{"title":"Serological and molecular detection of Toxoplasma gondii in chickens in southern Syria","authors":"Dhifaf Mahmood, Samar Al Nahhas","doi":"10.1016/j.fawpar.2025.e00255","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Toxoplasma gondii</em> is a foodborne protozoan parasite that infects all warm-blooded animals and humans worldwide. Poultry become infected with <em>T. gondii</em> oocysts by ground feeding, and humans contract toxoplasmosis by the consumption of raw or undercooked infected meat. In Syria, no research has been documented regarding <em>T. gondii</em> infection in chickens; therefore, this study was carried out to determine the infection rate in chickens using serological and molecular assays. A total of 59 birds (50 females and 9 males) including free range (FR) and caged chickens were purchased from the southern governorates of Syria. Blood and tissues (brain, heart, liver and pectoral muscle) were collected and analyzed for the presence of anti-<em>T. gondii</em> antibodies and parasite DNA by indirect hemagglutination test and semi-nested PCR, respectively. Overall, sero-positivity for <em>T. gondii</em> antibody was 72.9% (81.4% FR and 18.6% caged). Female chickens had higher prevalence than males (83.7% vs 16.3%). Furthermore, chickens older than six months showed higher infection rates compared to younger ones. Evidence of <em>T. gondii</em> DNA was detected in tissue homogenates from both groups of chickens (83.1%). Our study demonstrates, a high prevalence of <em>T. gondii</em> in chickens indicating that this parasite poses a threat to food safety and public health in our study area. This finding supports the recommendations that poultry meat should be cooked well before consumption and appropriate hygiene measures should be followed when handling meat. Further studies should be conducted to determine the prevalence of <em>T. gondii</em> and its genotypes in poultry in other regions of Syria and to identify the associated risk factors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37941,"journal":{"name":"Food and Waterborne Parasitology","volume":"39 ","pages":"Article e00255"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Food and Waterborne Parasitology","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405676625000022","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PARASITOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a foodborne protozoan parasite that infects all warm-blooded animals and humans worldwide. Poultry become infected with T. gondii oocysts by ground feeding, and humans contract toxoplasmosis by the consumption of raw or undercooked infected meat. In Syria, no research has been documented regarding T. gondii infection in chickens; therefore, this study was carried out to determine the infection rate in chickens using serological and molecular assays. A total of 59 birds (50 females and 9 males) including free range (FR) and caged chickens were purchased from the southern governorates of Syria. Blood and tissues (brain, heart, liver and pectoral muscle) were collected and analyzed for the presence of anti-T. gondii antibodies and parasite DNA by indirect hemagglutination test and semi-nested PCR, respectively. Overall, sero-positivity for T. gondii antibody was 72.9% (81.4% FR and 18.6% caged). Female chickens had higher prevalence than males (83.7% vs 16.3%). Furthermore, chickens older than six months showed higher infection rates compared to younger ones. Evidence of T. gondii DNA was detected in tissue homogenates from both groups of chickens (83.1%). Our study demonstrates, a high prevalence of T. gondii in chickens indicating that this parasite poses a threat to food safety and public health in our study area. This finding supports the recommendations that poultry meat should be cooked well before consumption and appropriate hygiene measures should be followed when handling meat. Further studies should be conducted to determine the prevalence of T. gondii and its genotypes in poultry in other regions of Syria and to identify the associated risk factors.
期刊介绍:
Food and Waterborne Parasitology publishes high quality papers containing original research findings, investigative reports, and scientific proceedings on parasites which are transmitted to humans via the consumption of food or water. The relevant parasites include protozoa, nematodes, cestodes and trematodes which are transmitted by food or water and capable of infecting humans. Pertinent food includes products of animal or plant origin which are domestic or wild, and consumed by humans. Animals and plants from both terrestrial and aquatic sources are included, as well as studies related to potable and other types of water which serve to harbor, perpetuate or disseminate food and waterborne parasites. Studies dealing with prevalence, transmission, epidemiology, risk assessment and mitigation, including control measures and test methodologies for parasites in food and water are of particular interest. Evidence of the emergence of such parasites and interactions among domestic animals, wildlife and humans are of interest. The impact of parasites on the health and welfare of humans is viewed as very important and within scope of the journal. Manuscripts with scientifically generated information on associations between food and waterborne parasitic diseases and lifestyle, culture and economies are also welcome. Studies involving animal experiments must meet the International Guiding Principles for Biomedical Research Involving Animals as issued by the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences.