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González-Barrio D, Carpio AJ, Preite L, Miguel-Vicedo M, Estévez-Reboredo RM, González-Viadero M, Barba-Sánchez R, Calero-Bernal R, Carmena D, Fuentes I. Toxoplasma gondii exposure in wildlife in Spain: Is there any predictable threat for humans and domestic animals? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 935:173290. [PMID: 38782291 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic zoonosis of key importance in veterinary and public health. This article summarizes the available data (from 2000 to 2023) of exposition to Toxoplasma gondii in wildlife species in Spain based on a systematic bibliographic search, as well as further analysis of its potential relationship with environmental variables, biodiversity, anthropogenic impact on the habitat, and the reported human cases of toxoplasmosis. The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii in carnivorous mammals, birds, ungulate and lagomorph species in Spain was estimated at 69.3 %, 36.4 %, 18.4 %, and 16.2 %, respectively. Among the studies considered, great heterogeneity was observed both between and within taxonomic groups [Cohen's d > 0.8; X2 = 1039.10, df = 4 (p < 0.01) I2 = 97 %, r2 = 1.88, (p < 0.001)] and between and within bioregions [Cohen's d > 0.5; X2 = 368.59, df = 4 (p < 0.01)]. The results of a generalized linear model explaining T. gondii seroprevalence in wild animals suggest the influence of abiotic variables [wetland (p < 0.001), unvegetated (p < 0.001), isothermality (p < 0.001), and mean temperature during wettest quarter (p < 0.05)] and number of intermediate host species as positively associated with increased exposure of wildlife to T. gondii (p < 0.01). Toxoplasma gondii DNA was detected in both wild birds and wild mammals (range: 0.0-51.2 %) mainly from north-centre, northeast, and central-west of Spain. Regarding hospitalisation rates due to toxoplasmosis in humans, some abiotic variables [permanent crops (p < 0.05) and mean temperature during wettest quarter (p < 0.05)] showed a positive association. Despite certain limitations, this research evidences a substantial gap of knowledge on the implication of wildlife in the life cycle of T. gondii in Spain. This lack of knowledge is particularly evident in areas where the human-livestock-wildlife interface overlaps, preventing us from accurately determining its true distribution in different habitats, as well as its potential direct or indirect implications on public and veterinary health.
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Affiliation(s)
- David González-Barrio
- Parasitology Reference and Research Laboratory, Spanish National Centre for Microbiology, Health In-stitute Carlos III, Majadahonda, Spain.
| | - Antonio J Carpio
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (UCLM-CSIC-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain; Department of Botany, Ecology and Plant Physiology, University of Cordoba, Campus de Rabanales, Cordoba, Spain.
| | - Ludovica Preite
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (UCLM-CSIC-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain.
| | - Mariola Miguel-Vicedo
- Parasitology Reference and Research Laboratory, Spanish National Centre for Microbiology, Health In-stitute Carlos III, Majadahonda, Spain; PhD Programme in Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, IMIENS, National University of Distance Education (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Rosa M Estévez-Reboredo
- Epidemiological Surveillance Analysis Area, Spanish National Centre for Epidemiology, Health Institute Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
| | - María González-Viadero
- Epidemiological Surveillance Analysis Area, Spanish National Centre for Epidemiology, Health Institute Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Raquel Barba-Sánchez
- Epidemiological Surveillance Analysis Area, Spanish National Centre for Epidemiology, Health Institute Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; The National School of Public Health, Health Institute Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Rafael Calero-Bernal
- SALUVET, Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
| | - David Carmena
- Parasitology Reference and Research Laboratory, Spanish National Centre for Microbiology, Health In-stitute Carlos III, Majadahonda, Spain; CIBER Infectious Diseases (CIBERINFEC), Health Institute Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Isabel Fuentes
- Parasitology Reference and Research Laboratory, Spanish National Centre for Microbiology, Health In-stitute Carlos III, Majadahonda, Spain.
