EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES ON TOXOPLASMOSIS IN SMALL RUMINANTS AND EQUINE IN DAKAHLIA GOVERNORATE, EGYPT.

摘要

Prevalence of toxoplasmosis was investigated in small ruminants (292 sheep & 81 goats) and equine (54 horses and 79 donkeys) from Dakahlia govemorate, Egypt in the period from October 2013 - October 2014. The annually incidences were estimated by using latex agglutination test (LAT); indirect hemagglutination test (HAT) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in sheep were (41.7%), (66.1%) and (62.0%) respectively, in goat were (49.4%), (64,2%) and (50.6%) respectively, in horse (50.0%), (72.2%) and (72,2%) respectively and (44.3%), (67.1%) and (68.4%) in donkeys respectively. The results of bioassay in cats revealed that 8 out of 25 slaughtered sheep (32.0%) and 9 out of 25 slaughtered donkeys (36.0%) were positive. Histopathological examination on bioassay positive case detected Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) tissue cysts in 3 (37.5%) and 4 (44.4%) in diaphragm muscles of sheep and donkeys respectively. The sensitivity of both ELISA and IHAT in sheep and donkeys was 100%. Regarding to host risk factors associated with toxoplasmosis, the results revealed that the seroincidence was significandy higher in equine [horses (72.2%) and donkeys (68.4%)] than in small ruminants [sheep (62.0%) and goats (50.6%)] and in relation to the gender the females were higher than in males. There are high associations between the history of abortion and intensive rearing system with incidence of toxoplasmosis in sheep. It could be concluded that the equines and small nimmants play an important role in epidemiology of toxoplasmosis. ELISA test is the more suitable test in diagnosis of toxoplasmosis in small ruminant and equine. There are strong association between serodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis with intensive breeding old ages and female in small ruminant andequine.