caninum infection in Ontario dairy cattle, considering the potential detrimental or enhancing effect of infection on milk production.