Veterinary Parasitology 179 (2011) 283–286 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Veterinary Parasitology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/vetpar Short Communication Anti-Toxocara spp. antibodies in sheep from southeastern Brazil Vamilton Alvares Santarém a,∗ , Paula Andreia Fabris Chesine b , Beatriz Esther Leme Lamers c , Guita Rubinsky-Elefant d , Rogério Giuffrida a a Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine Veterinary Teaching-Hospital, Posgraduation Course in Animal Science, Universidade do Oeste Paulista – Unoeste, Presidente Prudente, São Paulo, Brazil b Master in Animal Science, Unoeste, Brazil c Graduation in Veterinary Medicine, Unoeste, Brazil d Laboratory of Seroepidemiology and Imunobiolgy. Insituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil article info Article history: Received 21 October 2010 Received in revised form 21 January 2011 Accepted 26 January 2011 Keywords: Sheep Toxocariasis Epidemiology Seroprevalence abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate the frequency of anti-Toxocara antibodies in sheep from Presidente Prudente, southeastern Brazil. Serum samples were obtained from 365 sheep of diverse breeds and different ages. Samples were collected at a slaughterhouse and at farms located in Presidente Prudente. Three groups of animal of different ages were evaluated according to age: Group I: between 1 and 6 months old; Group II: between 7 and 10 months old; and Group III: between 11 and 15 months old. An ELISA test was carried out to detect anti-Toxocara antibodies (IgG) using the excretory–secretory antigens of Toxocara canis (TES) larvae. In total, 183 out of 365 animals (50.1%) were positive for anti-Toxocara antibodies. The frequency of antibody detection was directly proportional to the age of the animals (p < 0.0001), indicating a relationship between infection and aging. In Group III, there was a higher prevalence in females (p = 0.0041). The relevance of these animals to the epidemiology of toxocariasis in pets and human should be considered. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Toxocariasis is a helminth infection common in dogs and cats that is caused by Toxocara canis and T. cati, respec- tively. It also affects birds and other mammals, including humans, which are considered paratenic hosts. Human toxocariasis is a worldwide zoonosis, both in developed countries and in countries with insufficient sanitary struc- tures (Despommier, 2003). Accidental ingestion of embryonated Toxocara spp. eggs present in soil is considered the main risk factor for human infection (Acha and Szyfres, 1986). Ingestion of either raw or undercooked meat from paratenic hosts contain- ing hypobiotic larvae is considered another relevant route of transmission for humans. Some authors have reported ∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +55 18 3229 2077; fax: +55 18 3229 2080. E-mail address: vamilton@unoeste.br (V.A. Santarém). cases of human toxocariasis after the consumption of meat or liver from cattle (Choi et al., 2008; Yoshikawa et al., 2008) and sheep (Salem and Schantz, 1992). Experimental studies have been conducted to evalu- ate the behaviour of Toxocara spp. larvae in paratenic hosts. However, investigations regarding the natural infec- tion of these hosts are rare in literature. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of anti- Toxocara spp. antibodies in naturally infected sheep from Brazil. 2. Materials and methods 2.1. Study area and data collection The study was conducted between March 2008 and February 2009 at farms and at a slaughterhouse in Presi- dente Prudente, São Paulo, southeastern Brazil (22 ◦ 07 ′ 21 ′′ S, 51 ◦ 23 ′ 18 ′′ W). The current population of the municipality 0304-4017/$ – see front matter © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2011.01.050