Caracterização e isolamento de Toxoplasma gondii em caprino abatidos no Estado da Paraíba.

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonosis caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, which has felids as its definitive host, however, it can parasitize other warm-blooded animals, including goats. The disease is transmitted through the ingestion of contaminated water and food, and in a congenital way through vertical transmission, which can cause reproductive disorders such as abortion, stillbirth, delay in the estrous cycle and others. This dissertation consists of two chapters, the first consists of a literature review related to Toxoplasmosis in goats and the second is a scientific article that aimed to determine the seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii antibodies, the factors associated with goat infection in the state of Paraíba and to isolate strains of the protozoan in samples of goat tissues intended for human consumption. Serum samples from 229 goats slaughtered in Paraíba were tested using the Indirect Immunofluorescence Reaction (RIFI), with a cut-off point of 1:64. The seroprevalence found was 21.39% (49/229), the antibody titers ranged from 1:64 to 1: 32.768. The municipality of origin Patos (OR:3.047), [IC:1.384-6.706] and Sousa (OR:3.355), [IC:1.536-7.327] were considered factors associated with the infection. 38 bioassays were performed on mice from seropositive goat tissues with an isolation rate of 50% (19/38). There was no correlation between isolation rate and antibody titers. Only one mouse died 30 days after infection, which shows low virulence for mice of the isolated strains. These results demonstrate the high seroprevalence in goats in the state of Paraíba, as well as the considerable percentage of viable tissue cysts in animals slaughtered for human consumption.