Knapen F van ,
Franchimont JH ,
Kremers AFT ,
Dijkstra A ,
Narucka U ,
Osinga A ,
Zandstra P
25 p
in Dutch
1992
Toon Nederlands
English Abstract In 1979-1980 and 1987-1989 sera of Dutch cattle were
screened for the presence of antibodies against T. gondii using an ELISA
method. The seroprevalence found in the first investigation, involving sera
from the South of the Netherlands, was 32,4%. In this survey the animals
were classified as fattening calves, heifers and dairy cattle. The
seroprevalences in the different categories were 1,2%, 26,4% and 42,6%,
respectively. In the second investigation involving sera from the North of
the Netherlands, the observed seroprevalence was 12,8%, which was
considerably lower than the seroprevalence found in the first survey,
especially since the sera were mainly sampled from dairy cattle, showing a
more than average degree of infection in the first study. Although it
cannot be excluded that general changes in housekeeping in the period
between the projects have resulted in a lower seroprevalence, investigations
until 1982 don't suggest a decreasing seroprevalence in cattle. In the
second investigation involving sera from the North, it wasn't exceptional
that from one farm up to 20 sera were examined, none of them being positive.
It may be possible that local differences in farming have resulted in lower
seroprevalences. It is recommended, also with respect to the IKB-project,
to reinvestigate the degree of infection, both to detect general trends in
the degree of infection, as well as to study low-level farms, which possibly
have some aspect in their housekeeping enhancing a very low level of
infection. In the perspective of the internationally increasing attention
for toxoplasmosis as a zoonosis, both in regard to Public Health as well as
a result of increasing health awareness of the consumer, it is advised to
consider serological surveys as an instrument to screen animals for various
diseases including toxoplasmosis, in order to set up a certain measure of
quality.