Hemoparasitic diseases represent a significant problem with a considerable impact on tropical and subtropical areas of the world. These conditions cause economic losses associated with multi-organic failure and even the death of animals. In these areas, the hemoparasites are transmitted in an enzootic cycle when infectious cattle, such as persistently infected animals, including cows, contribute to the success of transmission. However, the factors associated with transmission have always been considered environmental issues, disregarding herd management and practices. In this sense, we conducted a cross-sectional study sampling 360 female cattle older than one year to identify infectious cattle using the PCR technique. We employed a dichotomic questionnaire for association analyses in 150 herds of the southern Andean region of Colombia. Overall prevalence with infectious cattle was 52.5% for Babesia spp., Anaplasma spp., and Trypanosoma spp., and the significant risk factors (p < 0.05) included geographic area, animal weight, purchase of cattle for fattening, disinfection of clothing after contact with neighboring animals, self-medication, separation of animals in pens, supply of mineralized salt, presence of livestock from other owners on the farm, prevention of joint trauma, documented milking routine, and sending blood samples for analysis. These practices permitted the maintenance of persistently infected animals and their movement to shed the agents to other animals in the presence of vectors. This suggests the importance of implementing comprehensive control and training measures to reduce the infectious cattle and, therefore, the profitability of dual-purpose livestock farms in the Andean region of southwestern Colombia.

Approximately 60% of milk production in Colombia comes from dual-purpose (DP) systems, which face limitations in defining racial composition and maintaining production records for genetic resource management in the regions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the phenotypic diversity of cattle in DP systems and generate indicators that link this diversity to productivity, contributing to sustainability in these territories. A total of 2760 animals were phenotypically classified using two criteria associated with Breed Classification (BC) and Apparent Phenotypic Predominance (APP). Linear mixed models including fixed effects of region, covariates of age of cow and days in milk, and animal as random effect, were applied to daily milk records from 2042 cows to estimate the productivity of the breed assignment criteria in the genetic resource management. Most animals (66.92%) were assigned to the Mixed genetic group because its unknown genetic origin. Based on BC the second group comprise individuals classified as Crossbred (10.72%) that exhibit known genetic origin, but their genetic management was hindered by the lack of productive information. Meanwhile, the APP criteria was relevant to describe how either zebuine or taurine breed predominance influenced the daily milk production (3.52 ± 0.76 to 5.8 ± 0.14 kg, respectively) of individuals according to the environmental offerings in the regions. When assessing the impact of phenotypic selection processes in females based on a 1 kg increase in daily milk production could raise the population’s average daily productivity by 0.49 kg. However, this approach poses a risk to the inventory of Mixed animals, which have been used as a genetic resource adapted to the region for several decades.

Introduction: Bovine neosporosis represents a significant threat to reproduction and production in livestock systems worldwide. This disease is caused by the protozoan Neospora caninum, resulting in abortions of cows and neurological signs in newborn calves. This leads to significant economic losses, decreasing meat and milk production, especially in tropical regions. The infection has an endogenous and exogenous cycle of transmission involving dogs that shed the oocysts, with the highest transmission successes in humid areas. Similarly, there is a lack of knowledge about the epidemiological risk factors and management practices involved in the transmission success in tropical humid regions. Methods: In this sense, a cross-sectional epidemiological survey was conducted on 150 farms from 24 municipalities of the Huila area. A total of 360 cattle were sampled, and information about the production system was collected using a structured poll with 128 questions. Results: In these cattle, 53% (191/360) were positive for antibodies against Neospora caninum using ELISA. The logistic regression analysis using the information collected from the poll identified the presence of flooring type, water access, production systems, and feed management as risk factors. Among the protective factors were identified the geographical area, molasses supplementation, and biosecurity practices such as animal separation and access control. Discussion: This study identified for the first time the epidemiological risk factors associated mainly with the exogenous cycle of neosporosis. The present study contributes to the design of intervention strategies oriented to minimize the impact of parasitism in Colombian herds.

