Toxoplasma gondii infection in slaughtered ewes in Khorramabad, west of Iran: A preliminary molecular study (original) (raw)
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Tropical Animal Health and Production, 2019
Background Toxoplasma gondii is a common protozoan parasite among all mammals, in particular small ruminants, worldwide. Traditional husbandry can be a major risk factor for infection of sheep and goats with this parasite. Objectives The present study aimed to determine the current status of the prevalence for T. gondii in livestock of Qazvin Province. Methods In this cross-sectional study, the sera of 455 sheep and 375 goats were examined to detect anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies by using in-house indirect ELISA. Results Overall, 33.62% (153/455) of sheep and 36.41% (130/375) of goats were positive for anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies with no statistically significant difference. The prevalence rate of T. gondii among the sheep of Qazvin County was significantly higher than in Abyek and Abhar counties (p < 0.001). Conclusions The results of the present study indicate that the prevalence of T. gondii in sheep and goats of the study area is high. Therefore, the meat of the animals reared in this area can be a potential source of human infections by this parasite.
Molecular detection of Toxoplasma gondii in the slaughter sheep and goats from North India
Veterinary parasitology, 2017
Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that infects almost all the warm blooded animals, including human beings. The disease usually remains asymptomatic but is a serious concern for pregnant women, developing foetus and immuno-compromised individuals. We collected 400 cardiac/skeletal muscle tissue samples from slaughter sheep (177) and goat (223) intended for human consumption from Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Chandigarh states/union territory in North India. The samples were pepsin-HCl digested and DNA was extracted from all the digested samples. Nested-PCR was carried out to amplify 580bp and 531bp bands with external and internal sets of primers specific for B1 gene of T. gondii. Molecularly, six (1.5%) isolates of T. gondii were detected. In PCR, T. gondii DNA were detected from 1.69% and 1.34% of the sheep and goat samples, respectively. Three PCR amplified products were sequenced in both the directions and readable sequences were obtained. Due to a low level of...
Toxoplasma gondii in Sheep and Goats from Central Iran
2021
Objective Toxoplasmosis, caused by Toxoplasma gondii , infects humans by consuming infected raw or undercooked meat and foods harboring mature oocysts. In this study, we assessed the prevalence of T. gondii in sheep and goats coming from central Iran. After completing the questionnaire, about one gram of liver or diaphragm tissue was taken as a sample from 90 sheep and 90 goats slaughtered in Yazd Province and stored at – 20 ºC. DNA extraction was done, and then T. gondii was detected using nested PCR. Results This study indicated that the prevalence of T. gondii in all slaughtered animals was 11.6% (21 of 180), including 14.4% (13/90) in sheep and 8.8% (8/90) in goats. The infection rates in liver and diaphragm samples were 12.2% (11/90) and 11.1% (10/90), respectively ( p = 0.8163). The infection rate in animals older than one was 16.3% (15/92), and it was 6.8% (6/88) in animals under one year of age. Therefore, no significant differences were found ( p = 0.475). Infection rates...
Veterinary Medicine International
Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that infects warm-blooded animals as well as humans worldwide. The purpose of this study was to delineate the prevalence of Toxoplasma infection in aborted fetuses of sheep in North Khorasan province, Iran. Three hundred and ninety-nine samples of the liver (133 samples), placenta (133 samples), and brain (133 samples) from 133 aborted fetuses of sheep were collected from 2015 to 2017. The ages of aborted fetuses were higher than 120 days’ gestational age in this study. According to the samples, sixteen out of 133 aborted fetuses of sheep were infected with T. gondii. Toxoplasma DNA was found in the placenta (68.75%) and liver (31.25%) samples of infected fetuses using the PCR method. The highest and lowest rates of Toxoplasma infection were observed during 2016 and 2017, respectively. Shirvan and Faruj provinces were recognized as the two most infected districts among others. There was a significant differenc...
Survey of the Parasite Toxoplasma gondii in Human Consumed Ovine Meat in Tunis City
PLoS ONE, 2014
Toxoplasmosis has been recognized as parasitic zoonosis with the highest human incidence. The human infection by the parasite can lead to severe clinical manifestations in congenital toxoplasmosis and immunocompromised patients. Contamination occurs mainly by foodborne ways especially consumption of raw or undercooked meat. In contrast to other foodborne infections, toxoplasmosis is a chronic infection which would make its economic and social impact much higher than even previously anticipated. Ovine meat was advanced as a major risk factor, so we investigated its parasite survey, under natural conditions. Serological MAT technique and touchdown PCR approaches were used for prevalence determination of the parasite in slaughtered sheep intended to human consumption in Tunis City. The genotyping was carried by SNPs analysis of SAG3 marker. Anti-Toxoplasma antibodies were present in 38.2% of young sheep and in 73.6% of adult sheep. Molecular detection revealed the contamination of 50% of ewes' tissue. Sequencing and SNPs analysis enabled unambiguous typing of meat isolates and revealed the presence of mixed strains as those previously identified from clinical samples in the same area. Our findings conclude that slaughtered sheep are highly infected, suggesting them as a major risk factor of Toxoplasma gondii transmission by meat consumption. Special aware should target consequently this factor when recommendations have to be established by the health care commanders.
