Koyunlarda Toxoplasma gondii`nin seroinsidensi ve izolasyonu üzerine araştırmalar

Abstract

-32 SUMMARY (İNGİLİZCE ÖZET) ISOLATION AND SEROINCIDENCE STUDIES OF TOXOPLASMA GONDII INFECTION IN SHEEP This study has been undertaken for the first time to determine seroincidence (antibody incidence) of Toxoplasma gondii infection and possible relationship between this infection and abortion cases occurring in sheep in Turkey, between August 1 993 and March 1 994. The study has been carried out among sheep selected from the towns of Lalahan and Şereflikoçhisar in Ankara region where abortion cases frequently occurred previously and the sheep brought to the slaughter house of Ankara Meat and Fish Center. The sera collected from the animals in the work places were examined with Sabin - Feldman method and seropositivity of animals were determined on a monthly basis. In the light of this investigation as undertaken in animals available in the three research areas which represented, Ankara showed the seroprevalances of Toxoplasma gondii as 26.6 %, 28.5 %, 28.4 %, 29.4%, 33.3 %, 34.7 %, 33.8% and 36.6% in August, September, October, November, December 1993 and January, February and March 1 994, respectively. On the other hand, seroincidence of Toxoplasma gondii infection was encountered in the two towns, Lalahan and Şereflikoçhisar. According to this study carried out in Lalahan, 9 out of 35 animals were found to be Toxoplasma seropositive at the beginning of this investigation in August 1993. Four out of remaining 26 animals (15.7%) were also found to develop seropositivity to Toxoplasma gondii infection by-33- the time this investigation ended in March 1994. In a similar study as conducted in Şereflikoçhisar, 8 out of 35 animals showed seropositivity at the beginning of this investigation and among the remaining 27 seronegative animals; 3 of them (11.1%) were found to be infected with Toxoplasma gondii and found to develop seropositivity at the end of the investigation period of March 1994. The result of this study, therefore, showed 15.7 % and 11.1% sheep being infected with Toxoplasma gondii during the 8 months period in Lalahan and Şereflikoçhisar, respectively. In the slaughterhouse of Ankara Meat and Fish Centre due to continuous slaughtering of sheep, monthly investigation of Toxoplasma gondii infection remained undetermined. Distribution of positivity with respect to antibody titers of sera obtained from 222 animals selected from the three centers were investigated by Sabin-Feldman method. According to this study, 260 out of 712 sera samples were found to be seropositive during the 8 months investigation period. Among the 260 positive sera, 113 of them gave positivity at 1/16, 100 of them at 1/64, 25 of them at 1/256 and 2 of them at 1/1 024 dilutions. For isolation purpose, in the slaughter house of Ankara Meat and Fish Center, 19 fetus and among the flocks in Şereflikoçhisar 4 aborted fetus were obtained. It was possible to isolate Toxoplasma gondii in only one aborted fetus from a pregnant sheep slaughtered in Ankara Meat and Fish Center in November, 1993. In Lalahan, no abortion cases of fetus were encountered. Key words: sheep, Toxoplasma gondii, seroprevalance, seroincidence, izolation

-32 SUMMARY (İNGİLİZCE ÖZET) ISOLATION AND SEROINCIDENCE STUDIES OF TOXOPLASMA GONDII INFECTION IN SHEEP This study has been undertaken for the first time to determine seroincidence (antibody incidence) of Toxoplasma gondii infection and possible relationship between this infection and abortion cases occurring in sheep in Turkey, between August 1 993 and March 1 994. The study has been carried out among sheep selected from the towns of Lalahan and Şereflikoçhisar in Ankara region where abortion cases frequently occurred previously and the sheep brought to the slaughter house of Ankara Meat and Fish Center. The sera collected from the animals in the work places were examined with Sabin - Feldman method and seropositivity of animals were determined on a monthly basis. In the light of this investigation as undertaken in animals available in the three research areas which represented, Ankara showed the seroprevalances of Toxoplasma gondii as 26.6 %, 28.5 %, 28.4 %, 29.4%, 33.3 %, 34.7 %, 33.8% and 36.6% in August, September, October, November, December 1993 and January, February and March 1 994, respectively. On the other hand, seroincidence of Toxoplasma gondii infection was encountered in the two towns, Lalahan and Şereflikoçhisar. According to this study carried out in Lalahan, 9 out of 35 animals were found to be Toxoplasma seropositive at the beginning of this investigation in August 1993. Four out of remaining 26 animals (15.7%) were also found to develop seropositivity to Toxoplasma gondii infection by-33- the time this investigation ended in March 1994. In a similar study as conducted in Şereflikoçhisar, 8 out of 35 animals showed seropositivity at the beginning of this investigation and among the remaining 27 seronegative animals; 3 of them (11.1%) were found to be infected with Toxoplasma gondii and found to develop seropositivity at the end of the investigation period of March 1994. The result of this study, therefore, showed 15.7 % and 11.1% sheep being infected with Toxoplasma gondii during the 8 months period in Lalahan and Şereflikoçhisar, respectively. In the slaughterhouse of Ankara Meat and Fish Centre due to continuous slaughtering of sheep, monthly investigation of Toxoplasma gondii infection remained undetermined. Distribution of positivity with respect to antibody titers of sera obtained from 222 animals selected from the three centers were investigated by Sabin-Feldman method. According to this study, 260 out of 712 sera samples were found to be seropositive during the 8 months investigation period. Among the 260 positive sera, 113 of them gave positivity at 1/16, 100 of them at 1/64, 25 of them at 1/256 and 2 of them at 1/1 024 dilutions. For isolation purpose, in the slaughter house of Ankara Meat and Fish Center, 19 fetus and among the flocks in Şereflikoçhisar 4 aborted fetus were obtained. It was possible to isolate Toxoplasma gondii in only one aborted fetus from a pregnant sheep slaughtered in Ankara Meat and Fish Center in November, 1993. In Lalahan, no abortion cases of fetus were encountered. Key words: sheep, Toxoplasma gondii, seroprevalance, seroincidence, izolation