Seroprevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in Egyptian sheep and goats

Pierre Dorny,Ibrahim E Abbas,Brecht Devleesschauwer,Malgorzata Jennes,Yara M Al-Kappany,Eric Cox

doi:10.1186/s12917-018-1440-1

Abstract

BackgroundToxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease that affects a wide range of animals, including small ruminants. Sheep and goats are considered as biological indicators for the contamination of the environment with Toxoplasma gondii oocysts. In addition, in countries such as Egypt, where sheep and goat meat is frequently consumed, T. gondii infection in small ruminants may also pose a public health risk. To establish baseline estimates of the prevalence of T. gondii infection in Egyptian small ruminants, we used an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to assess the seroprevalence in 398 sheep from four Egyptian governorates (Cairo, Giza, Dakahlia and Sharkia) and in 100 goats from Dakahlia. The positive and negative agreements of both tests were calculated and the true prevalence was estimated using a Bayesian approach.ResultsThe true prevalence of antibodies to T. gondii as determined by both tests was higher in Egyptian goats (62%) than in sheep for each province (between 4.1 and 26%). Sheep slaughtered at the Cairo abattoir had the lowest true prevalence (4.1%), while true prevalences in Dakahlia, Giza and Sharkia governorates (26%, 23% and 12%, respectively) were substantially higher.ConclusionsThe high prevalence of antibodies to T. gondii may indicate an important role of goat and sheep in the transmission of human toxoplasmosis in Egypt, given the habit of eating undercooked grilled mutton.

Highlights

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease that affects a wide range of animals, including small ruminants
An import permit was obtained from the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain, Belgium (1069371) and the dried filter papers were transported in sealed bags to the Laboratory of Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Belgium
Apparent prevalence and between-test agreement Table 2 shows the apparent test results per population and per diagnostic test, while Table 3 shows the crossclassification of samples based on both diagnostic tests

Summary

Introduction

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease that affects a wide range of animals, including small ruminants. In countries such as Egypt, where sheep and goat meat is frequently consumed, T. gondii infection in small ruminants may pose a public health risk. To establish baseline estimates of the prevalence of T. gondii infection in Egyptian small ruminants, we used an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to assess the seroprevalence in 398 sheep from four Egyptian governorates (Cairo, Giza, Dakahlia and Sharkia) and in 100 goats from Dakahlia. T. gondii infection in small ruminants poses a public health risk, since man can acquire T. gondii from infected sheep and goats through consumption of undercooked meat, drinking unpasteurized milk or handling raw meat [3]. We aimed to assess the prevalence of anti-T. gondii antibodies in sera of Egyptian goats in the Dakahlia governorate and sheep in four Egyptian governorates (Cairo, Dakahlia, Giza and Sharkia)

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