Toxoplasmosis is one of the most prevalent parasitic infections of man
and livestock, and its transmission has usually been attributed to
ingestion of undercooked or raw meat from infected livestock, with the
infection rate in those animals being an important risk predictor of
human disease, high in Iran and Ardabil State. During a study on this
public health problem, we tested serum samples from cattle, goats,
sheep and chicken from the State of Ardabil, Iran, for IgG antibodies
to Toxoplasma gondii by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii were found in 30% (60/200) of sheep,
15% (30/200) of goats and 9% (18/200) of cattle, and none were found in
chicken sera. Despite the differences in feeding habits of each
species, the rate of infection of the animals tested could be
attributed to livestock management methods, whose improvement could
reduce infection