Detection of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in domestic felines

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis is a protozoiasis that affects a variety of warm-blooded animals and its etiologic agent is the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, an obligatory intracellular parasite. Among the great diversity of susceptible animals, felines have an important role in the dissemination of T. gondii infection because they are the unique definitive hosts of this parasite. In order to verify the occurrence of T. gondii infection in domestic cats in micro-Santa Maria, RS-Brazil, 180 serum samples were collected from cats examined at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital - UFSM. These samples were tested in the Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases for detecting anti-T. gondii antibodies by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IIF ) . Of 180 samples, in 39 (21.6 %) were detected anti-T. gondii antibodies, reactive in titers equal or higher than 64. This study demonstrates the high prevalence of antibody-positive felines, suggesting the participation of these animals in environmental contamination, and indicates their importance in the epidemiology of the disease.