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Wilson AG, Lapen DR, Provencher JF, Wilson S. The role of species ecology in predicting Toxoplasma gondii prevalence in wild and domesticated mammals globally. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1011908. [PMID: 38198498 PMCID: PMC10805296 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Macroecological approaches can provide valuable insight into the epidemiology of globally distributed, multi-host pathogens. Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan that infects any warm-blooded animal, including humans, in almost every habitat worldwide. Toxoplasma gondii infects its hosts through oocysts in the environment, carnivory of tissue cysts within intermediate host prey and vertical transmission. These routes of infection enable specific predictions regarding the ecological and life history traits that should predispose specific taxa to higher exposure and, thus infection rates of T. gondii. Using T. gondii prevalence data compiled from 485 studies representing 533 free-ranging wild mammalian species, we examined how ecological (habitat type, trophic level) and life history (longevity, vagility, gestation duration and torpor) traits influence T. gondii infection globally. We also compared T. gondii prevalence between wild and domesticated species from the same taxonomic families using data compiled from 540 studies of domestic cattle, sheep, and pigs. Across free-ranging wildlife, we found the average T. gondii prevalence was 22%, which is comparable to the global human estimate. Among ecological guilds, terrestrial species had lower T. gondii prevalence than aquatic species, with freshwater aquatic taxa having an increased prevalence compared to marine aquatic species. Dietary niches were also influential, with carnivores having an increased risk compared to other trophic feeding groups that have reduced tissue cyst exposure in their diet. With respect to influential life history traits, we found that more vagile wildlife species had higher T. gondii infection rates, perhaps because of the higher cumulative risk of infection during movement through areas with varying T. gondii environmental loads. Domestic farmed species had a higher T. gondii prevalence compared to free-ranging confamilial wildlife species. Through a macroecological approach, we determined the relative significance of transmission routes of a generalist pathogen, demonstrating an increased infection risk for aquatic and carnivorous species and highlighting the importance of preventing pathogen pollution into aquatic environments. Toxoplasma gondii is increasingly understood to be primarily an anthropogenically-associated pathogen whose dissemination is enhanced by ecosystem degradation and human subsidisation of free-roaming domestic cats. Adopting an ecosystem restoration approach to reduce one of the world's most common parasites would synergistically contribute to other initiatives in conservation, feline and wildlife welfare, climate change, food security and public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy G. Wilson
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - David R. Lapen
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada/Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada, Ottawa Research Development Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jennifer F. Provencher
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Scott Wilson
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change, Pacific Wildlife Research Centre, Delta, British Columbia, Canada
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3
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Kinsey EN, Korte C, Gouasmia S, L'Ollivier C, Dubey JP, Dumètre A, Darnault CJ. Detection, fate and transport of the biohazardous agent Toxoplasma gondii in soil water systems: Influence of soil physicochemical properties, water chemistry and surfactant. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2023; 15:597-613. [PMID: 37740249 PMCID: PMC10667666 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.13204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
A series of laboratory experiments were conducted to study the fate and transport of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts in soils as a function of soil physicochemical properties and soil water chemistry properties. Soil columns were homogeneously packed with loamy sand soils (Lewiston and Greenson series) and sandy loam soils (Sparta and Gilford series), and subject to hydrologic conditions characterized by the absence and presence of an anionic surfactant-Aerosol 22 in the artificial rainfall. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was utilized for the detection and enumeration of oocysts in soil leachates to evaluate their breakthrough and in soil matrices to examine their spatial distribution. Differences in the rate and extent of transport of oocysts were observed as a function of physical and chemical parameters tested. The breakthrough of oocysts was observed for all the soils irrespective of the presence of surfactant. However, in the absence of surfactant, the predominant fate of oocysts in soils subject to simulated rainfall was their retention in the soil profile. The presence of surfactant induced a change in the fate of oocysts in these soils exposed to rainfall simulation as the predominant fate of oocysts was found to be in the soil leachates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin N. Kinsey
- Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth SciencesClemson UniversityAndersonSouth CarolinaUSA
| | - Caroline Korte
- Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth SciencesClemson UniversityAndersonSouth CarolinaUSA
| | - Sohib Gouasmia
- Aix Marseille UniversityMarseilleFrance
- IHU‐Méditerranée InfectionMarseilleFrance
| | - Coralie L'Ollivier
- Aix Marseille UniversityMarseilleFrance
- IHU‐Méditerranée InfectionMarseilleFrance
- AP‐HM, Parasitology LaboratoryTimone HospitalMarseilleFrance
| | - Jitender P. Dubey
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Animal Parasitic Diseases LaboratoryBeltsville Agricultural Research CenterBeltsvilleMarylandUSA
| | | | - Christophe J.G. Darnault
- Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth SciencesClemson UniversityAndersonSouth CarolinaUSA
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4
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Gamża AM, Hagenaars TJ, Koene MGJ, de Jong MCM. Combining a parsimonious mathematical model with infection data from tailor-made experiments to understand environmental transmission. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12986. [PMID: 37563156 PMCID: PMC10415373 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38817-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Although most infections are transmitted through the environment, the processes underlying the environmental stage of transmission are still poorly understood for most systems. Improved understanding of the environmental transmission dynamics is important for effective non-pharmaceutical intervention strategies. To study the mechanisms underlying environmental transmission we formulated a parsimonious modelling framework including hypothesised mechanisms of pathogen dispersion and decay. To calibrate and validate the model, we conducted a series of experiments studying distance-dependent transmission of Campylobacter jejuni in broilers. We obtained informative simultaneous estimates for all three model parameters: the parameter of C. jejuni inactivation, the diffusion coefficient describing pathogen dispersion, and the transmission rate parameter. The time and distance dependence of transmission in the fitted model is quantitatively consistent with marked spatiotemporal patterns in the experimental observations. These results, for C. jejuni in broilers, show that the application of our modelling framework to suitable transmission data can provide mechanistic insight in environmental pathogen transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Gamża
- Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology, Wageningen University and Research, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
- Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Wageningen University and Research, 8221 RA, Lelystad, The Netherlands.
| | - Thomas J Hagenaars
- Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Wageningen University and Research, 8221 RA, Lelystad, The Netherlands.
