Serological Insights into Infectious Agents Circulating in Lithuanian Goats

Pathogens such as <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i>, lentiviruses (e.g., CAE), <i>Hypoderma</i> spp., <i>Neospora caninum</i>, <i>Mycoplasma</i> spp., and pestiviruses are important for goat farming in Lithuania; however, data on their prevalence remain limited. To address this gap, a multi-pathogen study was conducted between 2021 and 2024 using selected ELISA kits (ID.vet, Innovative Diagnostics, France). A total of 380 blood samples were collected from 30 goat herds across different regions of Lithuania; the sample size varied depending on the pathogen. Serum samples were tested for antibodies, and seroprevalence was calculated for each pathogen. The highest seroprevalence was detected for <i>T. gondii</i> (38.9%, 143/368) and CAE virus (19.5%, 74/380). Antibodies to <i>Mycoplasma</i> spp. (0.3%, 1/368), <i>Hypoderma</i> spp. (3.8%, 7/184), and <i>N. caninum</i> (0.5%, 2/368) were detected only sporadically, while no antibodies to Border disease virus or Q fever were identified. Mixed infections were found in 7.6% of samples. Chi-square analysis showed that co-infections with toxoplasmosis and CAE occurred more frequently than expected (χ² = 19.05, <i>p</i> < 0.001). Herd size was significantly associated only with CAE seroprevalence (χ² = 7.913, df = 1, <i>p</i> < 0.05). Overall, toxoplasmosis and CAE were identified as the most epidemiologically relevant infections in the Lithuanian goat population.