https://doi.org/10.4081/ijfs.2024.12257
Molecular evidence of Toxoplasma gondii from the tissue and blood of naturally infected sheep
Submitted: 4 January 2024
Accepted: 29 February 2024
Published: 28 March 2024
Accepted: 29 February 2024
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All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
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Toxoplasmosis is a cosmopolitan zoonotic infection that has significant effects on public health and causes economic losses in the livestock industry. The current study was designed to detect the Toxoplasma parasite in sheep blood samples and tissue samples of slaughtered sheep at the Sulaimani abattoir using molecular technique. A total of 300 peripheral sheep blood samples were randomly collected from 20 small ruminant flocks at 4 locations in the Sulaymaniyah province, northern Iraq. Also, 150 meat samples from thigh muscle, heart, and diaphragm were collected from slaughtered sheep. All collected blood samples were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification to confirm Toxoplasma infection; in addition, meat samples were also analyzed for Toxoplasma by PCR following the digestion process. Of the 300 amplified blood samples, 94 were considered positive for Toxoplasma gondii, with a prevalence rate of 31.3%. The overall prevalence of Toxoplasma among meat samples was 34%. The diaphragm reported a higher infection rate (46%) than the heart (32%), while the femoral muscle reported an infection rate of 24%. Aged animals (older than 24 months) presented a higher infection rate (32.8%) than younger animals (28.9%). Contact with or consumption of uncooked meat from infected sheep increases the chance of parasite transmission to humans.
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How to Cite
1.
Abdullah SH. Molecular evidence of <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> from the tissue and blood of naturally infected sheep. Ital J Food Safety [Internet]. 2024 Mar. 28 [cited 2024 Nov. 23];13(2). Available from: https://www.pagepressjournals.org/ijfs/article/view/12257
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