Impact of environmental factors on Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii infection in breeding ewes from western Mexico

Abstract Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii are among the foremost causes of reproductive issues in sheep. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the influence of environmental factors associated with N. caninum and T. gondii infections in breeding ewes from western Mexico. A total of 184 blood samples were collected from breeding ewes to determine the seroprevalence of N. caninum and T. gondii using ELISA testing. With the seroprevalence data and information on the climatic and geographic conditions of the regions, environmental factors associated with N. caninum and T. gondii infections were identified through logistic regression analysis. A 15.21% of animals were found to have N. caninum antibodies (27/184), while a 61.9% prevalence (114/184) was observed in the case of T. gondii. The primary risk factors associated with N. caninum were Köppen climate area Ca(w1) with an odds ratio (OR) of 6.55 and Rainfall (700–800 mm) with an OR of 3.23. In the diagnosis of T. gondii, 113 positive sheep out of 184 included in the study were identified. In the risk analysis for T. gondii, the main risk factors observed were Köppen climate area Cb(w1) with an OR of 10.5 and Rainfall (900–1000 mm) with an OR of 4.6.