Toxoplasma gondii infection in slaughtered ewes in Khorramabad, west of Iran: A preliminary molecular study
BACKGROUND: The parasitic protozoa Toxoplasma gondii is widely prevalent in humans and warm-blooded animals. Humans are usually infected with T. gondii by ingesting oocysts shed by cats or by ingesting viable tissue cysts present in raw or undercooked meat. OBJECTIVES: This preliminary study was con...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Tehran
2017-08-01
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| Series: | Iranian Journal of Veterinary Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ijvm.ut.ac.ir/article_62867_7e220695930e1979530bbc34daeb2ed6.pdf |
| Summary: | BACKGROUND: The parasitic protozoa Toxoplasma gondii is widely prevalent in humans and warm-blooded animals. Humans are usually infected with T. gondii by ingesting oocysts shed by cats or by ingesting viable tissue cysts present in raw or undercooked meat. OBJECTIVES: This preliminary study was conducted to assess the frequency of Toxoplasma gondii infection in tissue samples of ewes slaughtered in Khorramabad, west of Iran. METHODS: We examined the brain tissue, diaphragm, tongue and masseter muscles of 30 ewes. A nested-PCR which targets the 25–50 copies of B1 sequence has been used for tissue samples. RESULTS: The parasite was identified in 21 brain samples (70%) and 8 muscle samples (26.6%). Twenty-three sheep (76.6%) were infected with T. gondii. CONCLUSION: T. gondii is might be considered as one of the major causes of ovine abortion in this region. According to the result, edible parts of sheep may play a greater role as a source of infection for individuals living in this area. |
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| ISSN: | 2251-8894 2252-0554 |