Background: Bovine besnoitiosis is a widespread disease caused by Besnoitia besnoiti with significant economic
losses in cattle production. There is a lack of knowledge about it in Egypt.
Aim: This study was conducted to detect the seroprevalence of B. besnoiti in cattle and to find out the presence of the
disease and the most important symptoms of besnoitiosis in cattle in Assiut Governorate, Egypt.
Methods: A total of 190 cattle from Assiut city and its different rural centers were examined clinically and serologically
for the presence of B. besnoiti. The serological examination was carried out by using the indirect enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit in serum (ID.Vet Innovative Diagnostics Louis Pasteur. Grabeis, France). The
results were analyzed statistically using the chi-square test to assess the association between seroprevalence and
different parameters (age, sex, season, housing, and health status).
Result: Thirteen cattle were seropositive for B. besnoiti by ELISA and showed symptoms of besnoitiosis. Acute
symptoms included fever, tachycardia, edematous swellings of intermandibular space and limbs with polyarthritis,
diarrhea, ruminal atony, and enlarged lymph nodes. The chronic symptoms included cough, mastitis, exophthalmia,
cysts on the sclera and conjunctiva, nodules in the skin, and alopecia associated with tick infestation. The overall
seroprevalence of B. besnoiti was 22.1%. Regarding sex, the seroprevalence was higher for females 34.6% than for
males 6.97%. While, according to age susceptibility, the seroprevalence was highest (50.9%) with age ≥5 years,
followed by age >1 to <5 years (14.6%), and only one animal of age ≤1 year was recorded at 2.2%. Concerning seasonal
variations, the seroprevalence was highest in spring 42.9%, followed by autumn 29.3%, winter 13.6%, and summer
7.5%. Whereas, according to the housing system, it was 60% and 8.6% in farm and household rearing, respectively.
Depending on the health status, the seroprevalence was 21.6% of clinically healthy and 23.2% of clinically diseased
cattle.
Conclusion: The existence of B. besnoiti antibodies has been demonstrated in clinical and subclinical infected cattle
in Assiut Governorate, Egypt. The ELISA test is considered to be a good diagnostic method for detecting infection.
Furthermore, additional studies are essential to minimize and prevent the spread of infection.