Estimated economic losses due to neospora caninum infection in dairy herds with and without a history of neospora caninum associated abortion epidemics

In this study, direct economic losses due to Neospora caninum infection, based on actual data from N. caninum seropositive reference herds and from herds that experienced an N. caninum- associated abortion epidemic, were calculated using a stochastic model with random elements. The results demonstrated that 76% of seropositive reference herds had no economic losses, whereas in the remaining 24% of herds, the economic losses went up to maximally Euro 2000 per year. In epidemic abortion herds, economic losses continued after the actual event of the abortion epidemic for at least two more years with average costs of Euro 50 per animal per 2 years. In both herd situations, highest losses were related to premature culling of seropositive cows and to a lesser extent to the effects of abortion (extended calving interval and age of first calving).