Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Toxoplasma gondii found in semen of breeding dogs in Iran
By Saljoughi, Shiva Shokooh et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports·2025·Department of Clinical Science·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Molecular detection of Toxoplasma gondii in semen of breeding dogs from southeastern Iran.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Three male breeding dogs from a kennel in southeastern Iran were found to have Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite that can cause reproductive issues. The dogs were experiencing problems like reduced sperm quality, including low motility and tail defects. Although T. gondii was detected in their semen, the study found no direct link between the parasite and the reproductive disorders reported in the kennel. This suggests that while the parasite can be present, it may not be the cause of the breeding issues. Further research is needed to understand how T. gondii might affect reproduction in dogs.
People also search for: dog reproductive problems · Toxoplasma gondii in dogs · male dog semen quality issues · breeding dog health concerns
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular protozoan, is the causative agent of toxoplasmosis, an important public health and reproductive disease. T. gondii could cause significant damage in breeding kennels due to abortion and other reproductive disorders. This study investigates the molecular presence of T. gondii in semen samples from all male breeding dogs in a kennel with complaints of reproductive disorders, in which a modified agglutination test was used for screening toxoplasmosis. A total of 36 purebred male dogs (31 % seropositive) were selected. Semen samples were collected and tested for T. gondii infection using a highly sensitive REP-based nested PCR assay. T. gondii was detected in 8.33 % (3 out of 36) of the semen samples. One of the three positive samples also exhibited orchitis with significant sperm abnormalities, including reduced motility and tail defects. The present study showed nested PCR could be a reliable detection method for T. gondii in semen samples. There was no relation between T. gondii detection in semen and reproductive disorders. Further studies are necessary to confirm the sexual transmission of this parasite through semen, which could be important in breeding kennels.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39855841/