Management factors associated with Babesia bovis seroprevalence in cattle from eastern Yucatán, Mexico

Abstract

The effect of management on the seroprevalence of Babesia bovis was studied in 399 Bos indicus cattle 1-2 years old from 92 farms in the eastern Yucatán, México. The management factors studied were: farm-type, production system, herd size, farm size, stocking density, vector control, dipping interval, type of dipping, type of acaricide and cattle introduction to the farm. A cross-sectional study was carried out (2-stage cluster sampling). The number of serum samples was proportionally distributed according to the number of farms in the nine locations of eastern Yucatán, México (399 animals from 92 farms). Antibody activity to B. bovis was tested using an indirect ELISA. The farms with a seroprevalence < or = 75% were considered as cases and those with seroprevalence > 75% were considered as controls. The variables with p < or = 0.20 were included in fixed effects logistic regression. The seroprevalence of the zone was 73.8% (66.3-81.3%). The following risk factors were found: Stocking density (< 1 head/ha, OR = 4.04, CI (OR) = 1.20-13.62) and dipping interval (> 60 days, OR = 5.07 CI (OR) = 1.26-20.48).