<it>Toxoplasma gondii </it>infection in slaughter pigs in Serbia: seroprevalence and demonstration of parasites in blood
<p>Abstract</p> <p>A seroepizootiological study of <it>Toxoplasma gondii </it>infection involving a total of 488 slaughter pigs (468 market-weight pigs and 20 sows) in the Belgrade area, also included examination of the presence of <it>T. gondii </it>in the...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2011-02-01
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| Series: | Veterinary Research |
| Online Access: | http://www.veterinaryresearch.org/content/42/1/17 |
| Summary: | <p>Abstract</p> <p>A seroepizootiological study of <it>Toxoplasma gondii </it>infection involving a total of 488 slaughter pigs (468 market-weight pigs and 20 sows) in the Belgrade area, also included examination of the presence of <it>T. gondii </it>in the blood. Blood sampled at the slaughter line was examined for specific antibodies by modified direct agglutination, and blood clots of those seropositive at titres of 1:50-1:12800 were bioassayed in mice. The overall seroprevalence was 9.2%, significantly higher (<it>p </it>= 0.0063) in sows (30.0%) than in market-weight pigs (8.3%). Amongst the 22 bioassays performed, a total of 16 (72.7%) were positive, by observation of <it>T. gondii </it>cysts (12), seropositivity (7, including 3 in which cysts were not detected), and/or detection of <it>T. gondii </it>DNA by real-time PCR (12, including one otherwise negative). The positive bioassays originated from the blood of 12 market-weight pigs and 4 sows. Despite a general increase in the rate of demonstration of <it>T. gondii </it>with the increase in the specific antibody level, the association was not significant (<it>p </it>= 0.101). The risk of infection was 41-fold increased in sows vs market-weight pigs, and 15-fold in pigs from smallholders' finishing type farms vs those from large farrow-to-finish farms. The presence of viable <it>T. gondii </it>in a proportion of the samples indicates that some of the pigs had an active parasitaemia at the time of slaughter, which, along with the seroprevalence established, points to a potential source of human infection in Serbia. This is the first report on parasitaemia in naturally infected swine.</p> |
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| ISSN: | 0928-4249 1297-9716 |