Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in Sheep from Nevşehir Province inTurkey.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to investigate the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) in sheep from Nev&#x15f;ehir Province in Turkey. METHODS: Blood samples were taken from 180 sheep aged between 1 and 7 years, which were randomly selected from seven different study sites in Nev&#x15f;ehir Province. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of antibodies to T. gondii was performed on all the serum samples. RESULTS: Eighteen (10%) serum samples were found to be seropositive for T. gondii antibodies. The highest seropositivity rate (11.53%) was found in sheep aged between 1 and 2 years, whereas the lowest seropositivity rate (8.51%) was found in sheep aged between 5 and 7 years old. Eighteen of the 162 ewes (11.1%) were found to be seropositive, whereas none of the 18 tested rams were seropositive. In addition, considering the study site location, the highest seropositivity rate was in Avanos (32%), whereas the lowest seropositivity rate was in Kozakli (2.9%). The T. gondii seropositivity rates were statistically insignificant with regard to age groups and gender (p>0.05), whereas they were statistically significant (p<0.05) with regard to study centers. CONCLUSION: This is the first serological report on toxoplasmosis in sheep from Nev&#x15f;ehir Province in Turkey.