The aim of this paper was to study the Toxoplasma gondii shedding in the semen of naturally infected rams. Sixty-five rams were initially submitted to anti-T. gondii antibody detection by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF). Serologically positive rams were then submitted to semen collection for T. gondii DNA detection. In the serology, 6/65 (9.2%) rams were positive, while in the nested PCR of semen there were 4/6 (66.6%) positive rams. It can be concluded that detection of the proliferative form of T. gondii in semen of naturally infected rams by the nested PCR technique reinforces the need to investigate possible horizontal transmission of this parasite via semen in sheep.
Toxoplasmosis; sheep; semen; nested PCR; transmission