| | - Miriam G J Koene
- Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Wageningen University and Research, 8221 RA, Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - Mart C M de Jong
- Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology, Wageningen University and Research, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
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5
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Wang M, Jiang W. Virulence evolution of
Toxoplasma gondii
within a multi‐host system. Evol Appl 2023; 16:721-737. [PMID: 36969145 PMCID: PMC10033858 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Current research on the virulence evolution of Toxoplasma gondii is mainly conducted via experiments, and studies using mathematical models are still limited. Here, we constructed a complex cycle model of T. gondii in a multi-host system considering multiple transmission routes and cat-mouse interaction. Based on this model, we studied how the virulence of T. gondii evolves with the factors related to transmission routes and the regulation of infection on host behavior under an adaptive dynamics framework. The study shows that all factors that enhance the role of mice favored decreased virulence of T. gondii, except the decay rate of oocysts that led to different evolutionary trajectories under different vertical transmission. The same was true of the environmental infection rate of cats, whose effect was different under different vertical transmission. The effect of the regulation factor on the virulence evolution of T. gondii was the same as that of the inherent predation rate depending on its net effect on direct and vertical transmissions. The global sensitivity analysis on the evolutionary outcome suggests that changing the vertical infection rate and decay rate was most effective in regulating the virulence of T. gondii. Furthermore, the presence of coinfection would favor virulent T. gondii and make evolutionary bifurcation easy to occur. The results reveal that the virulence evolution of T. gondii had a compromise between adapting to different transmission routes and maintaining the cat-mouse interaction thereby leading to different evolutionary scenarios. This highlights the significance of evolutionary ecological feedback to evolution. In addition, the qualitative verification of T. gondii virulence evolution in different areas by the present framework will provide a new perspective for the study of evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyue Wang
- Department of Mechanics Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan China
- Hubei Key Laboratory for Engineering Structural Analysis and Safety Assessment Wuhan China
| | - Wen Jiang
- Department of Mechanics Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan China
- Hubei Key Laboratory for Engineering Structural Analysis and Safety Assessment Wuhan China
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6
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Dámek F, Swart A, Waap H, Jokelainen P, Le Roux D, Deksne G, Deng H, Schares G, Lundén A, Álvarez-García G, Betson M, Davidson RK, Györke A, Antolová D, Hurníková Z, Wisselink HJ, Sroka J, van der Giessen JWB, Blaga R, Opsteegh M. Systematic Review and Modelling of Age-Dependent Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in Livestock, Wildlife and Felids in Europe. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12010097. [PMID: 36678447 PMCID: PMC9865579 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12010097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic parasite of importance to both human and animal health. The parasite has various transmission routes, and the meat of infected animals appears to be a major source of human infections in Europe. We aimed to estimate T. gondii prevalence in a selection of animal host species. A systematic literature review resulting in 226 eligible publications was carried out, and serological data were analyzed using an age-dependent Bayesian hierarchical model to obtain estimates for the regional T. gondii seroprevalence in livestock, wildlife, and felids. Prevalence estimates varied between species, regions, indoor/outdoor rearing, and types of detection methods applied. The lowest estimated seroprevalence was observed for indoor-kept lagomorphs at 4.8% (95% CI: 1.8-7.5%) and the highest for outdoor-kept sheep at 63.3% (95% CI: 53.0-79.3%). Overall, T. gondii seroprevalence estimates were highest within Eastern Europe, whilst being lowest in Northern Europe. Prevalence data based on direct detection methods were scarce and were not modelled but rather directly summarized by species. The outcomes of the meta-analysis can be used to extrapolate data to areas with a lack of data and provide valuable inputs for future source attribution approaches aiming to estimate the relative contribution of different sources of T. gondii human infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filip Dámek
- Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, BIPAR, F-94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Arno Swart
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control—Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Helga Waap
- Laboratório de Parasitologia, Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Pikka Jokelainen
- Infectious Disease Preparedness, Statens Serum Institut, 2300 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Delphine Le Roux
- Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, BIPAR, F-94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Gunita Deksne
- Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR, LV-1076 Riga, Latvia
| | - Huifang Deng
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control—Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Gereon Schares
- Institute of Epidemiology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, 17493 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Anna Lundén
- Department of Microbiology, National Veterinary Institute, 75189 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gema Álvarez-García
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Martha Betson
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7AL, UK
| | - Rebecca K. Davidson
- Food Safety and Animal Health, Norwegian Veterinary Institute, 9016 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Adriana Györke
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Daniela Antolová
- Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Zuzana Hurníková
- Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Henk J. Wisselink
- Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - Jacek Sroka
- Department of Parasitology and Invasive Diseases, National Veterinary Research Institute, 24-100 Pulawy, Poland
| | - Joke W. B. van der Giessen
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control—Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Radu Blaga
- Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, BIPAR, F-94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Marieke Opsteegh
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control—Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +31-6-29651388
