Determination of Seroprevalence to Toxoplasma gondii in the U.S. National Swine Herd

The first objective of the proposed research is to establish seroprevalence of Toxoplasma in the U.S. swine herd as measured in a statistically valid animal level sampling of market weight pigs at slaughter. This survey will cover 95% of slaughter production in the U.S., and provide the most current national dataset for Toxoplasma seroprevalence in market pigs destined for the fresh meat case. The data can be used to support science-based decisions on the most effective methods to continue the trend of decreasing seroprevalence of Toxoplasma in market pigs, which are the primary livestock commodity known to be infected with Toxoplasma. These data should demonstrate the extent to which the level of Toxoplasma has been reduced in commercial pork as compared to previous surveys, and demonstrate the reduction of risk from Toxoplasma transmission from pork to humans in the U.S.