Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Dairy Goats in Michoacán State, Mexico

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in goats in Michoacán, Mexico, is largely unknown. Antibodies to T. gondii were determined in 341 dairy goats in Michoacán, Mexico, using the modified agglutination test. Goats were raised in 9 farms in 6 municipalities. Overall, antibodies to Toxoplasma...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of parasitology 2013-06, Vol.99 (3), p.540-542
Main Authors: Alvarado-Esquivel, C, Silva-Aguilar, D, Villena, I, Dubey, J. P
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age
agglutination tests
Agglutination Tests - veterinary
Altitude
Animals
Antibodies
Antibodies, Protozoan - blood
Climate
Dairy goats
Dairying
Farms
Female
Goat Diseases - epidemiology
Goat Diseases - parasitology
Goat milk
Goats
humans
Humid climates
Humid zones
Infections
Male
Medical research
Mexico - epidemiology
Milk
Municipalities
Parasitology
Protozoa
protozoan antibodies
RESEARCH NOTES
Seroepidemiologic Studies
Serology
seroprevalence
Toxoplasma - immunology
Toxoplasma gondii
Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis, Animal - epidemiology
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Summary:Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in goats in Michoacán, Mexico, is largely unknown. Antibodies to T. gondii were determined in 341 dairy goats in Michoacán, Mexico, using the modified agglutination test. Goats were raised in 9 farms in 6 municipalities. Overall, antibodies to Toxoplasma were found in 52 (15.2%) of 341 goats, with titers of 1:25 in 16, 1:50 in 9, 1:100 in 4, 1:200 in 4, 1:400 in 4, 1:800 in 9, 1:1,600 in 3, and 1:3,200 or higher in 3. Seropositive goats were found in all 9 farms sampled, and seroprevalence varied significantly among farms (1.9–90%). Seroprevalence of T. gondii varied with age, municipality, altitude, and climate but not with breed. Increased seroprevalence was found in goats aged 13–24 and 49–86 mo old (25% and 22.9%, respectively). Goats raised in farms in a municipality with semi-warm humid climate at 1,700 m of altitude had the highest seroprevalence (62.1%). This is the first report of T. gondii infection in goats in Michoacán State, Mexico, and of an association of seropositivity to T. gondii and semi-warm humid climate. Results indicate that infected goats are likely an important source of infection with T. gondii in humans in Michoacán State.
ISSN:0022-3395
1937-2345
DOI:10.1645/12-103.1