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7
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Deng H, Cummins R, Schares G, Trevisan C, Enemark H, Waap H, Srbljanovic J, Djurkovic-Djakovic O, Pires SM, van der Giessen JW, Opsteegh M. Mathematical modelling of Toxoplasma gondii transmission: A systematic review. Food Waterborne Parasitol 2021; 22:e00102. [PMID: 33364472 PMCID: PMC7753131 DOI: 10.1016/j.fawpar.2020.e00102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous protozoan parasite that can infect virtually all warm-blooded animals. It is the causative agent of toxoplasmosis, a significant public health issue worldwide. Mathematical models are useful to study the transmission dynamics of T. gondii infection in different settings, and may be used to compare the effectiveness of prevention measures. METHODS To obtain an overview of existing mathematical models for transmission of T. gondii, a systematic review was undertaken. The review was conducted according to an a priori protocol and the results were reported according to the PRISMA guidelines. Specific search terms were developed and used in the search of three databases (Scopus, PubMed, and Embase). RESULTS In total, 484 unique records were retrieved from the systematic search. Among them, 15 studies that used mathematical models to study the transmission of T. gondii. These studies were categorized into four groups based on the primary aims: dynamics of transmission (n = 8), intervention (n = 5), spatial distribution (n = 1), and outbreak investigation (n = 1). CONCLUSIONS Considering the high disease burden caused by T. gondii, the number of studies using mathematical models to understand the transmission dynamics of this parasite and to evaluate the effectiveness of intervention measures was only 15. This systematic review provides an overview of existing mathematical models and identifies the data gaps for model building. The results from this study can be helpful for further development of mathematical models and improved understanding of the transmission dynamics of T. gondii infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huifang Deng
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control - Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3720, BA, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Rachel Cummins
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control - Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3720, BA, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Gereon Schares
- Institute of Epidemiology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, 17493 Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Chiara Trevisan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Heidi Enemark
- Department of Animal Health and Food Safety, Norwegian Veterinary Institute, P.O. Box 750, Sentrum, NO-0106 Oslo, Norway
| | - Helga Waap
- Laboratório de Parasitologia, Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Jelena Srbljanovic
- Centre of Excellence for Food- and Vector-borne Zoonoses, National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotića 4, Belgrade 11129, Serbia
| | - Olgica Djurkovic-Djakovic
- Centre of Excellence for Food- and Vector-borne Zoonoses, National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotića 4, Belgrade 11129, Serbia
| | - Sara Monteiro Pires
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 201, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Joke W.B. van der Giessen
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control - Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3720, BA, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Marieke Opsteegh
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control - Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3720, BA, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
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8
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Dubey JP, Murata FHA, Cerqueira-Cézar CK, Kwok OCH, Su C. Epidemiological Significance of Toxoplasma Gondii Infections in Wild Rodents: 2009-2020. J Parasitol 2021; 107:182-204. [PMID: 33662119 DOI: 10.1645/20-121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii infections are common in humans and animals worldwide. Rodents are one of the most important intermediate hosts for T. gondii because they are preyed on by cats, who in turn excrete the environmentally resistant oocysts in their feces and thus spread the infection. Information on T. gondii infections is spread in numerous reports and is not easily accessible to readers. Here, we review prevalence, persistence of infection, clinical disease, epidemiology, and genetic diversity of T. gondii infections in wild rodents worldwide. Data are tabulated by country, by each rodent species alphabetically, and chronologically. Recent genetic diversity of T. gondii strains in rodents is critically evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- J P Dubey
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Building 1001, Beltsville, Maryland 20705-2350
| | - F H A Murata
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Building 1001, Beltsville, Maryland 20705-2350
| | - C K Cerqueira-Cézar
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Building 1001, Beltsville, Maryland 20705-2350
| | - O C H Kwok
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Building 1001, Beltsville, Maryland 20705-2350
| | - C Su
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-0845
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9
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Deng H, Exel KE, Swart A, Bonačić Marinović AA, Dam-Deisz C, van der Giessen JWB, Opsteegh M. Digging into Toxoplasma gondii infections via soil: A quantitative microbial risk assessment approach. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 755:143232. [PMID: 33160663 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Soil has been identified as an important source of exposure to a variety of chemical and biological contaminants. Toxoplasma gondii is one of those potential biological contaminants associated with serious health effects in pregnant women and immunocompromised patients. Gardening or consumption of homegrown vegetables may present an important route of T. gondii infection via accidental ingestion of soil. In the Netherlands, there is quantitative information on the risk of T. gondii infection via meat products, but not on the risk of infection through soil. The objective of this study was to develop a quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) model for estimating the risk associated with T. gondii exposure via accidental soil ingestion in the Netherlands. In order to obtain the needed information, a magnetic capture method for detection of T. gondii oocysts in soil samples was developed, and T. gondii DNA was detected using qPCR targeting the 529 bp repeat element. The method was shown to provide 95% probability of detection (95% CI: 88-100%) when at least 34 oocysts are present in 25 g of soil. T. gondii DNA was detected in 5 of 148 soil samples with interpretable results (3%, 95% CI: 1.5-7.7%). Results for 18 samples were not interpretable due to PCR inhibition. The estimated amount of oocysts presented in qPCR positive samples was quantified by a linear model, and the amount varied from 8 to 478 in 25 g of soil. The estimated incidence rate of T. gondii infection from the QMRA model via soil varied from 0.3 to 1.8 per 1000 individuals per day. Several data gaps (e.g., soil contamination/ingestion and oocysts viability) have been identified in this study, the structure of the model can be applied to obtain more accurate estimates of the risk of T. gondii infection via soil when data become available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huifang Deng
