Investigation of Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in Sheep and Goats in Siirt Province in Turkey

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in sheep and goats in Siirt province. Blood samples werecollected from a total of 450 female animals, consisting of 200 goats and 250 sheep in different part of Siirt province. Samples were centrifugedat 3000 rpm for 10 minutes and stored at -20 oC until use. The study was carried out by ELISA method using commercial test kit (Toxoplasmagondii Antibody Test Kit, IDEXX). According to the results of this study 28 of the 450 animals (6.22%) were positive, 393 (87.33%) werenegative, 17 (3.78%) were suspicious, while 12 (2.67%) were weak positive. As the result of the analyzes performed using the chi-square testa significant difference was found between the results and the species (p<005), and no significant difference between the results and theages group of the animals was observed (p>0.05). As a result, the presence of T. gondii in sheep and goats in Siirt region was determined forthe first time by this study. Since this study provides information about the current situation of T. gondii infection in Siirt region, it is thoughtthat it will contribute to taking necessary measures in terms of public health and disease control practices.