Risultati di una indagine sierologica sulla toxoplasmosi in cavalli del sud Italia

The consumption on of horse meat has been linked to toxoplasmosis in humans. Here we determined seroprevalence of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii in horses from Italy. Blood samples were collected from 643 apparently healthy horses from 60 farms of 51 municipalities in southern Italy. The presence of antibodies against T. gondii was detected by a commercial indirect fluorescent antibody test IFAT; a titre ≥ 50 was considered positive. Antibodies against T. gondii were detected in 19 horses (3.0 %) without statistical difference between gender, age and breeds (p-value ≥ 0.05). Although T. gondii infection rate was low, the risk of human infection should not be dismissed, particularly in Italy where consumption of raw or undercooked horse meat has a long tradition.