Research of Toxoplasma Gondii in Ostriches

Toxoplasmosis is one of the most widespread pathogen in the world, presenting high importance in production animals, like ostriches (Struthio camelus), and to human beings. This study was aimed to determine the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in ostriches from a Brazilian slaughterhouse. Serum samples of 344 ostriches slaughtered in a Brazilian slaughterhouse were researched for T. gondii antibodies by modified agglutination test (MAT), using 4 as cut-off titer. The brain of all seropositive and ten seronegative animals were bioassayed in outbreed mice for the research of the parasite. 3 8/344 (11.05%; CI95% 8.16-14.80%) animals presented T. gondii antibodies, with titers 4 (10, 26.31%), 8 (6, 15.79%), 16 (4, 10.53%), 32 (8, 21.05%), 64 (6, 15.79%) and 256 (4, 10.53%). No bioassay presented positive results for tachyzoites in peritoneal fluid or tissue cysts in brain tissue of the mice. The studied ostriches presented a homogeneous distribution of titers, and some of them with high titers, e.g. 64 and 256. T. gondii keep high titers for a long time in its hosts, characterizing a chronic infection. This fact is important when studying food animals, and slaughterhouse's process. Brain is a election site for T. gondii, but in this study this tissue did not present good results for this detection. The present study show the importance of ostriches in the epidemiological chain of toxoplasmosis in Brazil once these animals can be infected with this parasite, but the brain is not an important tissue for the multiplication of the parasite. Financial support: FAPESP.