Public Health Significance of Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated With Toxoplasma Gondii Infection in Goats in Maiduguri Metropolis, Borno State, Nigeria

Abstract Toxoplasmosis is a widely distributed zoonotic protozoal disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) with cats serving as definitive host of the parasite. The parasite has broad intermediate host range infecting all warm-blooded animals including goats. Post insurgency livestock restocking intervention by local and international aid agencies targeted some households in the state for livestock distributions including goat. Hence, goats distributed for such programs can serve as the source for the T. gondii transmission to humans. This study aims at determining the prevalence and risk factors associated with T. gondii infection in goats distributed for livestock restocking in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional study was designed, and blood samples were collected from 162 goats from two quarantine sites and an institutional livestock farm in Maiduguri metropolitan council. Antibodies against T. gondii in goats were tested by an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA) kit. The overall serological prevalence of toxoplasmosis in goats was 32.1% in the study area. There is a statistically significant association between female sex of goats and occurrence of toxoplasmosis in goats (P-value = 0.011; OR = 2.58; 95% CI on OR = 1.22 − 5.45). Goats with moderate body condition score are less likely to test positive to antibody against T. gondii infection compared to lean goats (P-value = 0.014; OR = 0.39; 95% CI on OR = 0.19 − 0.84). There is a statistically significant association between goats sampled from Old Maiduguri quarantine site as compared to those sampled from Old GRA (P-value = 0.001; OR = 4.02; 95%CI on OR = 1.68 − 9.63). There is also a statistically significant association between goats sampled from Veterinary Field Station as compared to those sampled from Old GRA (P-value = 0.002; OR = 3.79; 95% CI on OR = 1.56 − 9.19). Vaccination of cats, public health awareness, routine testing for humans and newly acquired animals and one-health approach of surveillance for toxoplasmosis is highly recommended.