Toxoplasma gondii: investigação de surto em um rebanho caprino da região sul do Brasil

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate an abortion outbreak in a goatherd from Southern Brazil. The herd had 304 goats, being 227 females and 77 males. Sixty-one animals (44.8%) out of 136 dams aborted. Indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) was performed for anti-T.gondii antibody detection and showed 59/61 (96.7%) positive females (titers ≥64). Fifty-five (93.2%) out of 59 positive dams showed titers ≥ 1024. Tissue samples from eight aborted fetuses and raw milk from their dams were collected for mouse bioassay and PCR. Two fetuses were positive for T. gondii infection in both bioassay and PCR. The animals were treated for five days with sulfadiazine plus trimetoprim what was enough to stop the abortion cases. Considering the results from this work the abortion outbreak was caused by T. gondii infection. Key words: Toxoplasma gondii, abortion, goat ResumoO objetivo do presente estudo foi investigar um surto de aborto em um rebanho caprino ocorrido na região sul do Paraná, Brasil. O rebanho continha 304 caprinos, composto de 227 fêmeas e 77 machos. Sessenta e uma (44.8%) cabras prenhas, de um total de 136, abortaram. Para detecção de anticorpos contra Toxoplasma gondii foi utilizada a técnica de imunofluorescência indireta (IFI) e a positividade considerada para aqueles animais com títulos maiores que 64. Das fêmeas que abortaram 59/61 (96,7%) revelaram soropositividade na IFI, 55 (93,2%) daquelas com títulos ≥ 1024. Amostras de oito fetos e leite cru de suas mães foram avaliadas por bioensaio em camundongos e PCR. Amostras de tecido de dois fetos abortados foram positivos no bioensaio e PCR. Após um período de tratamento com sulfadiazine e trimetoprim por cinco dias os abortos cessaram no rebanho. Considerando os resultados do trabalho o agente causador do surto foi o T. gondii.

An outbreak of caprine toxoplasmosis - investigation and case report

“…Similar results have been reported by SILVA FILHO et al (2008), who investigated an outbreak that affected 304 caprine in Paraná, where they observed high titers of anti-T. gondii antibodies, with a prevalence of 89.1%, positive bioassay of aborted fetuses and characteristic clinical signs. These findings are consistent with those of other reports by CHIARI et al (1987) in Minas Gerais and ŠLOSÁRKOVÁ et al (1999) in the Czech Republic, who investigated toxoplasmosis outbreaks in goats and based on the IFA reported high prevalence rates of 92.4% (317/343), and 65.9% (29/44), respectively.…”

“…From the first to the second set of samples, we observed a significant increase in titers from animals with clinical signs, which revealed active outbreak. High titers can be detected in acute infections and sudden outbreaks of toxoplasmosis, according to SILVA FILHO et al (2008). Those authors stated that abortion outbreaks in goats associated with titers ≥1,024 might indicate that T. gondii is the causative agent and reported that females with titers ≥1,024 had a 10 times greater chance of abortion compared to those with lower titers.…”