scholarly journals Toxoplasma gondii prevalence and risk factors in owned domestic cats from Nakhon Pathom Province, Thailand

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 557-566
Author(s):  
Ruenruetai Udonsom ◽  
◽  
Ruangrat Buddhirongawatr ◽  
Yoshifumi Nishikawa ◽  
Ragab M. Fereig ◽  
...  

Domestic cats are a potential source of Toxoplasma gondii infection for humans. This study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence and risk factors for T. gondii infection in domestic cats. Cat sera (n = 182) were tested for T. gondii IgG antibodies using the latex agglutination test (LAT) and the GRA7 of T. gondii (TgGRA7)-indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA). Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify the factors associated with T. gondii infection. The overall prevalence rates were 18.1% (33/182) according to LAT, 19.2% (35/182) according to the iELISA and 17.0% (31/182) according to LAT and iELISA. Univariable analyses identified, outdoor access (P = 0.006), being a former stray cat (P = 0.001) and successful hunting behaviors (P = 0.04) as risk factors for T. gondii infection. Outdoor access (OR 2.63, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03–6.72) and is a former stray cat (OR 3.69, 95% CI 1.52–8.96) remained significant risk factors in multivariable analyses. This study indicated a relatively high seroprevalence of T. gondii among domestic cats. Cat owners can reduce the risk for T. gondii infection by not allowing their cats to roam free. Furthermore, education about the transmission of the parasite should be provided to prevent infection to the owners.

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 2007-2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrine Fazia Ouslimani ◽  
Safia Tennah ◽  
Naouelle Azzag ◽  
Salima Yamina Derdour ◽  
Bernard China ◽  
...  

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the seroprevalence of the Toxoplasma gondii in horses in different parts of Algeria and to determine risk factors for the infection. Materials and Methods: A total of 736 blood samples were collected from horses of various breeds, gender, coat colors, and ages. All horses came from various farms, racecourses, and equestrian centers. The seroprevalence was investigated by three different methods: Indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) as reference method, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and latex agglutination test (LAT). Results: Out of the 736 sera, 178 (24.18%) were positive for IFAT, 133 (18.07%) for LAT, and 317 (43.07%) for ELISA. It was found that IFAT and LAT were in high agreement (Kappa 0.79), indicating that LAT and IFAT had similar capabilities in the detection of anti-T. gondii antibodies from horse sera. Risk factors analysis based on IFAT results indicated that the habit of the animals was significant risk factors (p≤0.05) for Toxoplasma infection. The seroprevalence was significantly higher in horses living on farms. Moreover, a higher seroprevalence was found in older animals compared to younger ones. Furthermore, the seroprevalence in females was significantly higher than that in males and gelding. Breed, coat color, and water sources are also important factors to influence the seroprevalence of T. gondii. Conclusion: The results indicated that T. gondii is present in horses throughout Algeria and thus represents a risk for both human and animal health. These results underline the need to increase the vigilance and the preventive measures against this disease not only to protect the horses but also to limit the spread of the parasite.


2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 3757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soraia Figueiredo de Souza ◽  
Luciana Dos Santos Medeiros ◽  
Adriane De Souza Belfort ◽  
Andrey Luiz Lopes Cordeiro ◽  
Michelle Federle ◽  
...  

Blood samples were collected from 89 cats to assess the prevalence of IgG antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) and the possible risk factors associated with feline Toxoplasma gondii infection. An epidemiological questionnaire was developed and implemented for owners of domestic cats domiciled in Rio Branco, Acre. The results were statistically evaluated with the odds ratio and chi-square tests, considering the significance level of 5%. Of 89 animals’ samples, 22 had antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii. Among the 22 reactive animals, 15 (68.19%) were female, 15 (68.19%) were less than one year old and 20 (90%) were cross breed. Concerning risk factors, there was no difference (p > 0.05) between the variables evaluated by the chi-square test. Moreover, 16 (72%) cats were fed a mixed diet, 20 (90%) of the cats had hunting habits, 18 (81%) had contact with animals of another species, 11 (50%) had access to the street, and 22 (95%) lived in homes that had areas of grass or dirt. In conclusion, the prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii in domestic cats was 22.7%, and there were no significant risk factors for feline toxoplasmosis in the municipality of Rio Branco, Acre.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Demissie Assegu Fenta

