Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in sheep and cattle in Shanxi Province, North China

Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide zoonotic disease caused by infection with the intracellular protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii, posing significant economic losses to the livestock industry. As a major livestock province, little is known of the prevalence of T. gondii infection in sheep and cattle in Shanxi Province, North China. In this study, a total of 1962 blood samples from cattle (n = 978) and sheep (n = 984), collected from 11 administrative cities in Shanxi Province, were examined for antibodies against T. gondii by using the indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits commercially available. The results showed that antibodies to T. gondii were detected in 306 of the 978 cattle serum samples (31.29%, 95% CI 28.38-34.19), ranging from 12.64% to 60.00% among the different cities. The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii in sheep was 17.78% (175/984, 95% CI 15.40-20.17), ranging from 2.22% to 41.11% among the different administrative cities. The T. gondii seroprevalence was associated with the management mode and geographical location. This is the first report of T. gondii seroprevalence in cattle and sheep in Shanxi Province, North China, which provides baseline data to plan future control strategies for T. gondii infection in this province.