Occurrence of Toxoplasma gondii in raw milk of domestic ruminants and human sera: a seromolecular study from Upper Egypt

Toxoplasma gondii is a foodborne protozoan that poses significant health risks to both animals and humans. Raw milk contaminated with T. gondii has been identified as a potential infectious source for humans. This cross-sectional study investigated the occurrence of T. gondii in raw milk from domestic ruminants and in the serum pregnant women in Aswan, Upper Egypt. A total of 250 milk samples collected from various lactating domestic ruminants and 90 serum samples from pregnant women were examined using ELISA (IgG and IgM) and PCR. Overall, 31.2% of milk samples were seropositive, and 21.6% were PCR-positive. T. gondii antibodies were found in 34% of cows, 18% of buffaloes, 38% of ewes, 52% of does, and 14% of she-camels by ELISA, while T. gondii DNA was identified in 22% of cows, 8% of buffaloes, 28% of ewes, 42% of does, and 8% of she-camels by PCR. The serum of pregnant women showed that 26.7% were seropositive, and 21.1% had T. gondii DNA by PCR. In conclusion, these results demonstrate widespread circulation of T. gondii in the study area and highlight raw milk as a potential transmission route. Public health awareness and strict milk pasteurization practices are essential to reduce infection risk, particularly among pregnant women. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13620-026-00338-2.