title: Seroepidemiology and associated risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii in sheep and goats in Southwestern Ethiopia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  T.gondii is a global zoonotic disease and is considered as the most neglected tropical disease in sub-Saharan countries. The exact seroepidemiological distribution and risk factors for the infection of food animals and humans in Ethiopia was less studied although, such studies are important. The objective of the current study was to determine the seroprevalence and potential risk factors of T. gondii infection in sheep and goats in Southwestern Ethiopia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross sectional study was conducted from November 2014 to March 2015 in South west Ethiopia in four selected districts of Jimma zone (n = 368). Slide agglutination test (Toxo-latex) was used to detect anti-T.gondii antibodies. Logistic regression was used to determine potential risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An overall seroprevalence of 57.60% (212/368; 95% CI: 52.55-62.6) was detected. 58.18% (148/252; 95% CI: 52.75-64.88) and 55.18% (64/116; 95% CI: 46.13-64.23) sero prevalence was found in sheep and goats respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of T. gondii infection was significantly higher in adult sheep and goats [(sheep: Odds Ratio (OR) = 2.5, confidence interval (CI): 1.19-5.23; p = 0.015), (goats: OR = 3.9, confidence interval (CI):1.64-9.41: p = 0.002)] than in young sheep and goats, in female [(sheep: OR = 1.93, CI: 1.11-3.36, p = 0.018, (goats: OR = 2.9, CI: 121-6.93, p = 0.002)] than in males sheep and goats, in Highland [(sheep: OR = 4.57, CI: 1.75-12.66, P = 0.000, (goats: OR = 4.4, CI: 1.75-13.66, p = 0.004)] than sheep and goats from lowland.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study indicates that seroprevalence of latent toxoplasmosis in small ruminants is high, therefore, it is decidedly indispensable to minimize risk factors exposing to the infection like consumption of raw meat as source of infection for humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Public Health, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary medicine, Jimma University, PO. Box 307, Jimma, Ethiopia. dachassat@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Dechassa
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0405-5936
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tegegne
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Public Health, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary medicine, Jimma University, PO. Box 307, Jimma, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Amin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kelifa
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Public Health, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary medicine, Jimma University, PO. Box 307, Jimma, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Mukarim
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abdurahaman
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Public Health, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary medicine, Jimma University, PO. Box 307, Jimma, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Moti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yohannes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D006041:Goats; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D014122:Toxoplasma; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan
keywords: Goat; Seroprevalence; Sheep; Southwestern Ethiopia; T. gondii; Toxo-latex