DETECTION OF TOXOPLASMA-GONDII-SPECIFIC ANTIBODIES ITS DOGS - A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF IMMUNOENZYMATIC, IMMUNOFLUORESCENT AND HEMAGGLUTINATION TITERS

We evaluated the titers of anti-T. gondii antibodies by various serolo gical tests in 40 serum samples from dogs exhibiting clinical signs of infectious diseases. Indirect immunofluorescence (IgG-IFI), indirect haemagglutination (IHA and M-Toxo) and immunoenzymatic (ELISA and PA-E LISA) tests were carried out. Titers greater than or equal to 64 were considered ed as positive. Anti-Toxoplasma antibodies were found in 9 (22.55%), 14 (35%), 14 (35%) and 12 (30%) samples, respectively for IH A, IgG-IFI, ELISA and PA-ELISA. The results showed that 57% were negat ive in all tests and 43% of the dogs presented antibodies to T. gondii ; from these, 20% were positive in all three tests with high titers of antibodies and 23% were positive in only one or two tests with low ti ters of antibodies and mainly I-elated to the IFI and ELISA tests. We observed 5 (12.5%) and 1 (2.5%) reactive samples, respectively, by M-T oxo and IHA with or without 2-mercapthoethanol, in the attempt to dete ct specific IgM. We can conclude that serodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis i n dog have to be based on the combination of serological tests (IFI an d ELISA) and with emphasis at the determination of the titers and the classes of the specific antibodies.