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→Oocysts in the Environment
==Transmission to Sheep==
==Transmission to Sheep==
===Oocysts in the Environment===
===Oocysts in the Environment===
As the definitive hosts of ''Toxoplasma gondii'', cats become infected when they hunt and eat infected wild rodents and birds. Rodents are a particularly important source of [[Toxoplasmosis - Cats and Dogs|feline infection]], as they can pass ''T. gondii'' infection to their offspring without causing clinical disease. This means that a farm may develop a reservoir of ''T. gondii'' tissue cysts with the potential to cause feline infection and massive oocyst excretion when a cat is introduced to the environment. Between days 3 and 14 post-infection, cats shed over 100 million of oocysts in their faeces. Studies have shown an association between ovine toxoplasma infection, and the contamination of feed or grazing with sporulated oocysts<sup>1</sup>, highligting the importance of oocysts as a source of infection for sheep. It has also been demonstrated that the prevalence of ovine toxoplasmosis varies with the presence of cats on a farm<sup>2</sup>.
As the definitive hosts of ''Toxoplasma gondii'', cats become infected when they hunt and eat infected wild rodents and birds. Rodents are a particularly important source of [[Toxoplasmosis - Cat and Dog|feline infection]], as they can pass ''T. gondii'' infection to their offspring without causing clinical disease. This means that a farm may develop a reservoir of ''T. gondii'' tissue cysts with the potential to cause feline infection and massive oocyst excretion when a cat is introduced to the environment. Between days 3 and 14 post-infection, cats shed over 100 million of oocysts in their faeces. Studies have shown an association between ovine toxoplasma infection, and the contamination of feed or grazing with sporulated oocysts<sup>1</sup>, highligting the importance of oocysts as a source of infection for sheep. It has also been demonstrated that the prevalence of ovine toxoplasmosis varies with the presence of cats on a farm<sup>2</sup>.
===Congenital Transmission===
===Congenital Transmission===