Abstract Background Toxoplasmosis is caused by infection with the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. It is acquired by consumption of raw or undercooked meat containing tissue cyst, food or water contaminated with oocyst and congenital infection through the placenta leading to serious congenital abnormalities in the fetus like miscarriage, stillbirth, intrauterine death and neurologic defects. Therefore; this study was aimed to determine the prevalence of toxoplasmosis infection and its possible risk factors associated with pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Hawassa and Yiregalem Hospitals, Southern Ethiopia. Methods A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2016 to May 2017. The study was done in antenatal care clinics of Hawassa and Yiregalem Hospitals in Southern, Ethiopia. Five hundred pregnant women were interviewed with a pretested structured questionnaire to collect risk factors and socio-demographic data. Blood samples were collected and serum was separated and tested for anti- Toxoplasma gondii antibodies using ELISA (Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 statistical software. The risk factors were tested for significance using Bivariate and multivariate analysis. P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The weighted prevalence of this study was 81.8% for the anti- Toxoplasma gondii antibody. Almost all participants (99.6%) had no information about the disease. A significant association was observed between seroprevalence and contact with domestic cats (OR = 1.206, 95% CI (1.627–2.206, P = 0.043), consumption of raw meat (OR = 0.848, 95% CI: 1.517–2.941, P = 0.019) and unpasteurized milk (OR = 0.871, 95% CI 1.531–2.221, P = 0.032). A significant association was not observed between seroprevalence and age, history of abortion, and blood transfusion. Conclusions The findings of this study demonstrated a relatively higher prevalence of seropositivity than studies reported from other countries. Existence of domestic cats at home, consumption of undercooked meat and unpasteurized milk were identified as risk factors for T. gondii infection. Therefore, a health education program to increase the mother’s knowledge about toxoplasmosis towards avoiding eating undercooked meat, contact with cats and consumption of unpasteurized milk during pregnancy is recommended. Furthermore, our results suggested that the implementation of newborn screening and follow-up testing can lead to reducing of toxoplasmosis associated complications.


2017 ◽  
Vol 145 (11) ◽  
pp. 2296-2302 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. L. TIAN ◽  
G. X. LI ◽  
H. M. ELSHEIKHA ◽  
D. S. GARDNER ◽  
X. Y. ZHANG ◽  
...  

SUMMARYThe role of the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii in the pathogenesis of liver disease has recently gained much interest. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with T. gondii infection in patients with liver disease from three cities in Shandong and Henan provinces, China. A case–control study was conducted from December 2014 to November 2015 and included 1142 patients with liver disease and 1142 healthy controls. Serum samples were collected from all individuals and were examined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the presence of anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies. Information on the demographics, clinical, and lifestyle characteristics of the participants was collected from the medical records and by the use of a questionnaire. The prevalence of anti-T. gondii IgG was 19·7% in patients with liver disease compared with 12·17% in the controls. Only 13 patients had anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies compared with 12 control individuals (1·14% vs. 1·05%, respectively). The highest seroprevalence was detected in patients with liver cancer (22·13%), followed by hepatitis patients (20·86%), liver cirrhosis patients (20·42%), and steatosis patients (20%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that consumption of raw meat (odds ratio (OR) = 1·32; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·01–1·71; P = 0·03) and source of drinking water from wells (OR = 1·56; 95% CI 1·08–2·27; P = 0·01) were independent risk factors for T. gondii infection in liver disease patients. These findings indicate that T. gondii infection is more likely to be present in patients with liver disease. Therefore, efforts should be directed toward health education of populations at high risk of T. gondii infection and measures should be taken to protect vulnerable patients with liver disease.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 275-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthea Brennan ◽  
Jennifer Hawley ◽  
Navneet Dhand ◽  
Lara Boland ◽  
Julia A. Beatty ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Sadaf Niaz ◽  
Rafi Ullah ◽  
Bahrawar Said ◽  
Sumaira Shams ◽  
Naser M. AbdEl-Salam ◽  
...  

This study was carried out in order to investigate the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in goats of seven different regions of District Dir (Lower), Pakistan. Lateral Flow Chromatographic Immunoassay (LFCI), Latex Agglutination Test (LAT) and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) were used for the detection of T. gondii infection in goats. A total of 175 blood samples were collected from goats. Out of which 70 (40%) were found positive for T. gondii. The prevalence of toxoplasmosis among goats in seven areas of District Dir (Lower) was found high at Samarbagh (48%), Balambat (44%) followed by khall (40%), Munda (40%), LalQilla (36%) and lowest in Adenzai and Timergara (36%). This study demonstrated that the prevalence in older goats was significantly (P< 0.05) higher (48.91%) than younger ones (30.12%). The seroprevalence in male and female goats were 16 (29%) and 54 (45%) respectively.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdallah ◽  
Kamel ◽  
Karima ◽  
Samir ◽  
Djamel ◽  
...  

