Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in Cattle in Southern Egypt: Do Milk and Serum Samples Tell the Same Story?

The intracellular zoonotic protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii affects humans and animals worldwide. Consuming T. gondii infected undercooked meat, raw milk, or their byproducts poses a significant risk to humans. Therefore, it is crucial to maintain monitoring of the prevalence of T. gondii in food animals. Little is known about T. gondii prevalence in cattle in Egypt. This study was conducted in Qena, southern Egypt, and specific antibodies to T. gondii were identified in 9.1% (33/362) of serum samples using commercial ELISA. The only identified risk factor for increased seroprevalence was the animals’ increasing age. This survey revealed a prevalent T. gondii infection in cattle herds in the Qena governorate and updated information on T. gondii in cattle in Egypt. Additionally, 154 milk samples were taken from the sampled dairy cows and tested for T. gondii antibodies. There was a strong association between the serum and milk samples, with a prevalence of 12.3% (19/154) in serum samples and 9.7% (15/154) in milk samples, respectively. This suggests that the non-invasive and simple-to-obtain milk samples could be a suitable replacement for blood samples in the detection of T. gondii antibodies in dairy animals.