Research Square (Research Square), 2021
Background: Toxoplasmosis, a parasitic disease caused by compilation protozoan agent Toxoplasma gondiithat led to signi cant nancial and quality-adjusted life-year losses. Consumption of undercooked or raw meat has been regarded as a major route of transmission. The present study was conducted to determine the seroposevitity rate of T.gondii in sheep and goats by serological and molecular tests and also genotyping of obtained isolatesin northeast of Iran. Methods: Blood and tissue samples (diaphragm, heart) of 296 animals (including 168 sheep and 128 goats) were collected from slaughterhouse in Quechan city from august 2016 to April 2017. Serum samples examined by the Modi ed agglutination test (MAT) and the Nested-PCR method performed to amplify the fragment of the B1 gene to detect parasite DNA on diaphragm and heart tissues of seropositive animals. PCR-RFLP method of GRA6 gene was used to determine the genotype of T. gondii. Also, sequencing analysis was performed to evaluate the Toxoplasma type strains. Results: Serum positive for MAT results were found in 27.4% (46/168) of Sheep and23.4% (30/128) of goats. Positive Nested-PCR of B1 gene results in diaphragm and heart tissues of sheep and goats was 47.8% (22/46) and 26.1% (12/46), 40% (12/30) and 23.3% (7/30), respectively. Nested-PCR of GRA6 gene results were positive in 10 samples (7 sheep and 3 goats) that RFLP technique results with using MseІ enzyme revealed genotype І. Sequencing and Phylogenetic analysis revealed DNA of all samples were closely related to Toxoplasma type І. Conclusions: Concerning to highseropositivityrate of toxoplasmosis in studied region, undertaking an appropriate preventive program for reducing the prevalence of T. gondii infection by raw or undercooked meat consumption of livestock recommended. Our study supports the notion that consumption of raw and undercooked meat of these animals can be a probable source of human toxoplasmosis.
Veterinary Journal, 2007
Serum samples from 290 cattle, 400 goats and 588 sheep slaughtered for food in various areas of the Mazandaran province, Iran were tested for antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii by the indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT), from December 2004 to April 2005. Antibodies to T. gondii were found in 30% (120/400) goats and 35% (206/588) sheep and 0% (0/290) cattle, at a dilution of 1:16 or more for goats and sheep and 1:128 or more for cattle. The highest titres observed in cattle, goats and sheep were 1:64 (0.7%), 1:128 (1%), 1:64 (2%), respectively. These results indicate that T. gondii antibodies are widespread in the animal populations and suggest that toxoplasmosis is a widely spread zoonotic infection in northern Iran.
Genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii in meat-producing animals in Iran
Parasites & Vectors
Background The consumption of uncooked or undercooked food from infected intermediate hosts can result in Toxoplasma gondii infection in humans. However, few studies have investigated the genetic diversity of this protozoan parasite in Iran. The aim of the present study was to genetically characterize isolates of T. gondii from intermediate host animals in Mazandaran Province, Iran. Methods Blood and heart tissue samples were collected from 204 ruminants, and brain tissue was collected from 335 birds. The prevalence of T. gondii infection in these samples was determined serologically using the modified agglutination test and by conventional PCR assays. Those PCR samples positive for T. gondii DNA and 13 DNA samples extracted from aborted fetuses in a previous study were genotyped with 12 genetic markers using the multilocus-nested PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (Mn-PCR–RFLP) technique. Results Antibodies for parasites were found in 35.7% of the ruminant (39.1% of sheep...
Journal of Consumer Protection and Food Safety, 2021
Toxoplasmosis is one of the most important zoonotic diseases with serious health risks for humans, especially for immunodeficient patients, and can lead to abortion in pregnant women worldwide. The oral uptake of sporulated oocysts and/or consumption of undercooked/raw meat of animals infected with Toxoplasma gondii can infect other animals and humans. Heart, liver, and meat tissues of 150 sheep and 150 goats from a slaughterhouse in Ahvaz, Iran, were collected during autumn 2018 and analyzed via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect parasitic DNA in the animal tissues. Moreover, antibodies against T. gondii of 150 sera samples were detected as the targets by in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (in-house ELISA). A total of 26 (17.3%), 33 (22%), and 48 (32%) of liver, meat, and heart samples in sheep, and a total of 24 (16%), 26 (17.3%), and 36 (24%) of liver, meat, and heart samples in goats, respectively, showed positive PCR results. Besides, the ELISA evaluation of sera samples from 150 sheep and 150 goats resulted in 26 (13.3%) and 16 (10.6%) positive cases, respectively. A significant difference was also found between PCR-positive heart samples and ELISA-positive sera samples of both animal species (p < 0.05), but no significant difference existed between PCR-positive liver samples and ELISA-positive sera samples of both species (p > 0.05). The results of this study confirm the presence of T. gondii in sheep and goats' consumable organs, highlighting the need to avoid consuming raw or uncooked organs of these animal species to prevent human infection with T. gondii.
Veterinary World, 2016
Aim: Toxoplasma gondii has a clinical and veterinary importance as it is known to cause congenital disease and abortion both in humans and livestock. Since the contaminated lamb is one of the sources of human infection, this study was performed to determine the prevalence of T. gondii in sheep in south of Iran. Materials and Methods: Sera and tissue samples (diaphragm and heart) were collected from 370 sheep from slaughterhouse of Jahrom. The samples were taken from both sexes and from 6 to 60 months age. Specific immunoglobulin G antibodies to T. gondii were examined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and B1 gene nested-polymerase chain reaction detection was done to survey the tissue samples. Results: The total prevalence of Toxoplasma infection among sheep was found to be 35.94% and 34.32% based on serological and molecular method, respectively. According to serologic and molecular findings, the females were more positive than males for Toxoplasma; maximum frequency of positive samples was observed in 24-36 months and the positive samples had been collected more in spring than in summer, but no statistical correlation was observed between prevalence rate and the age and sex of animals or season of sampling. Conclusion: T. gondii is widely distributed in sheep in Jahrom with a rate comparable with other parts of Iran and the world. It suggested a widespread exposure of sheep in this region to T. gondii. Thus, consumption of undercooked or raw meat presents the transmission risk of the parasite and this might be considered as an important public health problem, mainly for high-risk groups such as the pregnant and the immunodeficient.