ABSTRACT
Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite which infects a wide range of mammals, including man. Infections in Old World monkeys are generally asymptomatic. The pathogenicity of the agent to Old World monkeys and their susceptibility to the agent resemble those of man. Opportunistic infection often occurs in immunocompromised animals predisposing them to acute toxoplasmosis. The present paper aimed to study the prevalence of serical antibodies to T. gondii in Rhesus monkeys kept in captivity. Performance of two serological tests, the immunofluorescent antibodies test (RIFI) and modified agglutination test (MAT) were compared. From the results it could be inferred that the seroprevalence of T. gondii antibodies is 17.5% and 20.0%, according to MAT and RIFI respectively. The statistical analyses indicate no differences between the results of both tests. Issues concerning the occurrence and transmission of T. gondii in the colony are fully discussed.
KEY WORDS:
Rhesus monkey; protozoa; serodiagnosis; Macaca mulatta; Toxoplasma gondii.