Molecular Detection of Toxoplasma gondii in the Slaughter Sheep and Goats from Shandong Province, Eastern China.

It is generally recognized that sheep are susceptible to Toxoplasma gondii and play a very important role in the transmission of toxoplasmosis to humans. In China, sheep toxoplasmosis has been reported in some regions based on serological investigations. However, little is known about sheep toxoplasmosis in Shandong province, eastern China. Thus, this study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of T. gondii infection in the slaughter sheep and goats from three cities (Weihai, Yantai, and Rizhao) of Shandong province, eastern China. From November 2016 to March 2018, a total of 692 meat samples (438 sheep and 254 goats) were collected and detected by a seminested PCR-targeted T. gondii B1 gene. The overall prevalence of T. gondii in sheep and goats were 9.84% and 10.73%, respectively. Meat collected from rural markets (16.04%) had a significantly higher T. gondii prevalence than those collected from supermarkets (6.84%) (p < 0.001). Moreover, sheep and goats raised in backyard were more easily to be infected by T. gondii compared with those raised in farms (p < 0.001). This is the first report of the molecular prevalence of T. gondii infection in sheep and goats in Shandong province, eastern China, which would provide effective data for prevention and control of sheep and human toxoplasmosis in China.