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S v 0 bod aM. and V 1 a s t a S v 0 bod 0 v Ii: Effect of Breed, Sex, Age, Management and Nutrition on the Incidence of Toxoplasma gondii Antibodies in Dogs and Cats. Acta vet. Brno, 56, 1987: 315-330.The incidence of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies was studied in 1002 dogs and 620 cats in relation to their breed, sex, age, management and nutrition during 3 years. Comparison of the group of serologically negative dogs with that showing T. gondii antibodi~s revealed no significant differences between them in relation to their breed, sex~ age and origin. In cats, on the other hand, significant differences were found depending on age / P<0.005/ and breed /P<0.05/ but effects of sex and origin were not observed.T. gondii antibodies were found significantly less frequently in animals kept exclusively in flats /dogs -P< 0.05; cats --P < 0.005/. They were also found signif icant1:y more frequently in cats that were in the habit of catching murine rodents /P< 0.01/ and other mammals and birds /P< 0.01/ and in dogs that were kept together with cats /P < 0.01/. The greatest differences in the prevalenpe of T. 90ndii antibodies were related to food composition and treatment. T. gondii antibodies were found"significantly /P<0.005/ less frequently in those dogs and cats that were fed exclusively heat-treated food. Where the animals were fed raw pork, beef and poultry meat, specific antibodies were detected significantly more frequently /dogs -P<0.05j cats -P

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Dogs are definitive hosts for the lungworms Crenosoma vulpis and Angiostrongylus vasorum.Intermediate hosts are gasteropoda (Mollusca). In the past, lungworms in dogs were rarely identified in the Czech Republic and in neighbouring countries. A total of 253 dogs were sampled for faecal analysis performed by the Baermann method for isolation of first stage larvae (L1) of lungworms. A total of 193 serum samples were collected and analysed by ELISA for the detection of a circulating antigen and specific antibodies against A. vasorum. All dog owners were asked to fill out a questionnaire. Nine dogs (4.7%, 95% Confidence Interval, CI: 2.2-8.7%) were positive for the A. vasorum circulating antigen, seven dogs (3.6%, CI: 1.5-7.3%) had specific antibodies against A. vasorum; of these, three animals (1.6%, CI: 0.3-4.5%) were positive for both ELISAs. Most of them were under the age of three years. Only three of 13 seropositive dogs were not healthy, namely, in one dog vomitus was observed and two dogs were pyretic. Faecal samples of 5 dogs were positive for C. vulpis L1 (2.0%, CI: 0.6-4.6%). Angiostrongylus vasorum L1 were found in the faecal sample of one dog (0.4%, CI: 0.01-2.2%). This study illustrates the wide-spread occurrence of lungworms in the Czech Republic. Disease awareness of lungworms among animal owners and veterinarians should be implemented.

With one of the three methods T. gondii antibodies were demonstrated in J09 (JO.B I) dogs. The coincidenc~ of two serological reactions was found in IB6 (18.6 I) dogs and the coincidence of all three. serological reactions was recorded in 6 (0.6 I) animals. In a total of 501 (50.0 I) dogs positive results were obtained with 1 to J of the methods, i.e. half of the dogs yielded positive results with at least one of the three methods.The diagnostic value of the three methods of which SFR proved to be the most useful is discussed.