Seroprevalence of infection and associated risk factors in cattle in Shanxi Province, north China.

is an obligate intracellular parasitic protozoan that can cause abortions in cattle and pose considerable economic losses to the cattle industry. As a major livestock province, little is known of infection in cattle in Shanxi Province, north China. In order to investigate the seroprevalence of in cattle in Shanxi Province, 978 cattle serum samples were collected from 11 cities in three representative geographical locations in Shanxi Province, and the -specific IgG antibodies were examined using an indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit commercially available. The results showed that 133 of the 978 examined cattle serum samples (13.60%, 95% CI = 11.45-15.75) were positive for antibodies, and the seroprevalence in different cities ranged from 0 to 78.89%. The geographical location and management mode were the risk factors associated with infection in cattle herds in Shanxi Province. Cattle in Northern and Central Shanxi Province as well as cattle whose management mode is that of large-scale cattle farming companies are more susceptible to infection. This was the first large-scale survey of seroprevalence and assessment of associated risk factors in cattle in Shanxi Province, which provided baseline information for the prevention and control of infection in cattle in Shanxi Province, north China.