Reproductive biotechnologies, such as embryo transfer (ET) and fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI), are increasingly adopted to enhance genetic progress in tropical cattle production systems. However, the high prevalence of reproductive infectious diseases in tropical regions may compromise reproductive outcomes. This study evaluated the impact of eight reproductive pathogens (Neospora caninum, Leptospira spp., Anaplasma spp., Babesia spp., Trypanosoma spp., BVDV, IBR, and BLV) on pregnancy success, embryonic loss, and abortion in 296 bovine females subjected to ET and FTAI in Huila, Colombia. Animals were classified into six genetic groups and monitored for pregnancy at 45 and 90 days post-treatment. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate associations between disease prevalence and reproductive outcomes. Neospora caninum emerged as the most detrimental pathogen, significantly reducing pregnancy rates (OR = 0.443; p = 0.034) and increasing both embryonic loss (OR = 7.35; p = 0.073) and abortion risk (ET: OR = 20.3; p = 0.0002; FTAI: OR = 3.95; p = 0.0436). Leptospira spp. and BLV were also associated with increased embryonic losses, whereas Babesia spp. and IBR were linked to a reduced risk of embryo resorption because of enhanced care, monitoring, or vaccination. Creole cattle showed lower disease susceptibility than crossbred or commercial breeds. These findings highlight the need for comprehensive disease control, targeted vaccination, and reproductive planning to improve biotechnology outcomes in tropical cattle systems.

Animal health strategies in rural Colombia face significant challenges due to a gap between institutional technical approaches and the sociocultural contexts of local communities. This study examines the social representations of animal health and welfare among small- and medium-scale livestock producers in rural Huila. Through a qualitative methodology, semi-structured interviews were applied and focus groups were conducted in different municipalities with the objective of contrasting and enriching the findings obtained in the interviews. In total, the perceptions, knowledge, and practices of 263 small and medium livestock producers from 23 municipalities in Huila were explored with respect to animal vaccination campaigns and healthcare in rural settings. Findings indicate that health management is shaped not only by technical protocols but also by cultural values, collective imaginaries, and symbolic relationships with animals. Representations of animal welfare are diverse—ranging from emotional and economic to preventive and communal perspectives—and often diverge from scientific–technological frameworks. These differences influence the level of community adherence to national animal health programs. The study highlights the limitations of top–down approaches and underscores the need to incorporate local knowledge and practices into policy design. It concludes that promoting sustainable livestock farming requires acknowledging these varied representations, fostering intercultural dialogue, and adopting a territorial approach to integrated health. Recognising the sociocultural dimensions of animal care is essential for developing effective, inclusive, and context-sensitive animal health strategies.

Leptospirosis significantly impacts beef and dairy cattle production, particularly in tropical regions, although it remains a disease of global relevance. This zoonotic disease primarily causes abortions during the final third of gestation. The present study aimed to analyze the risk factors associated with leptospirosis in the southern Andean region of Colombia. To this end, 360 cattle were sampled across 24 municipalities within the department of Huila. A seroprevalence of 49.2% was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). These results were subsequently correlated with various variables obtained through epidemiological surveys. The findings revealed that the primary risk factors for leptospirosis were linked to inadequate livestock management practices. These included improper methods of food storage, failure to implement quarantine protocols for infected animals, the introduction of new fattening cattle into the herd without proper precautions, infrequent weighing of animals, poor storage management of veterinary medications, lack of segregation of sick animals, insufficient estrus detection practices, inadequate hand hygiene when interacting with the herd, and the use of unclean instruments during routine procedures. Conversely, the presence of well-defined internal pathways and the separation of poultry production from cattle operations were identified as protective factors. Understanding these risk factors is critical from a One Health perspective, as it facilitates the implementation of preventive measures aimed at safeguarding both animal and human health.