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Kalmár Z, Sándor AD, Balea A, Borşan SD, Matei IA, Ionică AM, Gherman CM, Mihalca AD, Cozma-Petruț A, Mircean V, Györke A. Toxoplasma gondii in small mammals in Romania: the influence of host, season and sampling location. BMC Vet Res 2023; 19:177. [PMID: 37773155 PMCID: PMC10540334 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-023-03729-7] [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: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that infects a large spectrum of warm-blooded animals, including humans. Small rodents and insectivores play an important role in the epidemiology of T. gondii and may serve as a source of infection for both, domestic and wild definitive felid hosts. Factors influencing the occurrence of T. gondii in wild small mammals are unknown, despite the fact that many intermediate host species are identified. We have used small mammals (Rodentia and Lipotyphla) captured over two years in various habitats, both in urbanised and in natural landscapes. We assessed the importance of land-use, season and host ecology on T. gondii infection. RESULTS We examined 471 individuals belonging to 20 small mammal species, collected at 63 locations spread over wide altitude, habitat and land-use ranges from Romania. Heart tissue samples were individually analysed by PCR targeting the 529 bp repetitive DNA fragment of T. gondii. The overall prevalence of infection was 7.3%, with nine species of rodents and two species of shrews being found to carry T. gondii DNA. Five species showed high frequency of infection, with the highest prevalence found in Myodes glareolus (35.5%), followed by Spermophilus citellus (33.3%), Sorex minutus (23.1%), S. araneus (21.7%) and Micromys minutus (11.1%). Adults seemed more often infected than young, however when controlling for season, the difference was not significant, as in spring both adults and young showed higher infection rates, but more adults were sampled. Contrary to our expectations, urban/rural areas (with their implicit high density of domestic feline presence) had no effect on infection prevalence. In addition, neither habitat, nor land-use at sampling sites was important as only geographical location and host species were contributing factors to the infection risk. CONCLUSIONS High prevalence of T. gondii infection showed a highly localised, patchy occurrence, with long living and higher mobility host species being the most common carriers, especially during autumn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsuzsa Kalmár
- University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj- Napoca, RO-400372 Romania
- “Iuliu Hațieganu“ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- HUN-REN-UVMB Climate Change: New Blood-sucking Parasites and Vector-borne Pathogens Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Attila D. Sándor
- University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj- Napoca, RO-400372 Romania
- HUN-REN-UVMB Climate Change: New Blood-sucking Parasites and Vector-borne Pathogens Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Anamaria Balea
- University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj- Napoca, RO-400372 Romania
- Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Directorate Cluj, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Silvia-Diana Borşan
- University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj- Napoca, RO-400372 Romania
| | - Ioana Adriana Matei
- University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj- Napoca, RO-400372 Romania
| | - Angela Monica Ionică
- University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj- Napoca, RO-400372 Romania
- Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Călin Mircea Gherman
- University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj- Napoca, RO-400372 Romania
| | - Andrei Daniel Mihalca
- University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj- Napoca, RO-400372 Romania
| | | | - Viorica Mircean
- University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj- Napoca, RO-400372 Romania
| | - Adriana Györke
- University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj- Napoca, RO-400372 Romania
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Uzelac A, Betić N, Karabasil N, Ćirković V, Djurković-Djaković O, Klun I. A Pork Industry in the Backyard: An Analysis of Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Serbia's Pigs. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1857. [PMID: 37513029 PMCID: PMC10385063 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11071857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
