Diagnosis of transplacentally induced toxoplasmosis in pigs
1990
Dubey, J.P. | Urban, J.F. Jr
Seventeen sows were fed 1,000 Toxoplasma gondii oocysts of isolates GT-1 or PT-1 at 32 to 92 days of gestation, and the products of conception were examined for T gondii antibodies and parasites. Twelve of these sows were euthanatized near term between 21 and 62 days after being fed T gondii; fetal body fluids or fetal sera were examined for agglutinating T gondii antibodies, and tissues were bioassayed in mice for T gondii parasites. Six sows produced pigs that had been transplacentally infected with T gondii; one of them aborted a T gondii-infected fetus 17 days after ingesting oocytes. Agglutinating antibodies were detected in fetuses infected in utero, but transplacental transfer of T gondii antibodies was not observed in noninfected fetuses. Transcolostrally acquired T gondii antibodies disappeared by 3 months of age. Diagnosis of transplacental toxoplasmosis was confirmed on the basis of detection of T gondii organisms in fetal tissues by use of histologic examination and bioassay in mice. In conclusion, finding of T gondii antibodies in body fluids could serve as a rapid screening test for transplacental T gondii infection in pigs.
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