Comprehensive evaluation of Toxoplasma gondii in sheep intended for human consumption in Brazil: seroprevalence, isolation, and genotyping.

Autor: Renovato RS; Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco - UFRPE, Recife, Pernambuco, ZC, 52171-900, Brazil. raissarenovato@hotmail.com., Amorim-da-Silva R; Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco - UFRPE, Recife, Pernambuco, ZC, 52171-900, Brazil., de Oliveira PRF; Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco - UFRPE, Recife, Pernambuco, ZC, 52171-900, Brazil., Santos AS; Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco - UFRPE, Recife, Pernambuco, ZC, 52171-900, Brazil., da Silva GG; Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco - UFRPE, Recife, Pernambuco, ZC, 52171-900, Brazil., Carvalho-Reis JCS; Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco - UFRPE, Recife, Pernambuco, ZC, 52171-900, Brazil., Bartley PM; Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Penicuik, EH26 0PZ, Scotland, UK., Katzer F; Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Penicuik, EH26 0PZ, Scotland, UK., de Melo RPB; Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco - UFRPE, Recife, Pernambuco, ZC, 52171-900, Brazil., Samico-Fernandes ÉFT; Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco - UFRPE, Recife, Pernambuco, ZC, 52171-900, Brazil., Mota RA; Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco - UFRPE, Recife, Pernambuco, ZC, 52171-900, Brazil.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Parasitology research [Parasitol Res] 2024 Nov 14; Vol. 123 (11), pp. 381. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Nov 14.
DOI: 10.1007/s00436-024-08410-y
Abstrakt: Ovine toxoplasmosis caused by Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic disease responsible for triggering reproductive problems in sheep with great public health impact. The zoonotic risk for humans occurs through the ingestion of meat contaminated with bradyzoites, water and vegetables contaminated with oocysts, or by ingesting unprocessed sheep milk contaminated with tachyzoites. The study aimed to determine the seroprevalence, isolate, and genetically characterize T. gondii from sheep in northeastern Brazil. Blood and tissue samples, including the liver, heart, brain, lung, and diaphragm, were collected from 256 sheep in slaughterhouses. The presence of anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies was assessed by the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT), and sera with titers ≥ 1: 64 were considered positive. Tissue samples from seropositive sheep were digested in acidic pepsin solution and inoculated into two Swiss mice for T. gondii isolation and further characterized by molecular methods. The prevalence of anti-T. gondii antibodies in sheep was 31.64% and the isolation rate was 40.7%. Sixteen out of 33 isolates were submitted to mnRFLP-PCR using ten genetic markers. Four isolates were fully genotyped, and four isolates were amplified at least in one marker. All isolates were characterized as atypical genotypes, and ToxoDB #57 (n = 3) and #143 (n = 1) were identified. The detection of viable T. gondii in sheep from slaughterhouses in Brazil highlights the risk of human exposure. There is the need for proactive control and prevention measures to mitigate the risk of human exposure, considering the importance of sheep meat as a source of protein to humans.
Competing Interests: Declarations Ethics approval The research was approved by the Ethics Committee on Animal Use at the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE) under license number 9269130921. Consent to participate All authors consent to participate in this publication. Consent for publication All authors consent to publish the manuscript. Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests.
(© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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