First report on seroprevalence and risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infection in sheep and goats in North Lebanon

Authors

  • Dima El Safadi Laboratory of “Microbiologie Santé et Environnement”, Doctoral School of Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Tripoli, Lebanon
  • Dany Abi Chahine Laboratory of “Microbiologie Santé et Environnement”, Doctoral School of Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Tripoli, Lebanon
  • Alissar Al Tarraf Laboratory of “Microbiologie Santé et Environnement”, Doctoral School of Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Tripoli, Lebanon
  • Omar Raii Directorate of Animal Wealth, Ministry of agriculture, Tripoli, Lebanon
  • Karim Mesto The ordre des médecins vétérinaires, Tripoli, Lebanon
  • Mohamad Bachar Ismail Faculty of Science, Lebanese University, Tripoli, Lebanon
  • Monzer Hamze Laboratory of “Microbiologie Santé et Environnement”, Doctoral School of Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Tripoli, Lebanon

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.11425

Keywords:

Toxoplasma gondii, sheep, goats, seroprevalence, Modified Agglutination Test, MAT, risk factors

Abstract

Introduction: Toxoplasmosis is of dual importance in both public and veterinary health due to the respective risk of transplacental transmission in primo-infected pregnant women and economic losses caused by abortions in mammals. One of the main routes of Toxoplasma gondii transmission to humans is the consumption of raw or undercooked meats containing parasitic cysts. Here, we performed the first epidemiological study to determine the seroprevalence and the risk factors of toxoplasmosis in livestock in Lebanon.

Methodology: Using a modified agglutination test with a cut-off of 1:40, we tested the positivity rate of Immunoglobulin G antibodies in the sera of 100 sheep and 80 goats collected from 18 different livestock farms located in North Lebanon between March and June 2018.

Results: Anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgG antibodies were detected in 42% of sheep and 34% of goats. Adults (> 1 year) were significantly more infected by T. gondii than the lambs (< 1 year) in both species (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: These findings indicated that food animals are highly exposed to T. gondii in Lebanon and could be potentially a major risk factor of T. gondii infection to humans. Consequently, national prophylactic strategies should be implemented to control and to prevent T. gondii transmission between animals and humans.

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Published

2019-09-30

How to Cite

1.
El Safadi D, Abi Chahine D, Al Tarraf A, Raii O, Mesto K, Ismail MB, Hamze M (2019) First report on seroprevalence and risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infection in sheep and goats in North Lebanon. J Infect Dev Ctries 13:831–836. doi: 10.3855/jidc.11425

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 09: September 2019

Section

Original Articles

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