Abstract

Introduction:
Makassar City, the largest metropolis in eastern Indonesia, represents a unique urban setting where the city core is becoming increasingly metropolitan, yet many peripheral districts continue to engage in small-scale mixed farming, including backyard goat keeping.

Aim:
This study aims to estimate the seroprevalence of T. gondii in native goats (Capra hircus), also known locally as “Kambing Kacang” kept in urban districts of Makassar and explore age- and sex-related risk patterns.

Methods:
This cross-sectional study (November-December 2024) used stratified random sampling in three peri-urban sub-districts (Biringkanaya, Manggala, and Tamalate). Blood from 100 clinically healthy goats (≥ 6 months) was analyzed using a commercial indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ID Screen® Toxoplasmosis Indirect Multi-species) to detect anti-T. gondii IgG. The serostatus (positive ≥ 20 % S/P) was crosstabulated by age and sex; associations were tested with χ² at α = 0.05.

Results:
Twenty-five goats were seropositive, yielding an overall prevalence of 25 % (95 % confidence interval: 17%-34c%). Seroprevalence did not differ significantly by age (24%-26 %; χ² = 0.019; p = 0.99) or sex (male 26.5 % vs female 21.9 %; χ² = 0.061; p = 0.80). Spatially, prevalence ranged narrowly—21.1 % in Manggala, 24.0 % in Biringkanaya, and 25.4 % in Tamalate (χ² = 0.019; p = 0.99).

Conclusion:
One in four urban goats in Makassar carries T. gondii antibodies, with uniform exposure across demographic strata—implicating broad environmental contamination rather than focal risk factors. These findings highlight a tangible One-Health concern: backyard goat farming may sustain oocyst cycling close to human dwellings.

Key words: Toxoplasma Gondii; Native goats; Urban livestock; Seroprevalence; ELISA.