THE INCIDENCE AND ECONOMIC-SIGNIFICANCE OF OVINE TOXOPLASMOSIS IN URUGUAY

Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii were measured before and after pregnan cy in a 1:64 dilution of sera with the direct agglutination test in 16 13 ewes from 18 farms in 8 different counties of Uruguay from 1992 to 1994. The overall seroprevalence increased from 28.7% before mating to 38.5% after lambing in 2.5 yr and thus, the incidence was 9.8%. Losse s due to toxoplasmosis during pregnancy were estimated to be 1.4 to 3. 9% of the total number of ewes investigated, amounting to approximatel y US$1.4-4.7 million for the whole country. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.