title: [Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in Tunisian sheep].
abstract: The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in 527 sheep from 4 governorates of Tunisia by Elisa (350 animals) and PCR (177 animals). The seroprevalence in sheep was estimated to be 1.8% (N = 166) in the governorate of Siliana (North Tunisia) and 19% (N = 184) in the governorate of Kasserine (Central Tunisia) with a commercial Elisa kit. T. gondii DNA was extracted from the apex of the heart in 25.5% (N = 106) of sheep from the Sidi-Bouzid governorate (Central Tunisia) and 12.7% (N = 71) from the Ben-Arous governorate (North Tunisia). There was no statistically significant difference between different age categories' prevalence within each locality. Our results indicate that T. gondii infection is frequent in Tunisian sheep. The implementation of a national control programme against toxoplasmosis should not neglect sheep as a frequently infected intermediate host.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de parasitologie, École nationale de médecine vétérinaire de Sidi-Thabet, université de la Manouba, Manouba, Tunisie. gharbim2000@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gharbi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zribi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jedidi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chakkhari
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hamdi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: R'hayem
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zribi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Souli
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Darghouth
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan