Seroprevalence and Molecular Detection of Toxoplasma gondii in Food Animals in Oyo State: Public Health Implications

This study provides a systematic seroepidemiological and molecular characterisation of Toxoplasma gondii infection in food animals in Oyo State, located in Nigeria's South West geopolitical zone, with assessment of public health implications for human toxoplasmosis. T. gondii infection in food animals, particularly sheep, goats, and pigs, is a major source of human exposure through consumption of undercooked or raw meat, yet the genotypic diversity of T. gondii strains circulating in Oyo State food animals has not been previously characterised. Using a cross-sectional design, serum samples were collected from 200 sheep, 200 goats, 120 pigs, and 120 chickens from farms and abattoirs in Oyo State. Modified agglutination test (MAT) was used to detect T. gondii antibodies. Tissue samples from a subset of seropositive animals were subjected to bioassay in mice followed by PCR amplification and genotyping at nine microsatellite loci. Risk factors for seropositivity were analysed using multivariable logistic regression. The study fills the critical gap of T. gondii genotypic data in Nigerian food animals. Findings revealed seroprevalence of 34 percent in pigs, 27 percent in sheep, 21 percent in goats, and 9 percent in chickens. Genotyping identified predominantly Type II and atypical strains, with one atypical strain classified as a high-virulence recombinant. The study recommends meat cooking education, cat population management, and routine food animal T. gondii surveillance in South West Nigeria. Keywords: Toxoplasma gondii, food animals, seroprevalence, genotyping, Oyo State.