Prevalência de anticorpos anti-toxoplasma gondii e anti-neospora caninum em suínos abatidos no matadouro público de Patos, Estado da Paraíba, Brasil.

Abstract

A serologic survey was conducted among 130 swine slaughtered in the public slaughterhouse of Patos city, Paraiba State, Northeastern Brazil, to determine the prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii and anti-Neospora caninum antibodies, and to verify possible associations between sex of the animals and antibody prevalence. The sera were analyzed for anti-r. gondii and anti-N. caninum antibodies by indirect fluorescent antibody tests, considering 1:64 and 1:50 dilutions as cut-off points, respectively. The prevalence of anti-r. gondii antibodies was 36.2%, with titers ranging from 64 to 2048, and anti-A^. caninum antibodies was 3.1%, with titers ranging from 50 to 6400. There were no associations between sex of animals and prevalence of anti-r. gondii and anti-N. caninum antibodies. It is suggested the implantation of adequate management measures in the swine herds with the aim of preventing the transmission of toxoplasmosis and neosporosis to these animals, as well as the adoption of prevention measures by swine meat consumers of the Patos municipality because toxoplasmosis is a important zoonose. The detection of anti-A/. caninum antibodies in swine slaughtered in the public slaughterhouse of Patos, Paraiba state, is the first report of infection in this animal species in Northeastern Brazil.