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A survey of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies by latex agglutination assay in dairy goats in Northern Tanzania

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A Publisher’s Erratum to this article was published on 22 February 2014

Abstract

Food-borne parasitic diseases, such as toxoplasmosis, are increasingly becoming a global food safety concern. A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate seroprevalence and risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity in apparently healthy, unvaccinated dairy goat flocks reared under mixed smallholders, northern Tanzania between April and October 2011. Flock- and animal-level data were collected using a questionnaire. Sera (n = 337) collected from goats aged ≥6 months and from 102 flocks, respectively, were analyzed using modified Eiken latex agglutination test. A flock was classified as T. gondii seropositive if at least one animal tested positive. Titers considered diagnostically significant (≥1:16) were detected in 19.3 % of goats and 45.17 % of flocks, respectively. The antibody levels ranged from 1:16 to 1:2,048 and among the seropositive goats, the proportion of high antibody levels (≥1:2,048), suggestive of acute infection, was 1.5 %. The study revealed that goats raised in Babati are at a lower risk of acquiring T. gondii infection (P = 0.00209) than those which are raised in Arumeru district. The prevalence of T. gondii antibody was significantly higher in crossbred (24.7 %) and Saanen (24.4 %) breed goats than in local (14.3 %) and Toggenburg (12.1 %) and in females than in males (P = 0.043). No significant difference was observed among goats kept under various husbandry practices. The relatively high seroprevalence detected in this study suggests that toxoplasmosis may be posing a significant animal and human health risk and that the consumption of goat meat may play a role in the transmission of the disease to humans.

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Abbreviations

LAT:

Latex agglutination test

OR:

Odd ratio

CI:

Confidence interval

PBS:

Phosphate-buffered saline

SEA:

Small East African

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Government of Tanzania through MLFD, Directorate of Veterinary Services for financing this work. Generous cooperation of smallholder’s dairy goat farmers and extension staff is also acknowledged. Thanks are extended to the Director of Veterinary Service for permission to publish this work.

Conflict of interest statement

None of the authors of this paper has a financial or personal relationship with other people or organization that could inappropriately influence or bias the content of the paper

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Veterinary Investigation Centre (VIC), Box 1068, Arusha, Tanzania

    Emmanuel Senyael Swai & Jackson Eliona Kaaya

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  1. Emmanuel Senyael Swai
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  2. Jackson Eliona Kaaya
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Correspondence to Emmanuel Senyael Swai.

Additional information

An erratum to this article is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11250-014-0555-z.

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Swai, E.S., Kaaya, J.E. A survey of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies by latex agglutination assay in dairy goats in Northern Tanzania. Trop Anim Health Prod 45, 211–217 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-012-0193-2

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