Variation of antibody titers to Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum and Sarcocystis spp in naturally infected goats.

MORÉ, G.; CORDIVIOLA, C. A.; ARIAS, R.A.; BACIGALUPE D.; PARDINI L.; RAMBEAUD M.; VENTURINI M.C.; LACCHINI, R.A.; VENTURINI L.

Calgary

Congreso; The 22nd International Conference of the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology (WAAVP 2009); 2009

WAAVP

Toxoplasma gondii is an important cause of abortion in goats; less frecuently abortion is caused by Neospora caninum or Sarcocystis spp. The objective was to evaluate antibody titer variation for these parasites during pregnancy. Blood samples from 42 goats were collected at 3 time points: February (pregnancy diagnosis), May (1st kidding season) and September (2nd kidding season), in a farm with previous T. gondii abortions and positive serology for N. caninum. Sera were tested by immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) for detection of antibodies to T. gondii, N. caninum and Sarcocystis spp from 1:25 to end dilution. Abortion occured in 13 goats, and 3 kids died within the fist week of age. For each blood sampling, mean titers for T. gondii were 1769.2, 2380.5, 1666.7 and frecuency of detection was 100 % at all sampling points; for N. caninum mean titers were 117.3, 141.5, 157.7 and frecuency of detection was 35.8%, 43.9% and 28.6%; mean titers for Sarcocystis spp were 105.1, 101.2, 96.2 and frecuency of detection was 97.4%, 95.1% and 97.6%. The high titers and variation in T. gondii antibody detection suggests that infection was active during pregnancy and could be the cause of abortions.