A serologic study on Toxoplasma gondii infection in slaughtered sheep and goats in Qazvin Province, Iran

Background Toxoplasma gondii is a common protozoan parasite among all mammals, in particular small ruminants, worldwide. Traditional husbandry can be a major risk factor for infection of sheep and goats with this parasite. Objectives The present study aimed to determine the current status of the prevalence for T gondii in livestock of Qazvin Province. Methods In this cross-sectional study, the sera of 455 sheep and 375 goats were examined to detect anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies by using in-house indirect ELISA. Results Overall, 33.62% (153/455) of sheep and 36.41% (130/375) of goats were positive for anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies with no statistically significant difference. The prevalence rate of T gondii among the sheep of Qazvin County was significantly higher than in Abyek and Abhar counties (p <0.001). Conclusions The results of the present study indicate that the prevalence of T gondii in sheep and goats of the study area is high. Therefore, the meat of the animals reared in this area can be a potential source of human infections by this parasite.