A serologic study on Toxoplasma gondii infection in slaughtered sheep and goats in Qazvin Province, Iran.

Background: Toxoplasma gondii is a common protozoan parasite among all mammals, in particular small ruminants, worldwide. Traditional husbandry can be a major risk factor for infection of sheep and goats with this parasite.
Objectives: The present study aimed to determine the current status of the prevalence for T. gondii in livestock of Qazvin Province.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the sera of 455 sheep and 375 goats were examined to detect anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies by using in-house indirect ELISA.
Results: Overall, 33.62% (153/455) of sheep and 36.41% (130/375) of goats were positive for anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies with no statistically significant difference. The prevalence rate of T. gondii among the sheep of Qazvin County was significantly higher than in Abyek and Abhar counties (p < 0.001).
Conclusions: The results of the present study indicate that the prevalence of T. gondii in sheep and goats of the study area is high. Therefore, the meat of the animals reared in this area can be a potential source of human infections by this parasite.