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- 2019
Prevalance of Toxoplasma gondii Indoor Cats in KarsKeywords: Kars,Kedi,Toxoplasma gondii Abstract: This study was aimed at determining the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in pet cats in the Kars province. Overall 100 pet cats, including 52 females and 48 males, which were aged 1-6 years and were of various breeds, constituted the material of the study. Sera, extracted from 5 mL blood samples taken from each cat, were assayed for the presence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies using the Sabin-Feldman Dye Test. Out of the 100 cats tested for T. gondii antibodies, 65 (65%) were determined to have an antibody titre of 1/16 and higher, and were considered to be seropositive. Out of the 100 cats, 35 (35%) were determined to have an antibody titre below 1/16 and were considered to be seronegative. The assessment of the rate of seropositivity for age and sex demonstrated that the differences between the age groups were statistically insignificant (P>0.05). Of the seropositive cats, 43 had an antibody titre of 1/16, 19 had an antibody titre of 1/64, and 3 had an antibody titre of 1/256. In result, this study demonstrated that the prevalence of T. gondii was 65% in pet cats in the Kars province. This high prevalence was attributed to the majority of the pet cats being adopted stray cats. On the basis of the results obtained, it was concluded that the necessary public health measures should be taken and further more detailed research should be conducted on toxoplasmosis
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