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
| | - Kitty E Exel
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, the Netherlands; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 7, 3584 CL Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Arno Swart
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
| | - Axel A Bonačić Marinović
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
| | - Cecile Dam-Deisz
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
| | - Johanna W B van der Giessen
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
| | - Marieke Opsteegh
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
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Reiling SJ, Dixon BR. Toxoplasma gondii: How an Amazonian parasite became an Inuit health issue. CANADA COMMUNICABLE DISEASE REPORT = RELEVE DES MALADIES TRANSMISSIBLES AU CANADA 2019; 45:183-190. [PMID: 31355827 PMCID: PMC6615440 DOI: 10.4745/ccdr.v45i78a03] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that originated in the Amazon. Felids (mammals in the cat family) are the only definitive hosts. These animals shed large numbers of infectious oocysts into the environment, which can subsequently infect many intermediate hosts, including birds, mammals and, possibly, fish. Human T. gondii seroprevalence is high in some parts of the Canadian Arctic and is associated with adverse health consequences among Inuit population. Since the range of felids does not extend to the Arctic, it is not immediately obvious how this parasite got from the Amazon to the Arctic. The objectives of this overview are to summarize the health impacts of T. gondii infection in Inuit in Canada's North and to consider how this infection could have reached them. This article reviews the prevalence of T. gondii infection in terrestrial and marine animals in the Canadian Arctic and discusses their potential role in the foodborne transmission of this parasite to humans. Two distribution factors seem plausible. First, felids in more southern habitats may release infectious oocysts into waterways. As these oocysts remain viable for months, they can be transported northward via rivers and ocean currents and could infect Arctic fish and eventually the marine mammals that prey on the fish. Second, migratory terrestrial and marine intermediate hosts may be responsible for carrying T. gondii tissue cysts to the Arctic, where they may then pass on the infection to carnivores. The most likely source of T. gondii in Inuit is from consumption of traditionally-prepared country foods including meat and organs from intermediate hosts, which may be consumed raw. With climate change, northward migration of felids may increase the prevalence of T. gondii in Arctic wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- SJ Reiling
- Bureau of Microbial Hazards, Food Directorate, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON
| | - BR Dixon
- Bureau of Microbial Hazards, Food Directorate, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON
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Reiling SJ, Dixon BR. Toxoplasma gondii: How an Amazonian parasite became an Inuit health issue. CANADA COMMUNICABLE DISEASE REPORT = RELEVE DES MALADIES TRANSMISSIBLES AU CANADA 2019; 45:183-190. [PMID: 31355827 PMCID: PMC6615440 DOI: 10.14745/ccdr.v45i78a03] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that originated in the Amazon. Felids (mammals in the cat family) are the only definitive hosts. These animals shed large numbers of infectious oocysts into the environment, which can subsequently infect many intermediate hosts, including birds, mammals and, possibly, fish. Human T. gondii seroprevalence is high in some parts of the Canadian Arctic and is associated with adverse health consequences among Inuit population. Since the range of felids does not extend to the Arctic, it is not immediately obvious how this parasite got from the Amazon to the Arctic. The objectives of this overview are to summarize the health impacts of T. gondii infection in Inuit in Canada's North and to consider how this infection could have reached them. This article reviews the prevalence of T. gondii infection in terrestrial and marine animals in the Canadian Arctic and discusses their potential role in the foodborne transmission of this parasite to humans. Two distribution factors seem plausible. First, felids in more southern habitats may release infectious oocysts into waterways. As these oocysts remain viable for months, they can be transported northward via rivers and ocean currents and could infect Arctic fish and eventually the marine mammals that prey on the fish. Second, migratory terrestrial and marine intermediate hosts may be responsible for carrying T. gondii tissue cysts to the Arctic, where they may then pass on the infection to carnivores. The most likely source of T. gondii in Inuit is from consumption of traditionally-prepared country foods including meat and organs from intermediate hosts, which may be consumed raw. With climate change, northward migration of felids may increase the prevalence of T. gondii in Arctic wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- SJ Reiling
- Bureau of Microbial Hazards, Food Directorate, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON
| | - BR Dixon
- Bureau of Microbial Hazards, Food Directorate, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON
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Mareze M, Benitez ADN, Brandão APD, Pinto-Ferreira F, Miura AC, Martins FDC, Caldart ET, Biondo AW, Freire RL, Mitsuka-Breganó R, Navarro IT. Socioeconomic vulnerability associated to Toxoplasma gondii exposure in southern Brazil. