Open AccessOccurrence and risk factors for Toxoplasma gondii infection in goats from micro-regions of the state of Piauí
Author(s) -
Karina Rodrigues dos Santos,
Jezlon da Fonseca Lemos,
Carla Duque Lopes,
Richard Átila de Sousa,
Marcelo Richelly Alves de Oliveira,
Carlos Syllas Monteiro Luz,
Severino Cavalcante de Sousa Júnior
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
semina. ciências agrárias
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.268
H-Index - 25
eISSN - 1679-0359
pISSN - 1676-546X
DOI - 10.5433/1679-0359.2018v39n6p2457
Subject(s) - toxoplasma gondii , seroprevalence , herd , cats , biology , veterinary medicine , parasite hosting , zoology , serology , medicine , immunology , antibody , computer science , world wide web
This study aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence and risk factors associated with Toxoplasma gondii infection in goats from micro-regions of the state of Piauí (Brazil). From six randomly selected properties, 145 goats were examined. Serum samples of the animals were analyzed by ELISA for the presence or absence of antibodies against T. gondii. Of these, 22% were seroreactive for T. gondii. Individual records were also taken for each property. These analyses showed that factors such as sex, age, water source, and presence of cats were associated with animal seropositivity. In addition, there was also a positive correlation (p > 0.04) between animal sex and T. gondii contamination. The presence of cats in the facilities and animal pasture fields appeared to be a risk factor for the contamination of goats in the assessed properties (p > 0.03). The parasite Toxoplasma gondii is present in the goat herds of southern Piauí state, and females are more likely to be contaminated.