Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38532402›Full record

ArticleBMC veterinary research2024

Seroprevalence and risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii in sheep and goats of North West Province, South Africa.

Mthokozisi Masombuka, Malekoba B N Mphuthi, Yusuf B Ngoshe, Gloria Mokolopi, Nomakorinte Gcebe

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC veterinary research, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
5.2field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Seroprevalence and Factors Associated withAnimals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Seroprevalence ofFrontiers in veterinary science · 2026
    Article
  4. Dense granule proteins: key mediators ofFrontiers in medicine · 2026
    Review
  5. Seroprevalence ofOne health (Amsterdam, Netherlands) · 2025
    Article
  6. High Seroprevalence ofPathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Mthokozisi MasombukaDepartment of Agriculture and Animal Health, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, Science Campus, Private Bag X6, Florida, Johannesburg, 1710, South Africa. me.masombuka@gmail.com.
Malekoba B N MphuthiDepartment of Animal Health, School of Agricultural Sciences, North-West University, Private Bag X2046, Mmabatho, 2735, South Africa.
Yusuf B NgosheEpidemiology Section, Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, Pretoria, South Africa.
Gloria MokolopiDepartment of Agriculture and Animal Health, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, Science Campus, Private Bag X6, Florida, Johannesburg, 1710, South Africa.
Nomakorinte GcebeAgricultural Research Council- Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Bacteriology, and Zoonotic Diseases Laboratory, 100 Old Soutpan Road, Onderstepoort, Pretoria, 0110, South Africa.
North-West University · ZAOnderstepoort Veterinary Institute · ZAUniversity of Pretoria · ZAUniversity of South Africa · ZA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii causes toxoplasmosis, one of the most prevalent parasitic zoonotic diseases with significant economic and public health implications worldwide. Infection with the parasite has a significant adverse effect on sheep and goat production and can frequently go undetected in the herd, resulting in abortions and weak or dead offspring. Although there are few studies on seroprevalence and risk factors associated with T. gondii infections in livestock in other provinces of South Africa, there is no data in the North West province. Therefore, a cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the seroprevalence of T. gondii and risk factors associated with exposure in sheep and goats of the North West province of South Africa. Sera from 439 livestock (164 sheep and 285 goats) were collected and analysed for the presence of T. gondii IgG antibodies using indirect ELISA (Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). An assessment of potential risk factors in farms associated with seropositivity was also conducted using a structured questionnaire.

resultsOut of the 439 tested sheep and goats, 13.9% (61/439) were positive for IgG antibodies against T. gondii. Sheep and goats had seroprevalences of 19.5% (32/164) and 10.5% (29/275) respectively. In the multivariable logistic regression model, the risk of acquiring T. gondii was significantly higher in the mixed breed [Odds ratio (OR) = 71.07; 95% confidence interval (CI): 266.8-1893.1; p < 0.011)] animals than white dorper sheep and in farms that burn or bury aborted material (OR = 42.04; CI: 179.9-982.5; p = 0.020) compared to those that only burn aborted material. The risk was lower for the farms in Kagisano-Molopo (OR = 0.00; CI: 0.0-25.4; p = 0.015) and Mahikeng (OR = 0.00; CI: 0.0-4.9; p < 0.001) local municipalities than Greater Taung local municipality, and for the animals that drink water from dams (OR = 0.03; CI: 0.2-58.8; p = 0.021) than those that drink from boreholes.

conclusionThe seroprevalence and risk factors associated with transmission observed show that T. gondii infection is widespread in sheep and goats of the North West province.

Indexed as

Goat DiseasesSheep DiseasesToxoplasmaToxoplasmosis, AnimalAbortion, VeterinaryAnimalsAntibodies, ProtozoanCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleGoatsImmunoglobulin GLivestockPregnancyRisk FactorsSeroepidemiologic StudiesSheepAntibodies, ProtozoanImmunoglobulin GELISAGoatsNorth West ProvinceRisk factorsSheepSouth AfricaToxoplasma gondii

Identifiers

PMID38532402
PMCPMC10964496
OpenAlexW4393180080

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.