Variation of Copper and Zinc Levels in Sheep Flocks Infected with Toxoplasma gondii according to Sex

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis is a common and insidious zoonotic disease. It is one of the main causes of reproductive losses in farmed animals such as sheep, goats and cattle and constitutes a serious problem. The aim of this study was to investigate the variation of copper and zinc levels according to sex in a sheep flock infected with Toxoplasma gondii. Copper and zinc levels in the blood sera of a total of 36 sheep (18 seropositive +18 seronegative), 20 females and 16 males from the same flock were measured. When compared with the reference values, both the average copper (65.90 μg/dL) and zinc (64.70 μg/dL) levels were found to be quite low. When the comparison was made according to gender, the p value for zinc was significant (p<0.001), but not for copper (p=0.615). The p values for copper (p=0.859) and zinc (p=0.681) were not significant when compared according to positivity and negativity. According to the values obtained, no correlation was found between copper and zinc.

Keywords

• Copper
• Sheep
• Toxoplasma gondii
• Zinc
• Zoonosis

Toxoplasma gondii ile Enfekte Koyun Sürüsünde Bakır ve Çinko Düzeylerinin Cinsiyete Göre Değişimi

Abstract

Tokzoplazmozis, yaygın olarak görülen ve sinsi seyreden zoonoz bir hastalıktır. Çiftliklerde yetiştirilen koyun, keçi, sığır gibi hayvanlarda üreme kayıplarının ana nedenlerinden biri olarak görülür ve ciddi bir sorun teşkil eder. Bu çalışmada Toxoplasma gondii ile enfekte bir koyun sürüsünde bakır ve çinko düzeylerinin cinsiyete göre değişiminin incelenmesi amaçlandı. Çalışmada aynı sürüden 20 dişi 16 erkek olmak üzere toplam 36 (18 seropozitif +18 seronegatif) koyunun kan serumlarındaki bakır ve çinko düzeyleri ölçüldü. Referans değerlerle kıyaslandığında gerek bakır ortalaması (65.90 μg/dL) gerekse çinko ortalamasının (64.70 μg/dL) oldukça düşük kaldığı görüldü. Cinsiyete göre karşılaştırma yapıldığında, çinko için p değeri anlamlı (p<0.001), bakır için ise anlamlı bulunmadı (p=0.615). Pozitif ve negatifliğe göre karşılaştırılma yapıldığında bakır (p=0.859) ve çinko (p=0.681) için p değeri anlamlı bulunmadı. Elde edilen değerlere göre bakır ve çinko arasında korelasyon bulunmadı.

Keywords

• Bakır
• Çinko
• Koyun
• Toxoplasma gondii
• Zoonoz

Ethical Statement

Çalışmaya Samsun Veteriner Kontrol Enstitüsü Hayvan Deneyleri Yerel Etik Kurulunun 02.12.2022 tarih ve 2022-8 no’lu etik kurul kararına ihtiyaç olmadığı yazısı alınarak başlandı. Yazarlar çıkar çatışması olmadığını beyan ederler.

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