Toxoplasmosis is typical worldwide Zoonoses caused by Toxoplasma gondii, which is an obligate intracellular opportunistic coccidian protozoon of felids with an unusually wide range of intermediate hosts which are either animals, birds or man. In the present study Brain tissues, hearts and breast muscle of 230 slaughtered domestic chickens (170 commercial farm and 60 free range or house reared) had been collected from three governorates, then digested , examined microscopically and were bioassayed in mice for demonstration viable Toxoplasma gondii bradyzoites. The results showed higher occurrence of tissue cysts in free range chickens (FR) than commercial farm (CF) chickens. in addition to higher percentage of tissue cysts were in heart muscle than other organs and was as follows in FR chicken tissues: (11.6%) in brains, (31.6%) in hearts and (6 .66%) in breast muscle in FR chicken tissues while the percentage of tissue cysts in CF chicken was as follows in different organs (2.94%) in brains, (5.29%) in hearts and (0 .58%) in breast muscle. moreover the also isolation of local strain (isolates) from harvested tachyzoites was conducted after confirmation using PCR. Zoonotic importance was discussed and suggested recommendations were recorded to control such disease of great economic importance in veterinary field as well as its public health importance |
