Ovine toxoplasmosis in Huitzilac, Morelos, Mexico

Abstract A study of ovine toxoplasmosis was conducted in the municipality of Huitzilac, Morelos, Mexico. The purpose was to determine the seroprevalence of ovine toxoplasmosis and to determine the variables which influence seropositivity. A total of 702 sheep older than 1 year old from 25 premises was sampled from four communities of Huitzilac. Blood samples were obtained and tested for antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii by the indirect immunofluorescent test. A titer of 1 : 16 or greater was considered positive. Ten known or hypothesized variables in the epidemiology of ovine toxoplasmosis were examined by path analysis. The overall antibody prevalence was 37.9%. The seroprevalence among the premises ranged from 15 to 60%. The variables that contributed significantly to the number of seropositives were the total number of sheep per farm and the presence of cats; the full model had r 2 = 0.54.