title: Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in slaughtered horses and donkeys in Liaoning province, northeastern China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Toxoplasma gondii is an important zoonotic pathogen infecting humans and almost all warm-blooded animals. The most common sources of human infection are ingestion of tissue cysts in raw or undercooked meat. However, limited information is available about T. gondii infection in horses and donkeys in China. In the present study, we report the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in horses and donkeys in Liaoning province, northeastern China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum samples were collected from 711 and 738 slaughtered horses and donkeys, respectively, in 13 regions of Liaoning province. The modified agglutination test (MAT) was used to test the specific antibodies to T. gondii.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, 178 of 711 (25.0%) horses were seropositive for T. gondii with titers of 1:25 in 81, 1:50 in 62, 1:100 in 33, and 1:200 in 2, and seroprevalence of T. gondii infection from 13 regions ranged from 8.2% to 37.0%. Antibodies to T. gondii were found in 174 of 738 (23.6%) donkeys with titers of 1:25 in 66, 1:50 in 54, 1:100 in 49, and 1:200 in 5, and seroprevalence varied in 13 different regions, ranging from 9.1% to 32.6%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present study indicated that the rate of infection with T. gondii in horses and donkeys is a little high in Liaoning province, northeastern China in comparison to other surveys in China, which suggests that consumption of horse and donkey meat in this area may represent a potential source for human infection with T. gondii.
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province 110866, China.
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ming-Yang
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.forename: Gao-Ming
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Guo-xin
authors.initials: GX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hong-Kui
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jian-Bin
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000003:Abattoirs; D000372:Agglutination Tests; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D018397:Equidae; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006736:Horses; D008297:Male; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan