Toxoplasmose ovina

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is an Apicomplexa protozoon of the Sarcocystidae family. The wild and domestic felids are the definitive hosts, while mammals and birds are the intermediate hosts. Infection by T. gondii may occur by vertical via or horizontal transmission. The first pathway occurs from other to fetus. Horizontal transmission can occurs by consuming raw or undercooked meat containing T. gondii tissue cysts, or ingesting water and foods contaminated with oocytes disseminated by mechanical vectors. T. gondii is an important ovine pathogen, being observed since 1942 in placental tissues of sheep that had aborted fetuses. Pregnant sheep infected with T. gondii exhibit clinical symptoms as mummified fetuses, embryonic resorption, lambs with low birth weight and neonatal mortality. Toxoplasmosis in the United Kingdom is responsible for 20% of losses in herds (occurring abortion), being considered the main reproductive disease in the species. In Brazil, there is a variation in the seroprevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in sheep. In Bahia state was observed 18.75% of sheep with anti-T. gondii antibody, while that in the Brazilian south region were reported seroprevalence rates ranging from 39% to 54.6%. The adoption of measures for control and prevention of toxoplasmosis is extremely necessary, since it can cause abortion and congenital diseases in several species of intermediate hosts, moreover it is considered an important zoonosis.