Detecção sorológica de toxoplasma gondii em suínos da região do Rio Grande do Sul e, pesquisa de T.gondii em linguiças suínas defumadas através de PCR

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonosis of great importance in public health. Humans can become infected with this disease through consumption of raw or undercooked meat from animals contaminated with Toxoplasma gondii. Another form of infection is the ingestion of hortifrutigranjeiros and/or water contaminated with protozoan oocysts. The potential for human infection through the ingestion of raw or undercooked pork and raw pork products is very high, especially when the animals come from poorly serviced farms and failures in sanitary programs. The present work describes the use of the indirect immunofluorescence test in the serological evaluation of swine for Toxoplasma gondii and the use of PCR in the detection of T. gondii in smoked swine sausages. The study evaluated 50 swine blood serum samples and 18 smoked swine sausage samples from 10 farms and 9 different establishments, respectively. The indirect immunofluorescence test revealed four T. gondii positive animals, between matings and finishing pigs evaluated. The PCR test to detect the presence of protozoan DNA in samples of smoked pork sausages was negative in all the sausages analyzed. Through the results, the study showed that the lack of technification in the farms and the failures in sanitary programs seriously compromise the sanity of the pigs, being possible to find serologically positive animals for T. gondii. Allied to the serological findings, the study also showed that there are risks to public health, even the molecular examination of the evaluated sausages having been negative for the protozoan. This is because all pigs, irrespective of serology, are sent to slaughter and industrialization of their carcass, either for the sale of meat in natura or for the manufacture of meat by-products, including fresh or smoked sausages, for which their consumption may pose a risk for human infection with T. gondii.