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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #286762
Title: Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii from free-range chickens (Gallus domesticus) from Addis Adaba, Ethiopa

Author
item TILAHUN, GETACHEW - Addis Ababa University
item TIAO, NARY - The Ohio State University
item FERREIRA, LEANDRA - Collaborator
item SOLANGE, OLIVEIRA - Collaborator
item VERMA, SHIV - Collaborator
item Kwok, Oliver
item MOLLA, BOLLE - The Ohio State University
item SAVILLE, WILLIAM - The Ohio State University
item MEDHIN, GIRMAY - Addis Ababa University
item KASSA, TESFU - Addis Ababa University
item ALEME, HAILELUEL - Addis Ababa University
item GEBREYES, WONDWOSSEN - The Ohio State University
item Dubey, Jitender

Submitted to: Journal of Parasitology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/10/2013
Publication Date: 9/1/2013
Citation: Tilahun, G., Tiao, N., Ferreira, L.R., Choudhary, S., Oliveira, S., Verma, S.K., Kwok, O.C., Molla, B., Saville, W., Medhin, G., Kassa, T., Aleme, H., Gebreyes, W., Su, C., Dubey, J.P. 2013. Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii from free-range chickens (Gallus domesticus) from Addis Adaba, Ethiopa. Journal of Parasitology. 99: 740-741.

Interpretive Summary: Toxoplasma gondii is a single-celled parasite of all warm-blooded hosts worldwide. It causes mental retardation and loss of vision in children, and abortion in livestock. Cats are the main reservoir of T. gondii because they are the only hosts that can excrete the resistant stage (oocyst) of the parasite in the feces. Humans become infected by eating under cooked meat from infected animals, as well as food and water contaminated with oocysts. In the present study, authors found T. gondii antibodies in 38.4% of 125 free-range chickens from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. These findings are epidemiologically important because ingestion of uncooked/under cooked meat from T. gondii infected chickens can result in toxoplasmosis in humans and cats can shed oocysts. The results will be of interest to biologists, parasitologists, and public health workers.

Technical Abstract: Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in free-range chickens (Gallus domesticus) is a good indicator of the environmental contamination with oocysts because chickens become infected mainly by feeding from ground/feed/soil contaminated with oocysts. The seroprevalence of T. gondii antibodies in 125 free-range chickens from the Addis Ababa, Ethiopia was determined. Antibodies to T. gondii were assayed by the modified agglutination test; 48 (38.4 %) of 125 chickens were seropositive with titers of 1:5 in 14, 1:10 in 12, 1:20 in 14, 1: 40 in 3, 1: 80 in 1, 1:160 in 1, 1:320 in 1, and 1: 640 or higher in 2. Results of this study indicate environmental contamination with T. gondii oocysts around Addis Ababa.