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212375. [PMID: 30763391 PMCID: PMC6375698 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Human toxoplasmosis, a protozoonosis caused by Toxoplasma gondii, has been described as a worldwide foodborne disease with important public health impact. Despite infection has reportedly varied due to differences in alimentary, cultural and hygienic habits and geographic region, social vulnerability influence on toxoplasmosis distribution remains to be fully established. Accordingly, the present study has aimed to assess T. gondii seroprevalence and factors associated to social vulnerability for infection in households of Ivaiporã, southern Brazil, with 33.6% population making half minimum wage or less, ranked 1,055th in population (31,816 habitants), 1,406th in per capita income (U$ 211.80 per month) and 1,021st in HDI (0.764) out of 5,570 Brazilian cities. Serum samples and epidemiological questionnaires were obtained from citizen volunteers with official City Secretary of Health assistance in 2015 and 2016. In overall, serosurvey has revealed 526/715 (73.57%) positive samples for anti-T. gondii antibodies by Indirect Fluorescent Antibody Test. Logistic regression has shown a significant increase associated to adults (p = 0.021) and elderly (p = 0.014) people, illiterates (p = 0.025), unemployment (p <0.001) and lack of household water tank (p = 0.039). On the other hand, sex (male or female), living area (urban or rural), yard hygiene, meat ingestion, sand or land contact, owning pets (dog, cat or both) were not significant variables of positivity for anti-T. gondii antibodies in the surveyed population. Although no significant spatial cluster was found, high intensity areas of seropositive individuals were located in the Kernel map where the suburban neighborhoods are located. In conclusion, socioeconomic vulnerability determinants may be associated to Toxoplasma gondii exposure. The increased risk due to illiteracy, adult or elderly age, unemployment and lack of household water tank were confirmed by multivariate analysis and the influence of low family income for seropositivity by the spatial analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelle Mareze
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Zoonoses and Public Health, Londrina State University, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil
| | | | | | - Fernanda Pinto-Ferreira
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Zoonoses and Public Health, Londrina State University, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina Miura
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Zoonoses and Public Health, Londrina State University, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Felippe Danyel Cardoso Martins
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Zoonoses and Public Health, Londrina State University, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Eloiza Teles Caldart
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Zoonoses and Public Health, Londrina State University, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Alexander Welker Biondo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná Brazil
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana United States of America
| | - Roberta Lemos Freire
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Zoonoses and Public Health, Londrina State University, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Regina Mitsuka-Breganó
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Zoonoses and Public Health, Londrina State University, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Italmar Teodorico Navarro
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Zoonoses and Public Health, Londrina State University, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil
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Human impact on the diversity and virulence of the ubiquitous zoonotic parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E6956-E6963. [PMID: 29967142 PMCID: PMC6055184 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1722202115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
A majority of emerging infectious diseases in humans are zoonoses. Understanding factors that influence the emergence and transmission of zoonoses is pivotal for their prevention and control. Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most widespread zoonotic pathogens known today. Whereas only a few genotypes of T. gondii dominate in the Northern Hemisphere, many genotypes coexist in South America. Furthermore, T. gondii strains from South America are more likely to be virulent than those from the Northern Hemisphere. However, it is not clear what factor(s) shaped modern-day genetic diversity and virulence of T. gondii Here, our analysis suggests that the rise and expansion of farming in the past 11,000 years established the domestic cat/mouse transmission cycle for T. gondii, which has undoubtedly played a significant role in the selection of certain linages of T. gondii Our mathematical simulations showed that within the domestic transmission cycle, intermediately mouse-virulent T. gondii genotypes have an adaptive advantage and eventually become dominant due to a balance between lower host mortality and the ability to superinfect mice previously infected with a less virulent T. gondii strain. Our analysis of the global type II lineage of T. gondii suggests its Old World origin but recent expansion in North America, which is likely the consequence of global human migration and trading. These results have significant implications concerning transmission and evolution of zoonotic pathogens in the rapidly expanding anthropized environment demanded by rapid growth of the human population and intensive international trading at present and in the future.
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Simon JA, Pradel R, Aubert D, Geers R, Villena I, Poulle ML. A multi-event capture-recapture analysis of Toxoplasma gondii seroconversion dynamics in farm cats. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:339. [PMID: 29884240 PMCID: PMC5994099 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-2834-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Domestic cats play a key role in the epidemiology of the parasite Toxoplasma gondii by excreting environmentally-resistant oocysts that may infect humans and other warm-blooded animals. The dynamics of Toxoplasma gondii seroconversion, used as a proxy for primo-infection dynamics, was investigated in five cat populations living on farms. Methods Serological tests on blood samples from cats were performed every three months over a period of two years, for a total of 400 serological tests performed on 130 cats. Variations in seroconversion rates and associated factors were investigated using a multi-event capture-recapture modelling approach that explicitly accounted for uncertainties in cat age and serological status. Results Seroprevalence varied between farms, from 15 to 73%, suggesting differential exposure of cats to T. gondii. In farms with high exposure, cats could become infected before reaching the age of six months. Seroconversion rates varied from 0.42 to 0.96 seroconversions per cat per year and were higher in autumn and winter than in spring and summer. Conclusion Our results suggest inter-farm and seasonal variations in the risks of exposure to T. gondii oocysts for humans and livestock living on farms. The paper also discusses the role of young cats in the maintenance of environmental contamination by T. gondii oocysts on farms. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-018-2834-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Alice Simon
- Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Laboratoire de Parasitologie - Mycologie, EA 3800, UFR Médecine, SFR CAP-SANTÉ, 51 rue Cognacq Jay, 51095, Reims, France. .,Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Centre d'Etude et de Formation en Eco-Ethologie (URCA, CERFE), 5 rue de la Héronnière, 08240, Boult-aux-Bois, France.
