Surveillance for Toxoplasma gondii in the white-tailed. deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Ohio

Serum samples from 147 white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, were coll ected at deer-check stations and Columbus area metropolitan park deer hunts during November and December of Ohio's 1996-97 and 97-98 hunting seasons. These samples were tested for Toxoplasma gondii antibodies using a modified direct agglutination assay. Forty-four percent (65/147) of the samples tes ted positive. Sixteen percent had a titer of 25, 16% had a titer of 50, 3% had a titer of 250 and 9% had a titer of greater than or equal to 500. Perc entage of positive deer varied greatly between geographical locations. Fift y-five percent of 45 serum samples collected from Docking County were posit ive while only 6% of the 18 deer sampled from Franklin County tested positi ve. No significant differences in infection rates were observed between sex es. This is the first report of T. gondii antibodies from a game animal in Ohio. Pregnant women should thoroughly cook venison before it is consumed t o avoid complications from this pathogen.