Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii and affecting all warm-blooded animals. The
available data about the epidemiological situation of T. gondii in water buffaloes in Egypt are scarce. Thus, a
cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii in water buffaloes in three
Egyptian governorates and to evaluate the associated risk factors for the infection. A total of 430 sera samples
were examined using commercial Indirect ELISA Multi-species kit. The overall seroprevalence rate of T. gondii in
examined water buffaloes was 7.4 %, and the highest rate (9.3 %) was found in Kafr ElSheikh governorate.
Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that adult buffalo (OR = 7.10; 95 % CI: 0.87–57.68; P = 0.067)
and small herds (OR = 8.42; 95 % CI: 1.07–66.02; P = 0.043) were more likely than young buffalo and large
herds to become infected with T. gondii. Moreover, the risk of buffaloes contracting T. gondii infection was higher
in winter and especially among animals contacted with cats. It is necessary to identify risk factors in order to
determine what mitigation, control, and prevention strategies to implement in order to reduce, control, and
prevent T. gondii infection in domestic animals, which will in turn reduce human infection with the disease |