As pork is an important source for Toxoplasma gondii infection, we have analyzed T. gondii genotypes and toxoplasmosis prevalence in pigs in Serbia in the context of production statistics and economics to assess the specific risk to public health. Genotyping was performed using MnPCR-RFLP; T. gondii-specific IgG antibodies were detected using a modified agglutination test (MAT); and statistical data were extracted from official records and provided by government authorities. The results indicate that, from 2006 to 2021, the median number of annually slaughtered pigs was 5.6 million, yet only 36.1% were processed by abattoirs. The remainder were "backyard pigs" slaughtered on family farms and homesteads. Toxoplasmosis seroprevalence in market-weight (MW) pigs prior to 2006 was 15.2%, and was 15.1% in 2019. The seroprevalence in owned city cats, likely infected by livestock meat, was 33.2%. ToxoDB#1 was identified in pig tissues. The results indicate that backyard pigs are the backbone of the industry and provide as much as 60% of the pork in Serbia. The seroprevalence in pigs and city cats shows that farms are reservoirs for the parasite. Thus, innovative means of reducing T. gondii infection designed with backyard farmers in mind are needed to reduce the risk to public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Uzelac
- Centre of Excellence for Food- and Vector-Borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, 11129 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Nikola Betić
- Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Nedjeljko Karabasil
- Department of Food Hygiene and Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Vladimir Ćirković
- Centre of Excellence for Food- and Vector-Borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, 11129 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Olgica Djurković-Djaković
- Centre of Excellence for Food- and Vector-Borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, 11129 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Ivana Klun
- Centre of Excellence for Food- and Vector-Borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, 11129 Belgrade, Serbia
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de Martinis C, Pucciarelli A, Ottaiano M, Pellicanò R, Baldi L, Veneziano V, Sgroi G, Boccia F, Carbone C, Cardillo L, Fusco G. Toxoplasma gondii Investigation of Home-Reared Pigs through Real-Time PCR and Digital Droplet PCR: A Very Low Prevalence. Pathogens 2023; 12:882. [PMID: 37513729 PMCID: PMC10384325 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12070882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a widespread protozoon that can infect both animals and humans. The main route of human infection is the consumption of the raw or undercooked meat of several animal species, including pigs. Although T. gondii represents a public health concern, control during slaughter is not mandatory, leading to a lack of information on the impact on human contagion as well as poor data availability in domestic animals intended for human consumption. We studied the presence of T. gondii in home-reared pigs, an unconventional type of farming subjected to stringent breeding conditions dictated by Italian regulation. Thus, the diaphragms, livers and masseter muscles from 480 pigs in Napoli Province (Italy) were analyzed using real-time PCR and digital droplet PCR. The results showed four matrices that tested positive for T. gondii with very low protozoan loads (0.62%), belonging to three different animals. The low density of the animals (the maximum was four animals per farm) and the biosafety farming features decisively contributed to the bioexclusion of this pathogen. Comparing these results to intensive and extensive farm data, lower exposure to the parasite was revealed, suggesting that this farming method might mitigate the risk of human exposure through meat consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio de Martinis
- Unit of Exotic and Vector-Borne Diseases, Department of Animal Health, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, 80055 Naples, Italy
| | - Alessia Pucciarelli
- Unit of Exotic and Vector-Borne Diseases, Department of Animal Health, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, 80055 Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Ottaiano
- Regional Observatory of Epidemiology and Biostatistic, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, 80055 Naples, Italy
| | - Roberta Pellicanò
- Regional Observatory of Epidemiology and Biostatistic, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, 80055 Naples, Italy
| | - Loredana Baldi
- Regional Observatory of Epidemiology and Biostatistic, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, 80055 Naples, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Veneziano
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria e Produzioni Animali, 80137 Napoli, Italy
| | - Giovanni Sgroi
- Unit of Wildlife, Department of Animal Health, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, 80055 Naples, Italy
| | - Federica Boccia
- Azienda Sanitaria Locale (ASL) Napoli 3 Sud, Unit of Animal Health, Department of Prevention, 80059 Naples, Italy
| | - Carmine Carbone
- Azienda Sanitaria Locale (ASL) Napoli 3 Sud, Unit of Animal Health, Department of Prevention, 80059 Naples, Italy
