A seroprevalance survey of Toxoplasma gondii amongst slaughter cattle in two high throughput abattoirs in the North West Province of South Africa

Toxoplasmosis has been identified as one of the common opportunistic infection in HIV infected individuals, it can also cause abortion and congenital defects in humans. Since some of the infections are acquired from meat, it becomes essential that the epidemiology of the disease amongst meat producing animals be studied. The objective of the study was to determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii amongst slaughter cattle in the North West Province. Blood samples were randomly collected from 178 slaughter cattle in two high throughput abattoirs. The samples were tested for the presence of T. gondii antibodies using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Seroprevalence ranged from 17.1 to 23.5% (ų= 20.8%) It is recommended that more serological surveys be undertaken for proper policy formulation, and that awareness campaigns be prioritized.