Data from: Tick-borne diseases in Subtropical dairy farming: The role of calf rearing strategies in antibody and antigen prevalence
Data files
Jul 17, 2026 version files 38.36 KB
-
DATA_BASE_ANAPLASMA_DRYAD.csv
7.96 KB
-
DATA_BASE_BABESIA_DRYAD.csv
7.97 KB
-
R_code_cattle_tickBorneDiseases.R
17.74 KB
-
README.md
4.68 KB
Jul 17, 2026 version files 38.38 KB
-
DATA_BASE_ANAPLASMA_DRYAD.csv
7.96 KB
-
DATA_BASE_BABESIA_DRYAD.csv
7.97 KB
-
R_code_cattle_tickBorneDiseases.R
17.74 KB
-
README.md
4.70 KB
Abstract
Tick-borne diseases (TBDs), such as anaplasmosis and babesiosis, pose significant challenges to dairy farming in subtropical regions, where balancing tick control with immune development is essential to maintaining herd health. This study evaluated the immune responses of calves raised under confined and traditional systems in Ecuador. Serum samples from 124 cows and their calves were analyzed using ELISA assays to detect Anaplasma marginale antibodies and Babesia bovis antigens. The results showed a significantly higher seroprevalence of A. marginale antibodies in calves reared under traditional systems (98%) compared to those raised under confinement (32%) (p < 0.01), suggesting that early exposure to infected ticks enhances immune response development. In contrast, antigen levels for B. bovis were low overall (1% Ag-prevalence), suggesting limited pathogen circulation, although the Ag-prevalence was slightly higher in traditional systems (2%). In confined systems, maternal antibody transfer appeared to play a more prominent role, whereas calves in traditional systems developed a more active, independent immunity. These findings highlight the importance of calf-rearing strategies that incorporate controlled tick exposure alongside targeted management practices to enhance herd resilience and mitigate economic losses. A balanced approach considering endemic stability could improve long-term protection against TBDs in subtropical dairy farming systems.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.2rbnzs843
Description of the data and file structure
Note: CSV files are semicolon-delimited.
File: DATA_BASE_ANAPLASMA_DRYAD.csv
This dataset contains serological results for Anaplasma spp. obtained from cow–calf pairs across multiple farms operating under different rearing systems.
The objective of the dataset is to evaluate exposure or infection status in dams and their respective calves using ELISA optical density (OD) measurements (Antibody) and qualitative interpretation (positive/negative).
Each row represents one cow–calf pair sampled from a specific farm.
Total observations: 124 cow–calf pairs
Total variables: 9
| Variable Name | Description | Type | Units / Coding |
|---|---|---|---|
| CODE FARM | Unique identifier for each farm | Categorical (string) | Alphanumeric code (e.g., 48B, 69B) |
| N | Internal numeric record identifier | Numeric (integer) | Sequential number |
| REARING SYSTEMS | Calf rearing system | Categorical (string) | Traditional System/ Confined System |
| CODE DAM | Unique identifier for each dam | Categorical (string) | Alphanumeric |
| Anaplasma Dam_OD | ELISA optical density value for the dam | Numeric (continuous) | Optical Density (OD) |
| ANAPLASMA Dam | Serological result for the dam | Categorical (string) | POSITIVE / NEGATIVE |
| CODE CALF | Unique identifier for each calf | Categorical (string) | Alphanumeric |
| Anaplasma Ca_OD | ELISA optical density value for the calf | Numeric (continuous) | Optical Density (OD) |
| ANAPLASMA Ca | Serological result for the calf | Categorical (string) | POSITIVE / NEGATIVE |
File: DATA_BASE_BABESIA_DRYAD.csv
This dataset contains serological results for Babesia spp. obtained from cow–calf pairs across multiple farms operating under different rearing systems.
The objective of the dataset is to evaluate exposure or infection status in dams and their respective calves using ELISA optical density (OD) measurements (Antigen) and qualitative interpretation (positive/negative).
Each row represents one cow–calf pair sampled from a specific farm.
Total observations: 122 cow–calf pairs
Total variables: 9
| Variable Name | Description | Type | Units / Coding |
|---|---|---|---|
| CODE FARM | Unique identifier for each farm | Categorical (string) | Alphanumeric code (e.g., 48B, 69B) |
| N | Internal numeric record identifier | Numeric (integer) | Sequential number |
| REARING SYSTEMS | Calf rearing system | Categorical (string) | Traditional System/ Confined System |
| CODE DAM | Unique identifier for each cow | Categorical (string) | Alphanumeric (e.g., M1, M2) |
| Babesia Dam_OD | ELISA optical density value for the dam | Numeric (continuous) | Optical Density (OD) |
| BABESIA Dam | Serological result for the dam | Categorical (string) | POSITIVE / NEGATIVE |
| CODE CALF | Unique identifier for each calf | Categorical (string) | Alphanumeric (e.g., C1, C2) |
| Babesia Ca_OD | ELISA optical density value for the calf | Numeric (continuous) | Optical Density (OD) |
| BABESIA Ca | Serological result for the calf | Categorical (string) | POSITIVE / NEGATIVE |
File: R_code_cattle_tickBorneDiseases.R
This file contains the R code for the statistical analysis.
Access information
Other publicly accessible locations of the data:
Part of the dataset includes information obtained from publicly available agricultural records.
Data was derived from the following sources:
Farm identification and rearing system classification were obtained from official agricultural records. Serological data were generated through laboratory analyses performed for this study.