Seropositivity for Toxoplasma gondii in cats with clinical signs and living in households with women of childbearing age

IF 2 2区农林科学 Q2 PARASITOLOGY Veterinary parasitology Pub Date : 2024-09-12 DOI:10.1016/j.vetpar.2024.110313

Donato Traversa , Simone Morelli , Angela Di Cesare , Mariasole Colombo , Raffaella Iorio , Alessandra Pagliaccia , Cecilia Catalano , Barbara Paoletti , Roberto Brueckmann

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Abstract

Toxoplasmosis caused by Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoal zoonosis with high sanitary risk for pregnant women and immunocompromised people. Felids, including domestic cats, are the only definitive hosts of T. gondii. They shed oocysts which, in the environment, become infectious for a wide range of animals, including humans, acting as intermediate hosts. This study evaluated the frequency of acute toxoplasmosis in domestic cats with compatible clinical signs and living in households with women of childbearing age. Individual serum samples were collected from 150 cats and analyzed for IgM and IgG against T. gondii. Statistical analyses were performed to evaluate associations between seropositivity and potential risk factors. Overall, 31 cats (20.7 %) were seropositive for anti-T. gondii antibodies, i.e. 9 (6.0 %) for IgM, 17 (11.3 %) for IgG and 5 (3.3 %) for both. The cats showed different combinations of clinical pictures. The following statistically significant associations were found: male sex and positivity for IgM and/or IgG (p=0.0248; OR= 0.3537; 95 % CI= 0.1528–0.8675), presence of 2 or more clinical signs and positivity to IgM only (p=0.0003; OR= +infinity; 95 % CI= 3.924 to +infinity), presence of either neurological signs (p=0.0025; OR= 13.30; 95 % CI= 3.409–61.39) or ocular signs (p=0.0228; OR= 5.835; 95 % CI= 1.631–22.37) and positivity to IgM only, presence of gastrointestinal signs and positivity to IgG only (p=0.0083; OR= 5.508; 95 % CI= 1.503–18.54). Male sex also resulted a possible risk factor in the binomial logistic regression (p= 0.011; OR= 3.336; 95 % CI= 1.131–8.44). These results indicate that cats living with women of childbearing age are at risk of infection with T. gondii. The presence of certain clinical signs can be helpful in identifying recent and/or current infections using laboratory analyses. Awareness on toxoplasmosis should be kept high to protect animal and public health.

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有临床症状并与育龄妇女生活在一起的猫的弓形虫血清阳性反应

由弓形虫（Toxoplasma gondii）引起的弓形虫病是一种原生动物传染病，对孕妇和免疫力低下的人有很高的卫生风险。包括家猫在内的猫科动物是弓形虫的唯一宿主。它们脱落的卵囊在环境中会感染多种动物，包括作为中间宿主的人类。本研究评估了有相应临床症状且与育龄妇女生活在一起的家猫患急性弓形虫病的频率。研究人员采集了 150 只猫的血清样本，并分析了它们体内针对弓形虫的 IgM 和 IgG。统计分析旨在评估血清阳性与潜在风险因素之间的关联。共有 31 只猫（20.7%）的抗淋球菌抗体呈血清阳性，其中 IgM 9 只（6.0%），IgG 17 只（11.3%），两者均为阳性的有 5 只（3.3%）。这些猫表现出不同的临床症状组合。发现以下具有统计学意义的关联：雄性与 IgM 和/或 IgG 阳性（p=0.0248；OR= 0.3537；95 % CI=0.1528-0.8675），出现 2 种或 2 种以上临床症状与仅 IgM 阳性（p=0.0003；OR= +无限大；95 % CI= 3.924至+无限大），出现神经系统体征（p=0.0025；OR=13.30；95 % CI=3.409-61.39）或眼部体征（p=0.0228；OR=5.835；95 % CI=1.631-22.37）且仅IgM阳性，出现胃肠道体征且仅IgG阳性（p=0.0083；OR=5.508；95 % CI=1.503-18.54）。在二项逻辑回归中，男性也是一个可能的风险因素（p= 0.011; OR= 3.336; 95 % CI= 1.131-8.44）。这些结果表明，与育龄妇女生活在一起的猫有感染淋病双球菌的风险。某些临床症状的出现有助于通过实验室分析确定近期和/或当前的感染情况。应保持对弓形虫病的高度警惕，以保护动物和公众健康。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Veterinary parasitology 农林科学-寄生虫学

CiteScore

5.30

自引率

7.70%

发文量

126

审稿时长

36 days

期刊介绍： The journal Veterinary Parasitology has an open access mirror journal,Veterinary Parasitology: X, sharing the same aims and scope, editorial team, submission system and rigorous peer review. This journal is concerned with those aspects of helminthology, protozoology and entomology which are of interest to animal health investigators, veterinary practitioners and others with a special interest in parasitology. Papers of the highest quality dealing with all aspects of disease prevention, pathology, treatment, epidemiology, and control of parasites in all domesticated animals, fall within the scope of the journal. Papers of geographically limited (local) interest which are not of interest to an international audience will not be accepted. Authors who submit papers based on local data will need to indicate why their paper is relevant to a broader readership. Parasitological studies on laboratory animals fall within the scope of the journal only if they provide a reasonably close model of a disease of domestic animals. Additionally the journal will consider papers relating to wildlife species where they may act as disease reservoirs to domestic animals, or as a zoonotic reservoir. Case studies considered to be unique or of specific interest to the journal, will also be considered on occasions at the Editors'' discretion. Papers dealing exclusively with the taxonomy of parasites do not fall within the scope of the journal.