Antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii in bats (Desmodus rotundus) captured near caves in cities from western region of Santa Catarina State, Brazil

Toxoplasma gondii is a mammalian parasite with a wide geographical distribution. Some seropositive animals for T. gondii can be asymptomatic, including humans. This study aimed to investigate the presence of antibodies against T. gondii in the serum of 50 vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) from the western region of Santa Catarina State, Brazil, using the modified agglutination test (MAT), in a dilution of 1:25. The results showed 10 % (5/50) are seropositive for T. gondii, showing that bats from that region had contact with T. gondii and are probably infected.