Abstract :
The seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in sheep and goats in China’s northeastern
Heilongjiang Province was surveyed, for the first time, between November 2008 and
May 2010. In total, 1270 serum samples (792 from sheep and 478 from goats) were collected
from ten sheep and goat rearing administrative regions, and antibodies to T. gondii
were examined by indirect haemagglutination (IHA) test using a commercially available kit.
The results showed that the overall seroprevalence of T. gondii in sheep and goats was 3.3%
(42/1270), and the prevalence in goats (3.8%) was slightly higher than that in sheep (3.0%).
The prevalence of antibodies in adults was higher than that in lambs or kids, and female
animals had higher prevalence than males. The prevalence in intensively reared sheep and
goats was lower than that in semi-intensively reared animals, although the difference was
not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The results of this survey indicate that infection with
T. gondii in sheep and goats is present in Heilongjiang Province, one of the coldest provinces
of China, which may have important implications for public health.
