RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article T1 Dynamics of Neospora caninum-Associated Abortions in a Dairy Sheep Flock and Results of a Test-and-Cull Control Programme A1 Sánchez Sánchez, Roberto A1 Vázquez Calvo, Ángela A1 Fernández Escobar, Mercedes A1 Regidor Cerrillo, Javier A1 Benavides, Julio A1 Gutiérrez, Jorge A1 Gutiérrez Expósito, Daniel A1 Crespo Ramos, Francisco José A1 Ortega Mora, Luis Miguel A1 Álvarez García, Gema A2 Sanidad Animal K1 Sanidad animal K1 Neospora caninum K1 Abortion K1 Sheep K1 Transmission route K1 Control programme K1 3109 Ciencias Veterinarias AB [EN] Neospora caninum is an apicomplexan parasite that can cause abortions and perinatal mortality in sheep. Although ovine neosporosis has been described worldwide, there is a lack of information about the relationship between N. caninum serostatus and the reproductive performance. In this study, we described the infection dynamics in a dairy sheep flock with an abortion rate up to 25% and a N. caninum seroprevalence of 32%. Abortions were recorded in 36% and 9% of seropositive and seronegative sheep, respectively. Seropositive sheep were more likely to abort twice (OR = 4.44) or three or more times (OR = 10.13) than seronegative sheep. Endogenous transplacental transmission was the main route of transmission since 86% of seropositive sheep had seropositive offspring. Within dams that had any abortion, seropositive sheep were more likely than seronegative ones to have female descendants that aborted (OR = 8.12). The slight increase in seropositivity with the age, the low percentage of animals with postnatal seroconversion or with low avidity antibodies, and the seropositivity of one flock dog, indicated that horizontal transmission might have some relevance in this flock. A control programme based on selective culling of seropositive sheep and replacement with seronegative animals was effective in reducing the abortion rate to 7.2% PB MDPI LK https://hdl.handle.net/10612/18869 UL https://hdl.handle.net/10612/18869 NO Sánchez-Sánchez, R., Vázquez-Calvo, Á., Fernández-Escobar, M., Regidor-Cerrillo, J., Benavides, J., Gutiérrez, J., Gutiérrez-Expósito, D., Crespo-Ramos, F. J., Ortega-Mora, L. M., & Álvarez-García, G. (2021). Dynamics of neospora caninum-associated abortions in a dairy sheep flock and results of a test-and-cull control programme. Pathogens, 10(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/PATHOGENS10111518 DS BULERIA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de León RD 02-jun-2024