1. Economic considerations for diagnostic and control options for Neospora caninum-induced abortions in endemically infected herds of beef cattle.
- Author
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Larson, Robert L., Hardin, David K., and Pierce, Vern L.
- Subjects
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CATTLE parasites , *CATTLE pregnancy , *CATTLE reproduction , *CATTLE parturition , *CATTLE diseases , *VETERINARY medicine , *ANIMAL health , *VETERINARY pathophysiology - Abstract
To compare economic outcome for herds not exposed to Neospora caninum with that for herds with various seroprevalences of N caninum infection and evaluate 3 control strategies. For a 5-year period with low prices for feeder claves, endemic N caninum infection decreased mean return to fixed assets by 22.2% when true seroprevalence was 10% and by 29.9% when true seroprevalence was 70%. Percentage decrease in return to fixed assets was less dramatic when a 5-year period with high prices for feeder calves was evaluated. Analysis indicated that 2 control strategies (culling females that fail to give birth to a calf and selling seropositive female cattle and purchasing seronegative replacement female cattle) were not likely to be economically beneficial. The third control strategy (testing the entire herd for N caninum infection and excluding the female offspring of seropositive dams as replacements) appeared to be a reasonable control strategy. For the assumptions in the model, endemic N caninum infection decreases return to fixed assets for cow-calf herds. Of the potential control strategies evaluated, testing the entire herd for N caninum infection and excluding the daughters of seropositive dams as potential replacements provided the best economic return. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2004
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