Repeat transplacental transfer of Toxoplasma gondii in dairy goats

Six dogs inoculated with the GT-1 strain of Toxoplasma gondii aborted or gave birth to kids transplacentally infected with T gondii. In the next breeding season, does were bred to a T gondii-negative buck. Four of the 6 does gave birth to kids not infected with T gondii. At 139 days after breeding, 1 doe gave birth to 3 kids infected with T gondii. Kid 1 was born alive but died within 1 hour of birth; kid 2 was born dead; and kid 3 was born weak then euthanatized 1 day after birth. Toxoplasma gondii was isolated from fetal cotyledons and brain, heart, lung, liver, thigh muscle, and spinal cord of each kid. Microscopically, evidence of interstitial nodular pneumonia, hepatic necrosis, nonsuppurative myositis, myocarditis, and encephalitis was found in each kid. The 6th doe aborted 2 disintegrated fetuses at about 3 months of gestation.