Seroprevalence and risk factor analysis of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in small ruminants, camels, and equines in northwest Egypt.

Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum infections are major causes of abortion and associated economic losses in the global livestock industry, particularly among ruminants. In Egypt, maintaining high levels of livestock production is a priority due to ongoing economic challenges. However, data on animal toxoplasmosis are limited in certain regions, such as Matrouh governorate, and studies on neosporosis remain scarce nationwide. This study aimed to estimate the seroprevalence and evaluate associated risk factors of T. gondii and N. caninum in small ruminants, camels, and equines from Matrouh governorate using ELISA. A total of 276 blood samples were collected from various animals in Matrouh governorate and examined with two commercial ELISA kits to detect T. gondii IgG and N. caninum IgG/IgM antibodies. The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii was 36.6% (101/276), with significantly higher rates observed in camels (84.6%) and goats (51.1%) compared to other species; sheep (15.2%), horses (8.8%), and donkeys (21.1%). The overall seroprevalence of N. caninum was slightly higher at 44.6% (123/276), with horses (79.4%), donkeys (78.9%), and goats (73.9%) showing the highest rates. Camels showed a lower seroprevalence of N. caninum (20.5%) compared to T. gondii, while sheep also had a low prevalence (5.4%) for N. caninum. Female animals exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of Toxoplasma infection (48.6%) than males (12.1%), whereas the difference in Neospora prevalence between females (45.9%) and males (41.8%) was not significant. Older animals showed a significantly higher prevalence of Toxoplasma, Neospora, and mixed infections. Further surveillance studies are needed in the governorate to assess the occurrence of these pathogens in animals, utilizing both serological and molecular methods, and to investigate their role in abortions, particularly in sheep and goats.