Prevalence of cerebral toxoplasmosis among slaughtered sheep in Semnan, Iran

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii. Felids are definitive hosts and all warm-blooded animals can be intermediate hosts. Some animals such as sheep, goats and pigs are sensitive to infection. In sheep production systems, toxoplamosis can cause abortion and economic loss. In public health, this disease can be transmitted to humans by the consumption of undercooked infected meat or other organs. In this study, T. gondii DNA was detected by B1 gene amplification in 140 randomly-selected brains of slaughtered sheep in Semnan, Iran. The prevalence of ovine cerebral toxoplasmosis was estimated using 95% confidence interval. The brain was selected as a target organ because it gives the highest detection rates, and the results can be compared with previous data from other countries. Our findings indicate that T. gondii is present in ovine tissues and can be passed on to humans by consuming undercooked or raw meat and other organs such as the liver. The infection can be lethal for immunosuppressed individuals and can cause abortion or birth of infected children in pregnant woman.