A cross-sectional study aimed at assessing the seroprevalence and identifying the risk factors for Toxoplasma gondii infection in cattle, sheep, and goats in eight provinces located in two main Algerian agro-ecological zones was carried out from October 2015 to March 2018. Blood sera from 4074 animals of both sexes were tested for the presence of anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies, using the indirect, enzyme-linked, immunosorbent assay technique (ELISA). Moreover, to identify the potential risk factors of T. gondii infection, a survey through a breeders’ questionnaires was conducted. Nearly one-fourth of the total number of animals tested (1024/4074)—i.e., 25.1%--were seropositive. The seroprevalence in cattle, sheep, and goats was 28.7%, 25.6%, and 11.9%, respectively. The area, sex, age, and herd size were identified as risk factors for T. gondii infection. Higher seropositivity rates were recorded in cows and goats (odds ratio (OR) = 1.63 and 6.4), in old animals (cattle, OR = 2.1; sheep, OR = 1.9; and goat, OR = 3.9), and in small size herds (cattle, OR = 2.5; sheep, OR = 1.9; goat, OR = 2.2). In conclusion, there is widespread T. gondii infection in cattle, sheep, and goats in these two strategic agricultural areas. The identification of the risk factors determines the type of measures and strategies to be undertaken to reduce, control, and prevent T. gondii infection in domestic animals, and thereby reduce human infection.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdelbaset E. Abdelbaset ◽  
Maha I. Hamed ◽  
Mostafa F. N. Abushahba ◽  
Mohamed S. Rawy ◽  
Amal S. M. Sayed ◽  
...  

Background and Aim: The cosmopolite protozoan, Toxoplasma gondii, has a significant economic and medical impact. Cats traditionally play a predominant role in the disease maintenance cycle; however, humans can be infected as a result of milk and meat consumption of Toxoplasma-infected livestock. In addition, infected pregnant women, even symptomless, can pass the disease to their unborn fetus. The limited clinical records and absence of specific national educational programs in countries like Egypt underscore the need for periodic toxoplasmosis disease evaluation. Here, we identified T. gondii seroprevalence among sheep and pregnant women and the associated risk factors in El-Minya Governorate, Egypt. Materials and Methods: Using peripheral blood, we detected T. gondii-specific antibodies in 151 sheep and 96 pregnant women sera from El-Minya Governorate using latex agglutination and indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The impact of different environmental and behavioral risk factors identified with in-person interviews and serology results on acquiring toxoplasmosis was statistically analyzed. Results: The overall toxoplasmosis seroprevalence was 39.1% and 22.9% in sheep and pregnant women, respectively. Significantly higher seroprevalence was correlated with increasing sheep age and geographical location. Nonetheless, no statistical significance was found based on abortion history and pregnancy status of the examined sheep. Exposure factors important for pregnant women included pregnancy trimester, contact with cats, and the habit of eating undercooked sheep meat, which all had a statistically significant association with Toxoplasma seropositivity. Conclusion: The current study confirms increased antibodies against toxoplasmosis in both sheep and pregnant women in El-Minya Governorate and a clear association between women's age, contact with cats, and the habit of eating undercooked sheep meat and seroreactivity to T. gondii. These results strongly suggest the need for a more comprehensive epidemiological study and public health awareness education for toxoplasmosis.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0241653
Author(s):  
Jun Cai ◽  
Zhijin Sheng ◽  
Yu Jin ◽  
Yinan Du ◽  
Xinlei Yan ◽  
...  

Objective Toxoplasma gondii is a worldwide protozoan parasite that could infect virtually all warm-blooded animals, including humans. Our study aimed to investigate the prevalence of T. gondii infection in college students at Anhui province, China and to assess risk factors for T. gondii infection in college students. Moreover, growing studies demonstrated the association between T. gondii infection and host behavioral changes. We also studied the linkage between T. gondii and physical education (PE) scores of college students. Methods A total of 2704 serum samples of medical school students attending physical education lessons were collected from September 2017 to September 2019 and evaluated for T. gondii IgG antibodies using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Questionnaires and statistical analysis were used to determine the risk factors for T. gondii infection. We also analysed PE scores of T. gondii -infected students and T. gondii-uninfected students. Results The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii was 11.5%. The main risk factors related to T. gondii infection in college students were cat in the household and gardening or agriculture activity. Furthermore, in the basketball group and the soccer group, scores of T. gondii seropositive students were significantly higher than those of seronegative students, while in other sports there was no difference between scores of T. gondii-infected students and T. gondii uninfected students. Conclusion This is the first report of T. gondii seroprevalence in college students in Anhui province, China.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 855-859
Author(s):  
Mina Henneb ◽  
Khaled Harhoura ◽  
Mohamed Amine Bekara ◽  
Safia Zenia ◽  
Miriem Aissi

Aim: The objective of this investigation was to determine the seroprevalence and identify the risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infection in the rabbit of the local Algerian population from five districts of Northern Algeria. Materials and Methods: Blood samples of 350 rabbits were collected and analyzed for the presence of anti-T. gondii immunoglobulin G antibodies using the indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Additional data concerning the farms and management practices were obtained through a questionnaire used in surveys and interviews. Results: The overall seroprevalence was 14.6% (51/350). The seroprevalence was significantly higher in outdoor rearing farms and was linked to the presence of animals from other species on the farm. A higher seroprevalence was found in older animals compared to younger ones. No difference in seroprevalence was noted with respect to the origin or gender of animals, type of cage, feed and water sources, presence of cats in the vicinity, hygiene status, or season. Conclusion: This study has shown that T. gondii prevalence in rabbits of the local population is relevant and may have important implications for public health in rural areas.


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