Abstract
Introduction: Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan that causes toxoplasmosis in humans and domestic animals. It causes abortion, especially in small ruminants. Sheep and goats have a significant role in the maintenance and survival of the parasite as well as its transmission to humans. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in small ruminants in Kaleybar region, East Azerbaijan province, using Indirect ELISA.
Materials and Methods: In this study, blood samples of 270 sheep and goats were collected from October 2019 to December 2019 and anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies in sera were evaluated using indirect ELISA. Data analysis was performed using chi-square test in SPSS version 24.0. A P value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: Totally, 26 of 270 (9.62%) animals had anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in their sera. Analysis showed that sheep were more susceptible to toxoplasmosis than goats and 21 (10.5%) sheep and 5 (7.14%) goats were seropositive for T. gondii; however, there was no statistically significant difference (P=0.413). The highest frequency (15.87%) of infection was observed in sheep and goats aged 3-4 years, respectively. Moreover, the rate of infection was higher in female (22/205) animals than in males (4/65); however, the relationship between gender and age and the frequency of positive samples was not significant (P=0.276 and P=0.121).
Conclusions: The results of this study indicated that the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in small ruminants of the Kaleybar region (North West of Iran) is relatively low compared to other parts of the country. Further studies should be conducted on the rate of infection in definitive hosts of T. gondii in the region as a potential source of human infection.