Serum anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Passeriformes: Passeridae), in the municipality of Pelotas, RS, Brazil

• Main Authors: Luciana Siqueira Silveira dos Santos, Herbert Sousa Soares, Carolina Silveira Mascarenhas, Paulo Roberto Silveira dos Santos, Solange Maria Gennari, Nara Amélia da Rosa Farias
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade de São Paulo 2020-06-01
• Series: Brazilian Journal of Veterinary Research and Animal Science
• Subjects: Toxoplasmosis; Birds; Epidemiology; Public health; Urban environment
• Online Access: http://www.revistas.usp.br/bjvras/article/view/164867
• ISSN: 1413-9596; 1678-4456

The objective of this study was to detect the presence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in serum samples from 100 sparrows (Passer domesticus Linnaeus, 1758) that were caught in an urban area in southern Brazil. The modified agglutination test (MAT) was used to investigate anti-T. gondii antibodies and samples with a cut-off dilution > 5 were considered positive. Among the 100 serum samples analyzed, 80 (80%) were reactive. These results demonstrate that P. domesticus may play an important role in the epidemiological chain of T. gondii, since it is widely distributed throughout Brazil, and it may act as a source of infection to domestic, semi-domestic cats and to free-living wild felids.