Detection of anti-Toxoplasma gondiiantibodies in carthorses in the metropolitan region of Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil

• Autor(a) principal: Finger,Mariane Angélica
• Data de Publicação: 2013
• Outros Autores: Villalobos,Eliana Monteforte Cassaro, Lara,Maria do Carmo Custódio de Souza Hunold, Cunha,Elenice Maria Sequetin, Barros Filho,Ivan Roque de, Deconto,Ivan, Dornbusch,Peterson Triches, Ullmann,Leila Sabrina, Biondo,Alexander Welker
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinária (Online)
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1984-29612013000100179
• topic: Toxoplasma gondii; carthorses; indirect fluorescence antibody test

Toxoplasma gondii, the agent for toxoplasmosis, has worldwide distribution. Horses normally play a secondary role in its life cycle, but movement around urban areas, feeding on grass and the increasing use of carthorses for gathering recyclable material in some urban areas of Brazil may increase their exposure to T. gondii infection. The aim of the present study was to investigate the frequency of anti-T. gondii antibodies in carthorses in the metropolitan region of Curitiba, PR. IgG antibodies against T. gondii were detected using the indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT) (titers ≥ 64). Seventeen (17.0%) of the 100 horses sampled were seropositive. There were no statistical differences in relation to sex (p = 0.28) or age (p = 0.15). Our findings suggest that carthorses are exposed to T. gondii infections and that no associations with age or sex exist.