| | - Roger Pradel
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE) UMR 5175, CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul Valéry - EPHE, 1919 route de Mende, 34293, Montpellier 5, France
| | - Dominique Aubert
- Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Laboratoire de Parasitologie - Mycologie, EA 3800, UFR Médecine, SFR CAP-SANTÉ, 51 rue Cognacq Jay, 51095, Reims, France.,Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre National de Référence de la Toxoplasmose, Hôpital Maison Blanche, CHU Reims, 45 rue Cognacq Jay, 51092, Reims, France
| | - Régine Geers
- Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Laboratoire de Parasitologie - Mycologie, EA 3800, UFR Médecine, SFR CAP-SANTÉ, 51 rue Cognacq Jay, 51095, Reims, France.,Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre National de Référence de la Toxoplasmose, Hôpital Maison Blanche, CHU Reims, 45 rue Cognacq Jay, 51092, Reims, France
| | - Isabelle Villena
- Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Laboratoire de Parasitologie - Mycologie, EA 3800, UFR Médecine, SFR CAP-SANTÉ, 51 rue Cognacq Jay, 51095, Reims, France.,Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre National de Référence de la Toxoplasmose, Hôpital Maison Blanche, CHU Reims, 45 rue Cognacq Jay, 51092, Reims, France
| | - Marie-Lazarine Poulle
- Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Laboratoire de Parasitologie - Mycologie, EA 3800, UFR Médecine, SFR CAP-SANTÉ, 51 rue Cognacq Jay, 51095, Reims, France.,Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Centre d'Etude et de Formation en Eco-Ethologie (URCA, CERFE), 5 rue de la Héronnière, 08240, Boult-aux-Bois, France
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Abdulkareem SA, Augustijn EW, Mustafa YT, Filatova T. Intelligent judgements over health risks in a spatial agent-based model. Int J Health Geogr 2018; 17:8. [PMID: 29558944 PMCID: PMC5859507 DOI: 10.1186/s12942-018-0128-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Millions of people worldwide are exposed to deadly infectious diseases on a regular basis. Breaking news of the Zika outbreak for instance, made it to the main media titles internationally. Perceiving disease risks motivate people to adapt their behavior toward a safer and more protective lifestyle. Computational science is instrumental in exploring patterns of disease spread emerging from many individual decisions and interactions among agents and their environment by means of agent-based models. Yet, current disease models rarely consider simulating dynamics in risk perception and its impact on the adaptive protective behavior. Social sciences offer insights into individual risk perception and corresponding protective actions, while machine learning provides algorithms and methods to capture these learning processes. This article presents an innovative approach to extend agent-based disease models by capturing behavioral aspects of decision-making in a risky context using machine learning techniques. We illustrate it with a case of cholera in Kumasi, Ghana, accounting for spatial and social risk factors that affect intelligent behavior and corresponding disease incidents. The results of computational experiments comparing intelligent with zero-intelligent representations of agents in a spatial disease agent-based model are discussed. METHODS We present a spatial disease agent-based model (ABM) with agents' behavior grounded in Protection Motivation Theory. Spatial and temporal patterns of disease diffusion among zero-intelligent agents are compared to those produced by a population of intelligent agents. Two Bayesian Networks (BNs) designed and coded using R and are further integrated with the NetLogo-based Cholera ABM. The first is a one-tier BN1 (only risk perception), the second is a two-tier BN2 (risk and coping behavior). RESULTS We run three experiments (zero-intelligent agents, BN1 intelligence and BN2 intelligence) and report the results per experiment in terms of several macro metrics of interest: an epidemic curve, a risk perception curve, and a distribution of different types of coping strategies over time. CONCLUSIONS Our results emphasize the importance of integrating behavioral aspects of decision making under risk into spatial disease ABMs using machine learning algorithms. This is especially relevant when studying cumulative impacts of behavioral changes and possible intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaheen A Abdulkareem
- Department of Governance and Technology for Sustainability (CSTM), Faculty of Behavioral, Management, and Social Sciences (BMS), University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands. .,Department of Computer Science, College of Science, University of Duhok (UoD), Duhok, Kurdistan Region, Iraq.
