Toxoplasma gondii is a cosmopolitan protozoan parasite of warm-blooded animals that causes high rates of infection in mammals and birds. Sparrows (Passer domesticus) are synantropic birds which are distributed worldwide. They serve as intermediate hosts for the parasite but are quite resistant to toxoplasmosis. The aims of this study were to determine the frequency of T. gondii infection in sparrows using serologic and molecular tests, and to investigate related parasites, such as Neospora caninum and Hammondia sp., using a nested PCR for Toxoplasmatinae DNA followed by sequence analysis of the PCR amplicons. A total of 293 sparrows were trapped at the states of Bahia and Pernambuco, Brazil. Tissues of 40 animals were available for molecular tests. Antibodies to T. gondii were found in 1.02% (3/293) of animals using a hemagglutination test, with titers ranging from 1:32 to 1:128. Toxoplasmatinae DNA was detected in 10/40 (25%) sparrows; after nucleotide sequencing, T. gondii was confirmed in 7/40 (17.5%) birds and N. caninum in 3/40 (7.5%) animals. Sparrows from Brazil were confirmed as intermediate hosts of T. gondii, that reinforces the potential importance of these birds on the transmission of the parasite to cats and other animals that may predate sparrows. In addition, N. caninum was detected for the first time in sparrows. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first wild synantropic bird species identified as intermediate host of N. caninum. These findings seem to have a great epidemiologic impact because of the cosmopolitan distribution of sparrows and due to their increasing population in urban and rural areas.

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A estrutiocultura é um segmento agropecuário que desperta interesse pela possibilidade de realização de novos investimentos, como a produção de couro e plumas que apresentam alto valor agregado (ROSA, 2005/06). O estado da Bahia, por possuir grande parte do seu território no semi-ári-do, apresenta condições edafoclimaticas adequadas para criação de avestruzes (SANTOS, 2005/06).A presença de ectoparasitos influencia na qualidade do couro e das plumas das aves, por causar destruição dos folículos e das plumas, e como conseqüência, ocorre prurido, bicagem excessiva, perdas das plumas, estresse e predispõe os animais a infecções secundárias (COOPER, 2005 Veterinária, v. 17, n. 3, p.155-157, 2008. Departamento de Patologia e Clínicas, Escola de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Av. Adhemar de Barros, 500, Ondina, Salvador, In the period of May to August of 2005, 19 ostrich's farms were visited in the semi-arid area of the Irecê, Bahia, in order to describe the ectoparasites. The African Black ostriches were reared in intensive system, and distributed for age group, in colonies, trio, couple or crèche. In each farm, after visually inspection of the ostrich, the feathers were taken in several areas of the body and were kept in plastic bags. The screwworms found were collected and stored in 70% ethanol. In 74% (14/19) and 47% (04/19) of the flocks were found ostriches infested, respectively, for the Struthiopterolichus bicaudatus (acari) and Struthiolipeurus rheae (mallophaga). In only one flock (5.3%) it was found an animal with Cochliomyia hominivorax larvae.