First report of seroprevalence of <em>Toxoplasma gondii </em>infection in sheep in Pomerania, northern Poland
Journal Title: Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine - Year 2015, Vol 22, Issue 4
Abstract
[b][/b][b][/b][b]Introduction and objective.[/b] [i]Toxoplasmosis[/i] is parasitic disease which has economic relevance for both veterinary and human medicine. In sheep, toxoplasmosis is a major cause of abortion and can thus cause reproductive problems. The current study aimed to determine the occurrence of anti-[i]Toxoplasma gondii [/i]IgG antibodies in sheep from 13 districts of northern Poland and thereby obtain actual data about [i]T. gondii[/i] seroprevalence in this population of animals. [b]Materials and methods.[/b][b][/b] [/b]Blood samples from 1,646 animals from 99 herds were collected, and an in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on native [i]Toxoplasma[/i] lysate antigen (TLA) was used for serological testing. The diagnostic sensitivity of diagnostic test used in this study was 98.6%, and specificity 94.9% for the group of 113 sheep sera (74 seropositive and 39 seronegative) previously characterized by using an commercial agglutination test. [b]Results.[/b] Antibodies against [i]T. gondii[/i] were found in 921 (55.9%) of all tested animals. The percentage of infected sheep was the highest (67.6%) for older animals (&amp;gt;6 years), whereas for younger ones it was significantly lower (50.1% – 57.2% for 1–5-year-old animals, respectively). Furthermore, a higher percentage of seropositive animals was noted among males (63%) than females (55.5%). The results also showed that the size of the herd is not a factor which may affect the seroprevalence of [i]T. gondii[/i] infection in the examined population of sheep. [b]Conclusion. [/b]The results of this study indicate that [i]T. gondii[/i] infection in sheep from region of northern Poland is relatively high, and consumption of ovine meat and milk can be regarded as a significant source of infection for humans.
Authors and Affiliations
Lucyna Holec-Gąsior, Bartosz Dominiak-Górski, Józef Kur
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP81020
- DOI -
- Views 155
- Downloads 0
Non-alcoholic beverages, unknown influence on cell proliferation – an [i]in vitro[/i] study
Introduction and objective. The aim of the presented study was to check differences between ‘Diet’ and ‘non-Diet’ soft drinks on cell proliferation.Materials and methods. Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola of different origin and...
Tick bites on humans in the agricultural and recreational areas in south-eastern Poland.
The investigations were conducted in the Lublin province (south-eastern Poland) in areas of high agricultural and recreational value. Among the 418 patients admitted to medical clinics due to arthropod bites in the years...
Effect of the nasal cycle on congestive response during bilateral nasal allergen provocation
Background. Bilateral nasal allergen provocation usually produces more pronounced obstruction of one nasal passage. It was found that this could be related to the stage of the nasal cycle before the provocation. object...
Microarrays – new possibilities for detecting biological factors hazardous for humans and animals, and for use in environmental protection
Both the known biological agents that cause infectious diseases, as well as modified (ABF-Advanced Biological Factors) or new, emerging agents pose a significant diagnostic problem using previously applied methods, both...
Ekspozycja na kleszcze oraz seroprewalencja Borrelia burgdorferi wśród zdrowych młodych osób zamieszkałych na terenie południowego Podlasia (Polska)
Celem badań była ocena ryzyka zakażenia Borrelia burgdorferi na terenie południowego Podlasia (przy granicy z Białorusią) poprzez analizę postępowania poekspozycyjnego oraz ocenę bezobjawowego zakażenia młodzieży ukłutej...