[Toxoplasmosis of sheep in the lowland region of Western Slovakia].

The author describes the serological demonstration of toxoplasma antibodies in sheep of ten flocks kept in the lowland region of western Slovakia. The results of serological examination by the complement-fixation reaction (CFR) were positive in different degrees in nine flocks. In the remaining flock the blood of the sheep was not found to contain such antibodies. At the locality L. the author selected a small group of serologically positive sheep from the group of animals to be slaughtered and he studied the CFR values of antibodies in the course of nine months. Toxoplasma strain denoted as H-1 was isolated from the brain of a ram of this group which had a 1 : 256 antibody titre in the blood. This strain was found to be highly virulent for white mice. Toxoplasma antibodies were also identified in the blood of exposed workers, in the blood of dogs, mice and sewer rats. The patho-anatomic picture and isolation of toxoplasma strains from the brain of dead sheep or their foetuses which had the antibodies in the blood before death -- all this demonstrated the occurrence of congenital infection.