Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in sheep flocks from the Humid Pampa region, Argentina

RIVERA E.; FIORENTINO, MARÍA A; DELLA ROSA P.; MOORE D.P.; CANTON G.J.; HECKER Y.P.

Berna

Congreso; 6th International Meeting on Apicomplexan Parasites in Farm Animals; 2022

ApicoWplexa network

Sheep industry has an important socio-economic impact in Argentina. The productivity of the sheepflocks depends on their reproductive efficiency. Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum are obligate intracellular protozoan parasites that infect a wide range of intermediate hosts and cause reproductive failure. Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most frequent causes of reproductive failure in sheep worldwide and ovine abortions are often associated with this parasite. Historically, N. caninum has been considered a major cause of abortion mainly in cattle, however recent evidence points out its importance as causal agent of reproductive failure in sheep. Although the presence of both protozoan parasites has been confirmed in Argentinean flocks, information about T. gondii and N. caninum occurrence in the different productive systems is scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the seroprevalence of T. gondii and N. caninum in 1928 ovine sera (1,143 and 785 samples from 8 dairy and 9 meat flocks, respectively) in 17 flocks from the Humid Pampa region, using an indirect fluorescence antibody test. Toxoplasma gondii global seroprevalence was 47.7% (95% CI, 45.5-49.9%), being higher in animals older than 1.5 years (OR = 1.716; CI = 1.414-2.078; P