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Sheep are considered as an important reservoir of human Toxoplasma gondii infections, although more recent data on the prevalence of T. gondii in sheep in Algeria are lacking. This study aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of T. gondii in sheep to obtain a better insight into the importance of sheep as reservoirs of human infection. A commercial ELISA kit, which detects antibodies against T. gondii, was utilized to test 269 sera collected from yearling sheep in the municipal slaughterhouse of Sidi-Bel-Abbes city between October 2020 and February 2021. Simultaneously, we assessed the cut-off as recommended by the manufacturer (S/P>50%) and the bootstrap statistical model to estimate the optimal cut-off value (OD = 0.12). The overall seroprevalence was estimated at 34.2% (92/269) using the ELISA kit cut-off and 50.5% (136/269) using the bootstrapped cut-off, being significantly higher compared to sheep from other regions in Algeria. In conclusion, the seroprevalence of T. gondii in sheep was elevated, constituting, therefore, a major public health concern, as sheep meat could be a significant source of T. gondii infection for human consumers. Further studies are required to estimate the impact of abortion among livestock animals caused by T. gondii infection such as sheep, where it could lead to considerable economic losses.

This study compares the various knowledge of the use of Ziziphus lotus L. in a semi-arid zone in the west of Algeria (Relizane province). The ethnobotanical survey used semi-structured interviews carried out on 300 people in four different localities. The final matrix was processed using the appropriate statistical methods for the different types of variables (quantitative and qualitative). The hierarchical ascendant classification reveals a high diversity of the use of Ziziphus by the local population (therapeutic and cosmetic). The Results indicate that the use of the plant is almost therapeutic (75%) whereas the most used parts are leaves (70,33 %) and fruits (19,66 %). The plant is much more used in cases of pain and fever with a percentage of 41,33 %. It is also used for gastrological and respiratory diseases. The analysis of variance revealed significant differences for all the analyzed parameters. This is explained by the fact that the plant is used in different ways for different diseases with different modes. It was concluded that the inventory interview was the most effective method to better inform the local population's know-how, as it allowed for the identification, It is recommended to intensify the ethnobotanical investigations to trace the phytotherapeutic path of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]