Prevalence of Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in Wild and Domestic Animals of New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado

Authors

Alan A, Marchiondo, University of New MexicoFollow
Donald W. Duszynski, University of New MexicoFollow
Gary O. Maupin, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Date of this Version

4-1976

Comments

Published in the Journal of Wildlife Diseases (April 1976) 12: 226-232. Copyright 1976, the Wildlife Disease Association. Used by permission.

Abstract

Using the Sabin-Feldman dye test, sera from wild and domestic animals in New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado were tested for the prevalence of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii. The prevalence of positive titers (≥ 1:8) in animals from these areas was: New Mexico (178 of 569, 31%), Arizona (11 of 56, 20%), and Colorado (2 of 7, 29%). The overall prevalence of antibodies to Toxoplasma was 30% (191 of 632).

Nine of 17 fecal samples from wild zoo felines contained Toxoplasma-like oocysts which were inoculated per os and intraperitoneally into mice. Mice from six of these nine inoculations later showed positive dye test titers and tissues from five of these six groups had tissue cysts when examined histologically.