Seroprevalence and risk factors for Toxoplasma gondii in sheep in Grosseto district, Tuscany, Italy

At least one seropositive animal was found in 32 of the 33 flocks tested (97.0%; 95% CI: 84.2%, 99.9%). In the positive flocks, median seroprevalence was 29.4% (interquartile range: 15.9%-46.1%). Overall animal-level seroprevalence, adjusted for sampling weights and test sensitivity and specificity, was 33.3% (95% CI: 24.8%, 42.7%). In a multivariable negative binomial regression model the number of seropositive animals in a flock decreased with increasing flock size (for >400 vs. <300 animals: count ratio (CR)？=？0.62; 95% CI: 0.41, 0.95; P？=？0.028) and was greater on farms where stray cats had access to animals’ water (CR？=？1.54; 95% CI: 1.05, 2.26; P？=？0.027).Small flock size and access of cats to water are potential risk factors for Toxoplasma infection in sheep in the Grosseto district in Tuscany, Italy. Sheep could be an important source of T. gondii infection in humans, since we estimate that between 25% and 43% of sheep in the district were seropositive. Toxoplasmosis is also likely to be an important cause of abortion in sheep in the district. Control and prophylactic measures must be adopted to improve the rearing system and the implementation of health promoting programmes in a joint effort between sheep farmers, farmers’ associations and veterinarians to inform about the means of transmission of the infection and for a better understanding of the disease.Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan parasite with felids as definitive hosts and a wide range of warm-blooded animals, including humans and domestic animals, as intermediate hosts [1-3]. Amongst food producing animals, sheep are the most susceptible to infection and T. gondii is an important cause of abortions and stillbirths [1]. Toxoplasmosis is a source of economic loss for sheep farmers and a danger for consumers, who can be infected by undercooked meat and untreated milk, with severe consequences mostly for pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals [2,4,5].Sheep and goats are an im