Prevalence of Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii Antibodies and DNA in Raw Milk of Various Ruminants in Egypt.

The prevalence of and antibodies in raw milk samples was estimated in different ruminants and Egyptian governorates. Of 13 bulk milk samples tested by ELISA, five (38.5%) were positive for antibodies to , and two samples were additionally positive for antibodies to , resulting in a seroprevalence of 15.4% for both and co-infection. In individual milk samples (n = 171) from the same bulks, antibodies to were detected in 25.7%, to in 14%, and 3.5% had antibodies to both parasites. A strong correlation between the OD values of the bulk samples and of the relevant individual milk samples was found for (Pearson r = 0.9759) and moderately strong for (Pearson r = 0.5801). Risk factor assessment for individual milk samples revealed that antibodies to were significantly influenced by animal species, while no risk factors were detected for antibodies. Additionally, DNA of was detected in a bulk milk sample of cattle for the first time in Egypt, and DNA of was found in bulk milk samples of cattle, sheep and goats. This is the first study in Egypt in which bulk milk samples of different ruminants were tested for the presence of and antibodies and DNA. Both individual and bulk milk samples are useful tools for monitoring antibody response to and infections in different ruminants in Egypt.