title: Sero-epidemiological update on sheep toxoplasmosis in Sardinia, Italy.
abstract: In order to better understand the epidemiology of ovine toxoplasmosis in Sardinia, a serological survey was carried out on 22 flocks with no fertility problems. In total 1043 sera (9% of the 11,382 sheep raised in the flocks) were examined by means of a commercial ELISA kit. To verify the performance of ELISA test, 160 selected sera were tested again with a gold standard test (IFAT). Performance of the commercial ELISA kit was summarised in terms of Sensitivity (SE), Specificity (SP), positive and negative Likelihood Ratios (LR+; LR-). The overall seroprevalence with ELISA test was recorded as 51.3%. It was generally increasing according to age and was significantly lower in animals younger than one year (with the exception of < 1 month old lambs). This survey provided data on the current Toxoplasma gondii sheep seroprevalence in Sardinia, confirmed a still high parasite pressure and pointed out that consumption of raw or undercooked ovine meat can be considered a potential risk factor for humans.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padua, Italy. anatale@izsvenezie.it
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Natale
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Porqueddu
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Capelli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mocci
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marras
authors.forename: G N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Sanna Coccone
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Garippa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scala
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012756:Sheep / Q000097:blood / Q000469:parasitology; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan