SEROLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR DETECTION OF TOXOPLASMA GONDII IN SHEEP IN DIYALA PROVINCE, IRAQ

Toxoplasma gondii is the common cause of toxoplasmosis in both humans and animals. Sheep toxoplasmosis represents an important role in public health, causing reproductive and economic losses due to abortion and neonatal mortality worldwide. The seroprevalence and molecular detection of sheep toxoplasmosis in Diyala province, Iraq, were the aim of this study. One hundred male slaughterhouses sheep and 100 grassing dairy ewes were examinedand divided into groups according to age, season, breed, importation, contact with cats, pregnancy status and abortion. Toxoplasma gondii infection was investigated using a Toxoplasma rapid test and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. The overall seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in rams was 18%, while it was 14% in grassing dairy ewes. The PCR test confirmed the seropositive infection in 50% and 35.7% of rams and diary ewes, respectively. Adult dairy ewes and sheep from slaughterhouses had a statistically insignificantly greater seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis than juveniles. The prevalence of the disease was slightly higher in the winter groups in either rams or diary ewes. Sheep imported from Syria and Iran had twice as high an infection rate as native sheep from Iraq. The infection rate among dairy ewes from the Karadi and Hamdani breeds was not considerably greater than those of other breeds. Sheep with a history of abortion showed higher seroprevalence, and also toxoplasmosis was more prevalent in previously integrated sheep with cats. Therefore, continuous surveillance of sheep toxoplasmosis detection is highly recommended for further prevention.