Estudo epidemiológico das infecções por Toxoplasma gondii em ovinos abatidos na Paraíba.

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan of the phylum Apicomplexa, capable of infecting a wide variety of species, including man. The felines are its definitive host and the consumption of rare meat is considered an important source of transmission for humans. This dissertation consists of two chapters, being the first a literature review related to toxoplasmosis in sheep; and the second is a scientific article that aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence of T. gondii, determine the factors associated with the infection and perform the isolation of the agent in tissue samples from goats intended for human consumption in Paraíba. Serum samples from 205 sheep slaughtered in Paraíba were tested using the Indirect Immunofluorescence Reaction (RIFI≥64) to the presence of anti-T. gondii antibodies. Of the animals sampled, 30.7% (63/205) were seropositive, with antibody titers ranging from 1:64 to 1: 16.384. Females (OR = 3,183; IC 95% = 1,452-6,976), extensive rearing system (OR = 2,612; IC 95% = 1,120-6,094) and purebred animals (OR = 2,157; IC 95% = 1,009-4,612) were factors associated with infection. 61 bioassays were carried out, and an isolation rate of 47.5% (29/61) was obtained. 24.1% (7/29) of the isolates were lethal to at least one infected mouse. The average survival of infected mice was 36.4 days. These results reveal that the prevalence of anti- T. gondii antibodies is high in sheep in the state of Paraíba, as well as the percentage of viable cysts recovered from these animals destined for human consumption.