Toxoplasma gondii is a globally distributed zoonotic protist, capable of infecting all warm-blooded animals. In Australia, cats (Felis catus) are the only definitive host capable of spreading T. gondii infection via oocysts. Free-roaming cats are widespread in Australia and can play a central role in the ecology of T. gondii. Therefore, understanding the epidemiology of this parasite in stray and feral cats is essential to understanding the potential risk of infection in animals and humans. Due to a lack of easily accessible commercial kits, an in-house modified agglutination test (MAT) was established to test for IgG antibodies against T. gondii, using cell culture-derived T. gondii tachyzoites, and compared with a commercial MAT. A total of 552 serum samples collected during 2018 - 2021 from stray (n = 456) and feral cats (n = 90) (samples with missing data n = 6) from four Australian states, representing different age groups of both sexes, were screened for antibodies against T. gondii. Risk factors for T. gondii infection were assessed using multivariable logistic regression analysis. The in-house MAT had excellent agreement with the commercial MAT and provided a reliable and economical serological tool for T. gondii screening in animals. The overall observed seroprevalence for T. gondii in cats was 40.4 % (223/552). Bodyweight (as a proxy for age), geographical location, season and whether cats were feral or stray, were factors associated with T. gondii seropositivity in cats. Sex was not found to be a risk factor for T. gondii infection in feral and stray cats. This study shows that Australian stray and feral cats have a high T. gondii seroprevalence, which may translate to significant health impacts for wildlife species, livestock and the public.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2024.110306DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

gondii
13
feral stray
12
gondii infection
12
feral cats
12
cats
10
risk factors
8
toxoplasma gondii
8
stray cats
8
in-house modified
8
modified agglutination
8

Similar Publications

Lactoferrin-modified nanoemulsions enhance brain-targeting and therapeutic efficacy of arctigenin against Toxoplasma gondii-induced neuronal injury.

Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist

December 2024

Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines of the Changbai Mountain, Ministry of Education, Molecular Medicine Research Center, College of Pharmacy, Yanbian University, Yanji, 133002, Jilin Province, China. Electronic address:

Toxoplasma gondii, a neurotropic protozoan parasite, affects the central nervous system and causes various neurological disorders. Previous studies have demonstrated that Arctigenin (AG) exhibits anti-T. gondii activity and reduces depression-like behaviors induced by T.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Immunogenicity and protective efficacy of recombinant chimeric antigens based on surface proteins of .

Front Immunol

December 2024

Department of Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology, Biotechnology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.

Introduction: Toxoplasmosis is caused by the opportunistic, cosmopolitan protozoan is one of the most common parasitoses in the world. This parasite can pose a threat to people with immunodeficiency but also to the fetus, since the invasion can lead to miscarriages. Moreover, this parasite can contribute to economic losses in livestock farming.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Toxoplasmosis is a foodborne zoonotic parasitic disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii, which seriously threatens to human health and causes economic losses. At present, there is no effective vaccine strategy for the prevention and control of toxoplasmosis. T.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Pathological mechanisms of glial cell activation and neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders caused by infection.

Front Microbiol

December 2024

Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Research, School of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China (Southern Medical University), Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.

is an intracellular opportunistic parasite that exists in a latent form within the human central nervous system (CNS), even in immune-competent hosts. During acute infection, traverses the blood-brain barrier (BBB). In the subsequent chronic infection phase, the infiltration of immune cells into the brain, driven by infection and the formation of parasitic cysts, leads to persistent activation and proliferation of astrocytes and microglia.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Design and optimization of IgG avidity test for differentiating acute from chronic human toxoplasmosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Exp Parasitol

December 2024

Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, Scientific Center of Zoology and Hydroecology, NASRA, 7P. Sevak St, Yerevan, 0014, Armenia; Laboratory of Zology, Research Institute of Biology, Yerevan State University, 1 Alex Manoogian, Yerevan, 0025, Republic of Armenia.

Toxoplasmosis which is caused by T. gondii, is common among humans and animals. T.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!