Congenital toxoplasmosis in camels (Camelus dromedaries):: Pathology

Toxoplasma gondii oocysts were isolated from kittens that were fed raw cameline meat. Four pregnant she-camels at different stage of pregnancy and serologically negative for Toxoplasma gondii were infected with different doses of infective T gondii oocysts (1 x 10(4) or 1 x 10(6) sporocysts). This study showed that the outcome of T. gondii infection varried according to the time of infection during pregnancy and the number of parasites inoculated.All calf-camels showed diarrhoea, gross examination revealed enlargement of lymph nodes, haemorrhages in brain, lung, kidneys, eyes and skeletal muscles. The main lesions detected microscopically in the calf-camels were haemorrhages, infiltration of lymphoid cells and congestion in lung, liver, brain, intestine, kidney and heart. Focal necrosis and haemorrhages were detected in placentae of all infected she-camels.