Reseach of antibodies anti - Toxoplasma gondii in dogs from the cities of Belém and Castanhal in Pará

• Grant number: 13/17578-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2013
• End date: October 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Helio Langoni
• Grantee: Bruna da Silva Colhado
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonosis of worldwide distribution, infects wide variety of domestic animals, wild animals and birds. Toxoplasma gondii is a important protozoan to public health may affect mainly immunosuppressed patients. In animal production is responsible for causing great economic loss abortions. The felines are the definitive hosts, they can eliminate thousands of oocysts in the environment and contaminate soil, food and water. Among the serological diagnosis Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA), is considered the gold standard for being high specificity and sensitivity, detecting antibodies present in the serum of animals analyzed. The state of Pará in northern Brazil has few data concerning animals in the region regarding the seroepidemiology disease. The present study aims to conduct a serosurvey of dogs for antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in Belém and Castanhal in the state of Pará, in order to outline plans well prophylaxis the population, considering that dogs are considered sentinels for Toxoplasma infection and can be inferred from the results to be obtained on the degree of spread of infection in humans.