Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association · 1979 · 17 citations · 0 references
Veterinary MedicineAnimal SciencesZoologyMammalogyParasitologyWildlife ParasitologyParasitic Diseases Of WildlifeParasitic ZoonosesWildlife Parasite EpidemiologyWildlife ZoonosesZoonotic Parasitic DiseasesHemagglutination AssaysParasitic Zoonoses In WildlifeToxoplasma DetectionToxoplasma Gondii DetectionToxoplasmosis In Wildlife
SUMMARY Blood samples were collected for serum separation from 114 species of wild animals (25 species of mammals, 82 species of birds, and 7 species of reptiles) in Florida. Each of the 3,471 samples was tested for antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii , using the indirect hemagglutination test. The highest prevalences of T gondii antibodies were 19% in armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) , 18% in raccoons (Procyon lotor) , 13% in black rats (Rattas rattus) , and 11% in opossums (Didelphis marsupialis) . Antibody prevalences were significantly higher in male than in female raccoons ( P < 0.05) and in adult than in nonadult raccoons and opossums ( P < 0.005). A high proportion of seropositive animals was found in three other mammalian species: 4 of 4 black bears (Ursus americanus) , 2 of 3 bobcats (Lynx rufus) , and 2 of 8 Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) tested. Antibodies were found in 8 of the 1,279 avian serums; they were not found in any of the 13 reptilian serums tested. There were no significant geographic variations in antibody prevalence in any species.