Recent advances in ovine toxoplasmosis and public health aspects

Abstract

Toxoplamosis is considered major parasitary disease in sheep, due its importance in veterinary medicine and animal science and in public health. In ewe the main clinical repercussion is abortion, economic losses through embryonic and fetal death, still birth and neonatal losses, represents an obstacle in profitability in worldwide sheep farm production. Amongst food producing animals, sheep meat was considered to be highest risk food for transmission of toxoplasmosis to humans, furthermore recent studies have been found cases of excretion of the parasite from milk of naturally infected sheep, suggesting a potential source of infection to humans when consumed without prior boiling or pasteurization, which can facilitate the zoonotic transmission. New research has shown that repeat ovine transmission of T. gondii in subsequent pregnancies can occur, unlike previous studies suggest that sheep have aborted due to parasite develop protection against future abortion. In these animals is likely that reactivation of latent toxoplasmosis can occur and influence the high incidence of infection in sheep. The main objective of this chapter will be discussing important aspects involving new advances in the epidemiology, diagnosis and control of this important disease in sheep industry.