Toxoplasmosis in sheep. Haematological serological and parasitological studies.

Blood variables (cell values, contents of haemoglobin, minerals and proteins) were studied retrospectively in 13 lambs which had acquired toxoplasmosis during the summer, and in 2 lambs which had been infected during the perinatal period. Examination by immunoelectrophoresis was also performed. The lambs had been in experimental groups in a research project of blood values in sheep on pastures of different qualities. The groups comprised a total of 40 lambs, which had been bled once monthly. Examinations were also carried out in lambs experimentally infected with the RH strain of T. gondii, in lambs experimentally infected with a sheep strain of the parasite, and in a control group. No significant changes in the blood variables were found. Meat samples from the experimentally infected lambs and their controls were examined parasitologically. T. gondii was recovered from all dye test positive (titre ≥ 1/16) lambs inoculated with the sheep strain, but not from any of the lambs inoculated with the RH strain. The results indicated that the RH strain does not produce cysts in the muscular tissue in sheep. Some observations indicated that this strain may protect against reinfection with other strains, but the number of individuals was too low for a statistical conclusion. kw|Keywords|k]toxoplasma infection; k]haematology; k]sheep {fn1|This work was supported by grants from The Norwegian Research Council for Science and for the Humanities.}