| | - Ellen-Wien Augustijn
- Department of Geo-Information Process (GIP), Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Yaseen T Mustafa
- Faculty of Science, University of Zakho (UoZ), Duhok, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
| | - Tatiana Filatova
- Department of Governance and Technology for Sustainability (CSTM), Faculty of Behavioral, Management, and Social Sciences (BMS), University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.,School of Systems, Management and Leadership, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Australia
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Spatial Dimensions of the Risks of Rodenticide Use to Non-target Small Mammals and Applications in Spatially Explicit Risk Modeling. EMERGING TOPICS IN ECOTOXICOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-64377-9_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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17
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White LA, Forester JD, Craft ME. Dynamic, spatial models of parasite transmission in wildlife: Their structure, applications and remaining challenges. J Anim Ecol 2017; 87:559-580. [PMID: 28944450 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Individual differences in contact rate can arise from host, group and landscape heterogeneity and can result in different patterns of spatial spread for diseases in wildlife populations with concomitant implications for disease control in wildlife of conservation concern, livestock and humans. While dynamic disease models can provide a better understanding of the drivers of spatial spread, the effects of landscape heterogeneity have only been modelled in a few well-studied wildlife systems such as rabies and bovine tuberculosis. Such spatial models tend to be either purely theoretical with intrinsic limiting assumptions or individual-based models that are often highly species- and system-specific, limiting the breadth of their utility. Our goal was to review studies that have utilized dynamic, spatial models to answer questions about pathogen transmission in wildlife and identify key gaps in the literature. We begin by providing an overview of the main types of dynamic, spatial models (e.g., metapopulation, network, lattice, cellular automata, individual-based and continuous-space) and their relation to each other. We investigate different types of ecological questions that these models have been used to explore: pathogen invasion dynamics and range expansion, spatial heterogeneity and pathogen persistence, the implications of management and intervention strategies and the role of evolution in host-pathogen dynamics. We reviewed 168 studies that consider pathogen transmission in free-ranging wildlife and classify them by the model type employed, the focal host-pathogen system, and their overall research themes and motivation. We observed a significant focus on mammalian hosts, a few well-studied or purely theoretical pathogen systems, and a lack of studies occurring at the wildlife-public health or wildlife-livestock interfaces. Finally, we discuss challenges and future directions in the context of unprecedented human-mediated environmental change. Spatial models may provide new insights into understanding, for example, how global warming and habitat disturbance contribute to disease maintenance and emergence. Moving forward, better integration of dynamic, spatial disease models with approaches from movement ecology, landscape genetics/genomics and ecoimmunology may provide new avenues for investigation and aid in the control of zoonotic and emerging infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A White
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - James D Forester
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Meggan E Craft
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
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East-West Divide: temperature and land cover drive spatial variation of Toxoplasma gondii infection in Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) from England and Wales. Parasitology 2017; 144:1433-1440. [DOI: 10.1017/s0031182017000865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
SUMMARYToxoplasma gondii, a zoonotic parasite of global importance, infects all endothermic vertebrates, with extensive health implications. The prevalence of this parasite is seldom monitored in wildlife. Here, a semi-aquatic species, the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) was used as a model to assess the potential effect of climate, land cover and biotic factors on T. gondii seroprevalence in British wildlife. The Sabin–Feldman cytoplasm-modifying dye test identified T. gondii antibodies in 25·5% of blood samples from otters found dead, mainly as road kill, in England and Wales, between 2004 and 2010. Otters in the east of England were more likely to be infected with T. gondii than those in western regions. Land cover and temperature are key determinants of T. gondii infection risk, with more infection in arable areas and lower infection where temperatures are higher. The probability of T. gondii infection increased with host age, reflecting cumulative exposure with time, but there was no association between T. gondii seroprevalence and cause of host death.
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Simon J, Kurdzielewicz S, Jeanniot E, Dupuis E, Marnef F, Aubert D, Villena I, Poulle ML. Spatial distribution of soil contaminated with Toxoplasma gondii oocysts in relation to the distribution and use of domestic cat defecation sites on dairy farms. Int J Parasitol 2017; 47:357-367. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2017.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2016] [Revised: 01/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Impact of environmental factors on the emergence, transmission and distribution of Toxoplasma gondii. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:137. [PMID: 26965989 PMCID: PMC4785633 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1432-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2015] [Accepted: 03/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan that poses a great threat to human health and economic well-being worldwide. The effects of environmental factors such as changing climate and human activities on the ecology of this protozoan are being discovered. Accumulated evidence shows that changes of these environmental factors can exert influence on the occurrence, transmission and distribution of T. gondii. This article reviews studies from different geographical regions with varying climates, social cultures and animal welfare standards. It aims to illustrate how these environmental factors work, highlighting their importance in influencing the ecology of T. gondii, as well as providing clues which may contribute to preventing transmission of this important zoonotic pathogen.
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Pérez S, Laperrière V, Borderon M, Padilla C, Maignant G, Oliveau S. Evolution of research in health geographics through the International Journal of Health Geographics (2002-2015). Int J Health Geogr 2016; 15:3. [PMID: 26790403 PMCID: PMC4719657 DOI: 10.1186/s12942-016-0032-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2015] [Accepted: 01/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Health geographics is a fast-developing research area. Subjects broached in scientific literature are most varied, ranging from vectorial diseases to access to healthcare, with a recent revival of themes such as the implication of health in the Smart City, or a predominantly individual-centered approach. Far beyond standard meta-analyses, the present study deliberately adopts the standpoint of questioning space in its foundations, through various authors of the International Journal of Health Geographics, a highly influential journal in that field. The idea is to find space as the common denominator in this specialized literature, as well as its relation to spatial analysis, without for all that trying to tend towards exhaustive approaches. 660 articles have being published in the journal since launch, but 359 articles were selected based on the presence of the word “Space” in either the title, or the abstract or the text over 13 years of the journal’s existence. From that database, a lexical analysis (tag cloud) reveals the perception of space in literature, and shows how approaches are evolving, thus underlining that the scope of health geographics is far from narrowing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Pérez
- UMR ESPACE 7300, University of Nice Sophia, Nice, France.
| | | | - Marion Borderon
- UMR ESPACE 7300, University of Aix-Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, France.
| | | | | | - Sébastien Oliveau
- UMR ESPACE 7300, University of Aix-Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, France.
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