| | - Lorena Cardillo
- Unit of Exotic and Vector-Borne Diseases, Department of Animal Health, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, 80055 Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanna Fusco
- Unit of Virology, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, 80055 Naples, Italy
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Paștiu AI, Mircean V, Mercier A, Passebosc-Faure K, Plault N, Dardé ML, Blaga R, Villena I, Pusta DL, Cozma-Petruț A, Györke A. Toxoplasma gondii infection in sheep from Romania. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:24. [PMID: 36691063 PMCID: PMC9872358 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05634-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Toxoplasmosis is a widespread zoonosis caused by the intracellular protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Limited epidemiological information is available about the prevalence of T. gondii in sheep in Romania, and a high incidence would have implications for both the economy and public health. To our knowledge, no studies are available about the T. gondii strains circulating in lambs. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of T. gondii in sheep (serology), lambs (serology, bioassay, PCR) and sheep abortions (PCR) in Romania. Moreover, the study aimed to perform the genetic characterization of T. gondii isolates from lambs. METHODS Serum samples collected from 2650 sheep (2067 adults and 583 lambs) were tested for anti-T. gondii antibodies (IgG) using a commercial ELISA kit. Likewise, 328 pairs of diaphragmatic muscle-serum samples were collected from lambs aged between 2 and 4 months. Lamb serum samples were analyzed using MAT for anti-T. gondii antibody detection. The diaphragm tissue samples from MAT-positive lambs (at a dilution ≥ 1:25) were bioassayed in mice. The T. gondii strains were genotyped using 15 microsatellites markers. Additionally, brain and heart samples from 76 sheep abortions were analyzed for T. gondii DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the 529-bp repeat region (REP529). RESULTS The results showed that more than half of the tested sheep were T. gondii seropositive (53.5%). The seroprevalence was significantly higher in adults (61.1%) than in lambs (26.4%). The seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in slaughtered lambs, by MAT, was 37.5% (123/328). There were bioassayed in mice 56 diaphragmatic tissues from 123 seropositive lambs. Toxoplasma gondii strains were isolated from 18 (32.1%) lambs intended for human consumption. All T. gondii strains were confirmed by PCR. Six strains were genotyped using 15 microsatellite markers and belonged to genotype II. Toxoplasma gondii DNA was detected in 11.8% (9/76) of sheep abortions. CONCLUSIONS The present study showed the presence of T. gondii in sheep in all the regions considered in the study. The high prevalence of T. gondii infection in sheep and lambs, demonstrated by serology, molecular analysis and bioassay, highlighted that there is an important risk of human infection in consuming raw or undercooked sheep/lamb meat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anamaria Ioana Paștiu
- grid.413013.40000 0001 1012 5390Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj‐Napoca, 3‐5 Calea Mănăştur Street, 400372 Cluj‐Napoca, Cluj-Napoca Romania ,grid.413013.40000 0001 1012 5390Department of Genetics and Hereditary Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj‐Napoca, 3‐5 Calea Mănăştur Street, 400372 Cluj‐Napoca, Cluj-Napoca Romania
| | - Viorica Mircean
- grid.413013.40000 0001 1012 5390Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj‐Napoca, 3‐5 Calea Mănăştur Street, 400372 Cluj‐Napoca, Cluj-Napoca Romania
| | - Aurélien Mercier
- Inserm U1094, IRD U270, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, EpiMaCT - Epidémiologie des maladies chroniques en zone tropicale, Institut d’Epidémiologie et de Neurologie Tropicale, OmegaHealth, Limoges, France ,grid.411178.a0000 0001 1486 4131Centre National de Référence Toxoplasmose, CHU Limoges, 2 Martin Luther King Street, 87042 Limoges, France
| | - Karine Passebosc-Faure
- grid.411178.a0000 0001 1486 4131Centre National de Référence Toxoplasmose, CHU Limoges, 2 Martin Luther King Street, 87042 Limoges, France
| | - Nicolas Plault
- Inserm U1094, IRD U270, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, EpiMaCT - Epidémiologie des maladies chroniques en zone tropicale, Institut d’Epidémiologie et de Neurologie Tropicale, OmegaHealth, Limoges, France
| | - Marie-Laure Dardé
- Inserm U1094, IRD U270, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, EpiMaCT - Epidémiologie des maladies chroniques en zone tropicale, Institut d’Epidémiologie et de Neurologie Tropicale, OmegaHealth, Limoges, France ,grid.411178.a0000 0001 1486 4131Centre National de Référence Toxoplasmose, CHU Limoges, 2 Martin Luther King Street, 87042 Limoges, France
| | - Radu Blaga
