SEROPREVALENCE OF TOXOPLASMA-GONDII INFECTION IN CATTLE, SWINE AND GOATS IN 4 MEXICAN STATES

A serological survey for antibody activity against Toxoplasma gondii in cattle, swine and goals was carried out in four Mexican states. A total of 1203 pig sem from Cuernavaca, Morelos abattoir, 490 cattle sera on 12 ranches from four municipalities and 707 goat sem from nine farms were tested by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test. Sera from 107 of the 1207 pigs (8.9%) were positive, and there was no significant difference (P>0.05) due to the state of origin of the positive sera. Five of the nine goat farms had T. gondii seropositive goats and the average seroprevalence was 3.2%. Antibody activity to T. gondii was found in 47 of 397 cattle (11.9%) tested. Food animals in Morelos, faced two problems, the reproductive losses from toxoplasmosis and the public health implications associated with infected meat and milk.