Bovine Neosporosis: A Disease Often Missed on Farms

On some cattle farms, abortion cases may suddenly increase even though there are no major changes in feeding or daily management. The cows may still look healthy, which makes the problem difficult to understand at first.

In situations like this, bovine neosporosis is one disease that should not be ignored.

It is caused by Neospora caninum, a parasite linked mainly with reproductive problems in cattle. Many infected cows do not show clear symptoms, so the disease is often found only after repeated abortion cases happen in the herd.

Besides abortion, farms may also notice:

weak calves after birth

lower pregnancy rates

reproductive performance becoming unstable

Dogs are part of the infection cycle and may spread the parasite around the farm environment. Feed and water contamination can increase the chance of exposure. In some cases, infected cows may also pass the infection to their calves during pregnancy.

Because the signs are not obvious, testing is commonly used to help check the herd situation.

The Bovine Neosporosis Antibody Test can be used to detect antibodies against Neospora caninum in cattle. It is often used during abortion investigations or routine herd monitoring to provide more information for veterinarians and farm managers.

For farms dealing with unexplained reproductive loss, early screening may help identify possible infection exposure before the problem becomes more serious.