Duration of maternally derived antibodies in Toxoplasma gondii naturally infected piglets

Abstract

A longitudinal study was performed to analyze the dynamics of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in naturally infected piglets from 1 to 25 weeks of age. Seventy-three piglets from 20 seronegative sows (modified agglutination test, MAT <1:25) and 20 naturally infected T. gondii seropositive sows (MAT ≥1:25) were analyzed at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 22 and 25 weeks of age. Twenty-six of the 73 piglets analyzed (35.6%; CI 95%: 25.5–45.7) were seropositive at some point during the study. Seroprevalence in piglets at 1 and 3 weeks of age was significantly higher in animals born from seropositive sows ( P < 0.001 and P = 0.02, respectively) as an indication of maternally derived antibodies. The longest persistence (up to 6 weeks of age) was observed in piglets whose dam had high T. gondii antibody level (MAT ≥1:500), while persistence of maternally derived antibodies in the piglets born from sows with low antibody titers (maximum 1:50) was shorter and lasted only up to 3 weeks of age, when the piglets were weaned. The risk of horizontal transmission in piglets increased with age and was higher in piglets during the finishing period. The present results indicate that the decline of T. gondii maternally derived antibodies in naturally infected piglets is associated with the titers of their dams.