- grid.503106.10000 0004 4658 9391Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, BIPAR, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Isabelle Villena
- grid.11667.370000 0004 1937 0618EA 7510 ESCAPE, SFR CAP-SANTE, University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France ,grid.139510.f0000 0004 0472 3476National Reference Centre On Toxoplasmosis/Toxoplasma Biological Resource Center, CHU Reims, General Koening Street, Reims, France
| | - Dana Liana Pusta
- grid.413013.40000 0001 1012 5390Department of Genetics and Hereditary Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj‐Napoca, 3‐5 Calea Mănăştur Street, 400372 Cluj‐Napoca, Cluj-Napoca Romania
| | - Anamaria Cozma-Petruț
- grid.411040.00000 0004 0571 5814Department of Bromatology, Hygiene, Nutrition, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Pasteur Street, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca Romania
| | - Adriana Györke
- grid.413013.40000 0001 1012 5390Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj‐Napoca, 3‐5 Calea Mănăştur Street, 400372 Cluj‐Napoca, Cluj-Napoca Romania
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Toxoplasma gondii in Foods: Prevalence, Control, and Safety. Foods 2022; 11:foods11162542. [PMID: 36010541 PMCID: PMC9407268 DOI: 10.3390/foods11162542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, with approximately one third of the population around the world seropositive. The consumption of contaminated food is the main source of infection. These include meat products with T. gondii tissue cysts, and dairy products with tachyzoites. Recently, contamination has been detected in fresh products with oocysts and marine products. Despite the great health problems that are caused by T. gondii, currently there are no standardized methods for its detection in the food industry. In this review, we analyze the current detection methods, the prevalence of T. gondii in different food products, and the control measures. The main detection methods are bioassays, cell culture, molecular and microscopic techniques, and serological methods, but some of these do not have applicability in the food industry. As a result, emerging techniques are being developed that are aimed at the detection of multiple parasites simultaneously that would make their application more efficient in the industry. Since the prevalence of this parasite is high in many products (meat and milk, marine products, and vegetables), it is necessary to standardize detection methods, as well as implement control measures.
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Papatsiros VG, Athanasiou LV, Kostoulas P, Giannakopoulos A, Tzika E, Billinis C. Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Swine: Implications for Public Health. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2021; 18:823-840. [PMID: 34491108 DOI: 10.1089/fpd.2021.0039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis, due to Toxoplasma gondii, is a parasitic disease with global importance. Among livestock, chronic T. gondii infection has been reported in higher rates in pigs and small ruminants, but with subclinical infections in case commonly encountered in pigs. Seroprevalence in the global pig population ranges according to the age or species of pigs, geographical distribution, production programs, and systems. Generally, T. gondii infections are noticed in low prevalence rates in conventional pig farms with high hygiene standards. In contrast, higher prevalence is common on free-ranging farms, outdoor or backyard small pig fams, as well as in farmed or hunted wild boars. The T. gondii average worldwide seroprevalence in pigs is reported to be 13% in Europe, 21% in Africa, 25% in North America, 21% in Asia, and 23% in South America. Human toxoplasmosis outbreaks have been correlated with the consumption of raw or undercooked meat, especially from infected pigs or wild boars, as well as of contaminated drinking water. The risk of infection in processed pork products is lower compared with fresh pork, as meat processing can reduce or inactivate T. gondii tissue cysts. Hence, the prevalence of T. gondii in the pig population may be a useful indicator of the risk of human toxoplasmosis associated with the consumption of pork products. The lack of obligatory screening methods at farm level for the detection of antibodies in farmed animals or the viable T. gondii in carcasses at slaughterhouse level increases the risk of contaminated pork or meat products. For this reason, the application of biosecurity and surveillance programs at farm level is very important to prevent a T. gondii infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasileios G Papatsiros
- Clinic of Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Karditsa, Greece
| | - Labrini V Athanasiou
- Clinic of Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Karditsa, Greece
| | - Polychronis Kostoulas
- Laboratory of Epidemiology & Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Public Health, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Karditsa, Greece
| | - