title: Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection among horses in Tunisia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present study was conducted to investigate the serological survey of Toxoplasma antibodies in local.horses from three major regions: a neighbourhood of a city in the North (Sidi Thabet), a neighbourhood of a city on the coast (Monastir) and a neighbourhood of a city in the middle (Battan) of Tunisia (North of Africa).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 158 serum samples were obtained from clinically healthy horses which consisted of 111 (32 female, 79 male) 2-10 years old and 47 (11 female, 36 male) older than 10 years. All of the horses were tested for antibodies to T. gondii using the Modified Agglutination Test (MAT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to MAT results, antibodies to T. gondii were found in 28 (17.7%) of 158 sera with the titers of 1:20 in 20 horses, 1:40 in 1 horse, 1:80 in 2 horses, 1:160 in 2 horses, 1:320 in 1 horse and ≥1:640 in 2 horses. Anti-T. gondii antibodies were found in 18 (16.2%) of 111 horses (2-10 years old) and 10 (21.2%) of 47 horses (older than 10 years old). Six (13.9%) out of 43 female had anti-toxoplasma antibodies and 22 (19.1%) from 115 males remained positive.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Statistically significant differences in age groups and genders were observed between the seropositive and seronegative horses using the Chi square X(2) test. Other statistical correlation was also reported concerning horse breed.
authors: Laboratoire de Recherche 05SP03, Laboratoire de Parasitologie, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, 13 Place Pasteur BP74, 1002 Tunis Belvédères, Tunisia.
authors: Sonia
authors: S
authors: Boughattas
authors: Ramzi
authors: R
authors: Bergaoui
authors: Rym
authors: R
authors: Essid
authors: Karim
authors: K
authors: Aoun
authors: Aida
authors: A
authors: Bouratbine
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006736:Horses; D008297:Male; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan