Abstract
Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic protozoan disease. Data on seroepidemiology of toxoplasmosis in Ethiopia is scarce, almost null in the pastoral area of the Borana zone. The study was carried out to determine the seroprevalence, to identify risk factors of toxoplasmosis in sheep and goats, and to assess the awareness level of pastoralists about toxoplasmosis in the Yabello district of Borana zone, Southern Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2016 to April 2017 in six peasant associations of the Yabello district of Borana zone, Southern Ethiopia. A total of 400 serum samples of randomly selected small ruminants owned by pastoralists were examined to detect antibodies specific to Toxoplasma gondii using Latex Agglutination Test (SPINREACT, Girona, Spain). A semistructured questionnaire survey was used to conduct a face-to-face interview with owners (n = 100) of sampled flocks. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association of hypothesized risk factors. The overall seroprevalence was 52.8% of which 57.8 and 47.8% were sheep and goats, respectively. Univariate logistic regression analysis revealed a higher seroprevalence ratio of T. gondii infection in sheep than goats (COR: 1.95, 95% CI: 1.226–3.112; P = 0.005). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated significantly higher odds of acquiring T. gondii infection in adult animals (sheep: (AOR = 2.26, 95% CI: 1.323–3.874; P = 0.003), goats: (AOR = 2.15; 95% CI: 1.009–4.579; P = 0.047)), female sheep (AOR = 2.45; CI: 1.313–4.568; P = 0.005), animals from lowland areas (sheep: (AOR = 2.28; CI: 1.190–4.356; P = 0.013), goat: (AOR = 3.27; CI: 1.386–7.723; P = 0.007)), animal drinking lake water (sheep: (AOR = 1.93; CI: 1.011–3.698; P = 0.046), goat: (AOR = 2.96; CI: 1.297–6.771; P = 0.010)), and goats with history of abortion (AOR = 2.42; CI: 1.242–4.711; P = 0.009) than young animals, male (sheep), animals from midland areas, animals drinking wells water, and flock with no history of abortion (goat), respectively. Among respondents, 97.0% had no knowledge about toxoplasmosis and 75.0% drink raw milk and consume the meat of sheep and goats. 80.0% of respondents had no knowledge about the risk of cats to human and animal health while 70.0% of them had domestic cats and practice improper fetal body handling. Highly prevailing toxoplasmosis in small ruminants of the Yabello district might pose a serious economic loss and be a potential public health threat to the extremely vulnerable pastoralists. Therefore, awareness and further studies are warranted to tackle the economic and public health consequences of T. gondii infection.
Highlights
Protozoan parasites are major challenges in the development of the livestock industry
An extensive pastoral livestock production system with mobility is the vital source of food and income for the livelihood of people while opportunistic cultivation is practiced around towns and in bottom valley areas where the soil moisture content stays high for a longer time. e dominant vegetation of this area is the savanna type. e total population of Yabello district is 125,233, and the livestock population composes 83,717 cattle, 42,491 sheep, 84,159 goats, and 18,613 camels [22]
During severe droughts, when cattle productivity gets deteriorated, sheep and goats are a backup source of milk in pastoral areas since small ruminants can maintain productivity under an even harsh climate
Summary
Protozoan parasites are major challenges in the development of the livestock industry. E major morphological forms of T. gondii are oocyst, trophozoite, and tissue cyst which favor warm climate and humid areas for sporulation and survival [2]. Cats and wild felids are the only definitive hosts that shed oocysts with their feces to the environment while humans and other animals act as intermediate hosts [4]. Cats acquire infection by consumption of cysts present in the tissues of the infected intermediate hosts or via ingestion of oocysts with food or water [5]. Intermediate hosts harbor T. gondii through consumption of viable cysts in undercooked meat, unpasteurized milk, and food and water contaminated with oocysts and congenitally during pregnancy [6,7,8]
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