Abstract
ABSTRACT: The present study was conducted to investigate in 20 extensive sheep farms for the seroprevalence of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis (n=402) and Toxoplasma gondii (n=228). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used for the detection of antibodies to C. pseudotuberculosis/T. gondii. It was observed that C. pseudotuberculosis showed the highest prevalence in the region (34.07%) with statistically significant presence (p<0.05) in ewes. Antibodies to T. gondii was reported in 14.91% of the animals studied. About C. pseudotuberculosis/T. gondii coinfection the categories of rams showed significant (p<0.05) differences, suggesting that this gender could perpetuate the diseases in the flocks. It was concluded that the knowledge about the diseases in the region under study would facilitate the execution of prophylactic measures, especially against the diseases that pose risks to the public health and cause damages to the producer.
Highlights
Brazil has a population of about 18 million sheep
The University Federal Rural of Semi-Arid (UFERSA) Faculty of Veterinary Medicine was solicited for veterinary assistance because it is close to the region studied by veterinarians from the State of Ceará who reported recurrent cases of animals with reproductive failures and enlarged or purulent lymph nodes at exhibition in fairs and in the local market
To study the seroprevalence of C. pseudotuberculosis (n=402, 20 farms) and T. gondii (n=228, 19 farms) ovine blood samples were collected from September 2015 to March 2016, and divided into variables according to the category previously described
Summary
Brazil has a population of about 18 million sheep. About 60% are raised in the Northeast region, especially for meat production. Ceará State is the third largest producer of sheep in Brazil, consisting of approximately 2.3 million animals. In North-eastern Brazil, a high incidence of diseases in sheep is observed, primarily due to improper sanitary management practices for disease prevention and control (PINHEIRO et al, 2009). Poor sanitary conditions may result in serious socioeconomic problems, since many of these diseases are zoonotic (FARIAS et al, 2018). Among the diseases that need prevention, toxoplasmosis caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonosis that can cause reproductive disorders, affecting the sheep industry in terms of production losses (ANDRADE et al, 2013). Sheep are infected via ingestion of viable oocysts of T
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