Abstract
Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide zoonosis with high impact on human and animal health. Consumption of unpasteurized milk is a risk factor of human toxoplasmosis. The aim of this study was to estimate the seroprevalence and molecular prevalence of T. gondii in goats’ milk in Northwest of Tunisia (Jendouba Governorate). A total number of 77 blood samples were collected from six herds were screened with a commercial ELISA kit for T. gondii antibodies. For the same goats’ samples, a nested PCR was performed to detect T. gondii DNA in milk. The seroprevalence of T. gondii infection was 31.2% (±0.05) while the molecular prevalence of this parasite in milk was estimated to 7.8% (±0.03). A very low value of kappa showed that there is not agreement between seroprevalence and parasite prevalence in milk. These results suggest that the consumption of raw milk from naturally infected goats is a potential source of human infection. An extension programme should be implemented to decrease related to goats’ raw milk consumption.
Highlights
Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic infection caused by Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan parasite belonging to the order Coccidia and the Apicomplexa phylum
This study aimed to estimate the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection and the molecular prevalence of T. gondii DNA in milk samples to provide a preliminary assess of contamination risk by T. gondii in Tunisian goats’ milk
The T. gondii molecular prevalence was significantly higher in Hammam Bourguiba (6/43; 13.9 Æ 5%) than in Tabarka (0/34) (P = 0.02)
Summary
Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic infection caused by Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan parasite belonging to the order Coccidia and the Apicomplexa phylum. T. gondii infects warm-blooded animals including humans with felines (mainly cats) as definitive hosts (Dubey 2010). Toxoplasmosis is a serious risk for seronegative pregnant women and immunocompromised persons (Montoya & Liesenfeld 2004; Tenter 2009). Infection with T. gondii is frequently asymptomatic, but remains serious even fatal for specific groups including congenitally infected fetuses and newborns, immunocompromised individuals (AIDS patients), and transplanted persons (Saadatnia & Golkar 2012). It is estimated that T. gondii infects up to one-third of the human population in the world (Dubey & Jones 2008). In Tunisia, human seroprevalence is high; it has been estimated to 70% in female Tunisian aged of 30 years in the northwest of the country (Bouratbine et al 2001)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
