Serological determination of the preference of toxoplasma gondii and neospora caninum infections in cattle and sheep in the aegean region

Objective: In this study, it was aimed to reveal the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum infections in cattle and sheep in the Aegean Region. Materials and Methods: A total of 920 serum samples from Aydın, İzmir, Manisa, Kütahya and Afyon provinces comprising 460 samples from each animal species were used to determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii and N. caninum in each animal species. Commercial c-ELISA kit (VMRD, USA) was used to determine the seroprevalence of N. caninum in sheep and cattle. While, the seroprevalence of T. gondii in samples collected from sheep was deteremined by ELİSA method, IFAT was used to investigate the seroprevalence in cattle samples. Results: The seroprevalence of T. gondii and N. caninum were 29.35% (135 out of 460) and 16.74% (77 out of 460) in samples collected from sheep, respectively. N. caninum was detected in 86 (18.69%) of 460 serum samples collected from cattle, and T. gondii was detected in 64 (13.91%). Additionally, mix infections were detected in 18 (3.91%) sheep and 16 (3.47%) cattle samples. Conclusion: The obtained results showed that T. gondii and N. caninum are common among sheep and cattle in the Aegean Region. For the control of diseases, it is necessary to carry out screenings for two parasitic factors in livestock farms and to remove the animals that are positive from the herd. In addition, the cat and dog population in and around livestock farms should be kept under control.