| Autor: |
Santos IMCD; Departamento de Patologia Animal, Universidade Estadual Júlio de Mesquita Filho - UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil., Leite AI; Departamento de Ciência Animal, Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido - UFERSA, Mossoró, RN, Brasil., Furquim MEC; Departamento de Patologia Animal, Universidade Estadual Júlio de Mesquita Filho - UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil., Zanatto DCS; Departamento de Patologia Animal, Universidade Estadual Júlio de Mesquita Filho - UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil., Fernandes SJ; Departamento de Patologia Animal, Universidade Estadual Júlio de Mesquita Filho - UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil., Silva GCPD; Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Reprodução Animal, Universidade Estadual Júlio de Mesquita Filho - UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil., Sampaio PH; Departamento de Patologia Animal, Universidade Estadual Júlio de Mesquita Filho - UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil., Machado RZ; Departamento de Patologia Animal, Universidade Estadual Júlio de Mesquita Filho - UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil., André MR; Departamento de Patologia Animal, Universidade Estadual Júlio de Mesquita Filho - UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil. |
| Abstrakt: |
Toxoplasmosis is an important zoonosis for pregnant women and immunosuppressed people. The pig population also becomes infected by this pathogen, and undercooked or raw meat is an important source of infection for humans. The aims of the present study were to evaluate the rate of exposure of pigs to T. gondii in the municipality of Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte and seek to identify associations with possible risk factors. Blood samples were collected from 412 pigs and were analyzed using the immunofluorescence assay. Among these 412 serum samples, 40.7% were seropositive for T. gondii. The IgG antibody titers were 64 (56 specimens), 128 (32), 256 (37), 512 (23), 1024 (14), 2048 (5) and 4046 (1). Seropositivity for T. gondii was found to be related (p-value < 0.05) to the following factors: female gender, semi-confined rearing system, use of well water, dewormed animals, presence of cats, goats, sheep, mice and vultures on the farm and carcasses left on the ground. In contrast, seropositivity was not related (p-value < 0.05) to the age of the pigs, type of facility or feeding with human food remains. Preventive measures need to be adopted on the farms studied here, with the aim of decreasing the animals' intake of sporulated oocysts. |
