A CONTRIBUTION TO THE EPIZOOTIOLOGY AND E COLOGY OF TOXOPLASMOSIS IN PIGS

In 1981 - 1990 pigs from different swine farms were tested for the pre sence of Toxoplasma gondii and T. gondii antibodies in one district in South Bohemia. The prevalence of T. gondii and antibodies was much lo wer in a large scale farm (dye test [DT], complement fixation test [CF T], and isolation were positive in 3.6 %, 0.0 % and 0.4 %, respectivel y) than in small backyard operations (DT, CFT and isolation were posit ive in 32.4 %, 10.7 % and 10.2 %, respectively). The DT seroprevalence in pigs from larger farms culminated in 1983 and 1989, in both cases 2 years after the lowest prevalence in years 1981 and 1987 when also t he highest annual rate of precipitations was recorded. The influence o f climate and abundance of small ground mammals are discussed. No corr elation could be established between seroprevalence and average annual temperature or sunshine. The prevalence of toxoplasmosis in swine far ms was influenced by the size of farm, type of diet, origin of pigs, a nd contact with different animal species, especially cats.