Serological Survey on Toxoplasma gondii in some Dairy Animals and Pregnant Women in Qena, Egypt

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis is an important reason of reproductive failure in human and farm animals causing significant socioeconomic losses worldwide. Additionally, infection in pregnant women can cause severe health problems in the child as mental retardation and blindness. In this work the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection was estimated in dairy goats, sheep, and cows as well as in pregnant women in Qena Province, Egypt using the Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). The study included 150 raw milk samples which were collected from the previously mentioned animals in different localities (50 from each) as well as 100 pregnant women serum samples with a history of abortion. Our results revealed that T. gondii IgM and both IgM & IgG antibodies were detected in 20, 40 and 28, 6% of goat and sheep milk samples, respectively. While T. gondii IgM antibodies could be detected in 64% of cow milk samples. A total of 28 (28%) women were seropositive for toxoplasmosis, divided into 2 (2%) were seropositive for T. gondii IgM antibodies and 26 (26%) for IgG. There was an association between IgG seroprevalence and age and the times of abortion in pregnant women.