[Epidemiologic survey of Neospora caninum in bovines of rural settlements in Corumbá, MS].

Neospora caninum, is an obligate intracellular parasite, can infect domestic and wild dogs, equines and ruminants. It was described in 1988, and its economic importance is attributed to costs of abortion, the value of the fetuses, artificial insemination and coverage, the decrease in milk production, the increase in the disposal and replacement of animals. In four rural settlements of the municipality of Corumba, MS (Mato Grande, Paiolzinho, Taquaral and Tamarineiro) was used a combination of qualitative methodologies in 37 semi-structured interviews and group dynamics for analysis with participatory rural producers of 657 animals were raised health problems related to production and disease of the herd, and possible variables of risk for the presence of neosporosis. This study evaluated in 392 samples of bovine serum from the settlements of Corumbá, the presence of animals seropositive for N. caninum, to indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT), and prevalence weighted for neospora was 9.17%, ranging from 4.96% to 13.38%. The survey of variables of risk to Neospora investigated in the interviews did not indicate any risk factor for the disease.