Seroprevalences of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies were assessed with the use of a commercial indirect ELISA in 1,501 domestic ruminants in southern Spain. Antibodies against T. gondii were detected in 420 (83.3%) of 504 cattle, 248 (49.3%) of 503 sheep, and 124 (25.1%) of 494 goats. The herd seroprevalence was 100% (72/72), 84.7% (61/72), and 72.2% (52/72) for cattle, sheep, and goats, respectively. Seropositivity was significantly higher in herds with a low density of animals (P < 0.001). Significant differences (P < 0.05) among municipalities were also found. The seroprevalence observed in the present study indicates a widespread exposure to T. gondii in livestock in southern Spain.

Internal parasites are one of the main causes of health threats in livestock production, especially in extensive livestock farming. Despite the environmental toxic effects (loss of dung beetles, biodiversity, and other issues) and resistance phenomenon derived from their prolonged use, anti-parasitic chemical pharmaceuticals are frequently used, even in organic farming. Such a situation within the context of climate change requires urgent exploration of alternative compounds to solve these problems and apparent conflicts between organic farming objectives regarding the environment, public health, and animal health. This review is focused on some plants (Artemisia spp., Cichorium intybus L., Ericaceae family, Hedysarum coronarium L., Lotus spp., Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) that are well known for their antiparasitic effect, are voluntarily grazed and ingested, and can be spontaneously found or cultivated in southern Europe and other regions with a Mediterranean climate. The differences found between effectiveness, parasite species affected, in vitro/in vivo experiments, and active compounds are explored. A total of 87 papers where antiparasitic activity of those plants have been studied are included in this review; 75% studied the effect on ruminant parasites, where gastrointestinal nematodes were the parasite group most studied (70%), and these included natural (31%) and experimental (37%) infections.