Tamar Michaelian, Lana Harriott, Matthew Gentle, Tatiana Proboste, Ian Kei Ho, Rowland Cobbold
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Context
The deleterious impacts of cat predation on wildlife have been well documented. Additionally, unowned cats may act as reservoirs of disease important to public and companion animal health and their proclivity for roaming and fighting enables effective disease transmission. Urban environments support the highest human populations and companion animal densities, increasing the potential for disease transmission from unowned cats to people and pets. However, there is little data on the prevalence of pathogens in unowned cat populations.
Aims
This aim of this research was to establish baseline prevalence data for priority pathogens in an urban population of unowned cats.
Methods
One hundred unowned cat cadavers were collected from the Brisbane City Council region, Queensland, Australia. Blood and additional organ or tissue samples were collected post-mortem. Diagnostic methods for pathogen detection included use of real-time polymerase-chain reaction, commercially available rapid enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay, lavage and faecal flotation.
Key results
Pathogen carriage was found in 79% (95% CI 71, 87%) of sampled cats. In total, 62% (95% CI 52, 72%) of cats showed evidence of co-carriage of two or more pathogenic organisms. The overall prevalence found for pathogens and parasites investigated were: Toxoplasma gondii, 7% (95% CI 2, 12%); Coxiella burnetii, 0.0% (95% CI 0, 0%); feline immunodeficiency virus, 12% (95% CI 6, 18%); feline leukaemia virus, 0.0% (95% CI 0, 0%); and gastrointestinal parasites, 76.8% (95% CI 68, 85%).
Conclusions
This study reports contemporary prevalence data for these pathogens that have not previously been available for unowned cats of south-east Queensland. High rates of gastrointestinal parasitism observed throughout the study population prompt concerns of a general increase in pathogenic prevalence, especially in comparison with that of owned domestic cats, as per previously published literature. The presence of signs of fighting is an important risk factor for increased likelihood of infection.
Implications
Data produced from this study contribute to informing cat management efforts throughout urban regions. Continued and expanded investigations, considering prevalence and risk factors of pathogens important to human and companion animal health, are recommended for the south-east Queensland area and beyond.
背景猫的捕食对野生动物的有害影响已被充分记录。此外，无主猫可能会成为对公众和伴侣动物健康非常重要的疾病库，它们喜欢游荡和打斗，这使得疾病能够有效传播。城市环境中的人口和伴侣动物密度最高，增加了无主猫将疾病传染给人和宠物的可能性。然而，有关无主猫群中病原体流行情况的数据却很少。目的本研究的目的是在城市无主猫群中建立重点病原体流行的基线数据。方法从澳大利亚昆士兰州布里斯班市议会地区收集了 100 具无主猫尸体。尸体死后采集了血液和其他器官或组织样本。病原体检测诊断方法包括使用实时聚合酶链反应、市售快速酶联免疫吸附试验、灌洗和粪便浮选。主要结果79%（95% CI 71-87%）的采样猫体内发现了病原体携带。共有 62% (95% CI 52, 72%) 的猫有证据表明同时携带两种或两种以上的病原体。调查发现的病原体和寄生虫的总体流行率为弓形虫，7% (95% CI 2, 12%)；烧伤柯西氏菌，0.0% (95% CI 0, 0%)；猫免疫缺陷病毒，12% (95% CI 6, 18%)；猫白血病病毒，0.0% (95% CI 0, 0%)；胃肠道寄生虫，76.8% (95% CI 68, 85%)。结论这项研究报告了这些病原体的当代流行率数据，而这些数据以前从未在昆士兰东南部无人饲养的猫中出现过。根据以前发表的文献，在整个研究人群中观察到的胃肠道寄生虫感染率很高，这引起了人们对病原体感染率普遍上升的担忧，尤其是与有人饲养的家猫相比。出现打斗迹象是增加感染可能性的一个重要风险因素。这项研究得出的数据有助于为整个城市地区的猫科动物管理工作提供信息。建议在昆士兰东南部地区及其他地区继续扩大调查范围，考虑对人类和伴侣动物健康非常重要的病原体的流行情况和风险因素。
期刊介绍：
Accounts of Chemical Research presents short, concise and critical articles offering easy-to-read overviews of basic research and applications in all areas of chemistry and biochemistry. These short reviews focus on research from the author’s own laboratory and are designed to teach the reader about a research project. In addition, Accounts of Chemical Research publishes commentaries that give an informed opinion on a current research problem. Special Issues online are devoted to a single topic of unusual activity and significance.
Accounts of Chemical Research replaces the traditional article abstract with an article "Conspectus." These entries synopsize the research affording the reader a closer look at the content and significance of an article. Through this provision of a more detailed description of the article contents, the Conspectus enhances the article's discoverability by search engines and the exposure for the research.
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