The consumption of horse meat has been epidemiologically linked to clinical toxoplasmosis in humans and neosporosis that may cause clinical illness in horses. Here we determined seroprevalence of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908 and species of Neospora Dubey, Carpenter, Speer, Topper et Uggla, 1988 in horses from Italy. Blood samples were collected from 643 apparently healthy horses from 60 farms of 51 municipalities in southern Italy. The presence of antibodies against T. gondii and Neospora spp. were detected by indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT); a titre ≥ 50 was considered positive. The same sera were also tested for antibodies against Neospora spp. by a competitive-inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA); samples with ≥ 30% inhibition were considered positive. Antibodies against T. gondii and Neospora spp. were detected in 19 (3.0%) and 15 (2.3%) horses by IFAT, respectively, without statistical difference between gender, age and breeds (p-value ≥ 0.05). Antibodies against species of Neospora were detected in 70 (10.9%) horses by cELISA with statistical difference in gender (6.0-18.5%, p-value ≥ 0.05) and breeds (0-19.4%, p-value ≥ 0.05). Although T. gondii infection rates were low, the risk of human infection should not be dismissed, particularly in Italy where consumption of raw or undercooked horse meat has a long tradition.

• Klíčová slova
• neosporóza,
• MeSH
• červené maso parazitologie   škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• ELISA MeSH
• fluorescenční protilátková technika nepřímá MeSH
• koně parazitologie   MeSH
• Neospora imunologie   patogenita   MeSH
• parazitární nemoci u zvířat etiologie   imunologie   přenos   MeSH
• protilátky protozoální krev   MeSH
• protozoální infekce zvířat etiologie   imunologie   přenos   MeSH
• rizikové faktory MeSH
• séroepidemiologické studie * MeSH
• sérologické testy metody   MeSH
• statistika jako téma MeSH
• Toxoplasma imunologie   patogenita   MeSH
• toxoplazmóza etiologie   imunologie   MeSH
• venae jugulares MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Itálie MeSH

Toxoplasmosis, an important zoonosis, can be transmitted by eating meat or drinking milk of animals infected with Toxoplasma gondii. Samples were collected from 238 donkeys in the year 2010 in Italy, which included 207 females and 31 males of five breeds and crossbreeds with the average age 9 years (1 month-24 years). Sera were tested for T. gondii antibodies using a latex agglutination test and the indirect fluorescent antibody test; 5 and 8% seropositivity were recorded, respectively. We found significant correlation between the presence of T. gondii antibodies and sex, age, grazing and presence of cats on the farms and their access to donkey feed. This is the first detection of T. gondii antibodies in donkeys in Italy.

• MeSH
• Equidae * MeSH
• fluorescenční protilátková technika nepřímá veterinární   MeSH
• kočky MeSH
• latex fixační testy veterinární   MeSH
• séroepidemiologické studie MeSH
• sexuální faktory MeSH
• Toxoplasma * MeSH
• toxoplazmóza zvířat epidemiologie   MeSH
• věkové faktory MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• kočky MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Itálie MeSH

• MeSH
• autofagie * fyziologie   MeSH
• biotest metody   normy   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• počítačová simulace MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
• směrnice MeSH