Economic and public health considerations of congenital toxoplasmosis in lambs.
Congenital toxoplasmosis was diagnosed in a flock of Hampshire sheep in South Dakota. The 80 ewes produced 144 lambs, 30 of which were born dead; toxoplasmosis was diagnosed in 11 of the dead lambs. The remaining 114 lambs grew normally, but 68 (40.3%) had agglutinating Toxoplasma gondii antibodies. Modified agglutination test T gondii antibody titers for 114 lambs were: less than 100 (n = 46), 64 (n = 2), 256 (n = 1), 1,024 (n = 12), and greater than or equal to 4,096 (n = 53). Tissues of 8 seropositive lambs were bioassayed for T gondii tissue cysts. Toxoplasma gondii was isolated from the tongue and lamb chops of 7, heart of 3, and legs of lamb of all 8 lambs.
Dubey
J P
JP
Zoonotic Diseases Laboratory, USDA, BARC-E, Beltsville, MD 20705.
Kirkbride
C A
CA
D000034:Abortion, Veterinary / Q000191:economics / Q000209:etiology*; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D001681:Biological Assay; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000469:parasitology; D051379:Mice; D009132:Muscles / Q000469:parasitology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000151:congenital* / Q000191:economics; D014059:Tongue / Q000469:parasitology; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000151:congenital* / Q000191:economics
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan