Laboratoire de Recherche 05SP03, Laboratoire de Parasitologie, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, 13 Place Pasteur BP74, 1002 Tunis Belvédères, Tunisia.
Parasit Vectors. 2011 Nov 22;4:218. doi: 10.1186/1756-3305-4-218.
The present study was conducted to investigate the serological survey of Toxoplasma antibodies in local.horses from three major regions: a neighbourhood of a city in the North (Sidi Thabet), a neighbourhood of a city on the coast (Monastir) and a neighbourhood of a city in the middle (Battan) of Tunisia (North of Africa).
A total of 158 serum samples were obtained from clinically healthy horses which consisted of 111 (32 female, 79 male) 2-10 years old and 47 (11 female, 36 male) older than 10 years. All of the horses were tested for antibodies to T. gondii using the Modified Agglutination Test (MAT).
According to MAT results, antibodies to T. gondii were found in 28 (17.7%) of 158 sera with the titers of 1:20 in 20 horses, 1:40 in 1 horse, 1:80 in 2 horses, 1:160 in 2 horses, 1:320 in 1 horse and ≥1:640 in 2 horses. Anti-T. gondii antibodies were found in 18 (16.2%) of 111 horses (2-10 years old) and 10 (21.2%) of 47 horses (older than 10 years old). Six (13.9%) out of 43 female had anti-toxoplasma antibodies and 22 (19.1%) from 115 males remained positive.
Statistically significant differences in age groups and genders were observed between the seropositive and seronegative horses using the Chi square X(2) test. Other statistical correlation was also reported concerning horse breed.
本研究旨在调查来自突尼斯三个主要地区（北部城市的一个街区、沿海城市的一个街区和中部城市的一个街区）的当地马匹的弓形虫血清抗体的血清学调查。
从 158 份来自临床健康马的血清样本中，共获得 111 份（32 份女性，79 份男性）2-10 岁和 47 份（11 份女性，36 份男性）年龄大于 10 岁的血清。所有的马都用改良凝集试验（MAT）检测抗弓形虫抗体。
根据 MAT 结果，在 158 份血清中发现 28 份（17.7%）有抗弓形虫抗体，其中 20 匹马的滴度为 1:20，1 匹马的滴度为 1:40，2 匹马的滴度为 1:80，2 匹马的滴度为 1:160，1 匹马的滴度为 1:320，2 匹马的滴度为≥1:640。在 111 匹（2-10 岁）马中发现 18 匹（16.2%）和 47 匹（大于 10 岁）马中的 10 匹（21.2%）抗弓形虫抗体。43 匹母马中有 6 匹（13.9%）有抗弓形虫抗体，115 匹公马中有 22 匹（19.1%）呈阳性。
使用卡方 X(2)检验，在血清阳性和血清阴性的马匹之间观察到年龄组和性别之间有统计学上的显著差异。还报告了其他与马种有关的统计相关性。
