Background: Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide spread disease. The present study examined the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection among animals of edible meat (cattle and sheep) in Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari Province (Southwest of Iran) in 2012. Furthermore, we attempted for the first time to identify this parasite from the meat products in the province.
Methods: The tongue, brain, femur muscle and liver of 50 sheep and 70 cattle as well as 50 samples of meat products were selected and collected to perform molecular survey using Nested-PCR method.
Results: Of the studied sheep, 38% were infected. The infection rate in the age groups under 1 year, 1-2 years, and more than 2 years was 25%, 35.29% and 52.94%, respectively. The infection rate in femur muscle, brain, liver and tongue was 28%, 32%, 30% and 16%, respectively. Of the studied cattle, 8.57% were infected. The infection rate in the age groups 1-2 years, 2-4 years, and more than 4 years was 3.7%, 9.09% and 14.28%, respectively. Sheep was infected 6 times more than cattle (OR = 6.53 CI = 2.374-18.005).The infection rate among samples of meat products was 12% (6 samples out of 50 samples).
Conclusion: Due to the high rate of this parasitic infection among the slaughtered animals as well as meat products in this region, the use of infected material can be one of the main risk factors of transmission of the parasite to humans.
Keywords: Cattle; Iran; Nested-PCR; Sheep; Toxoplasma gondii.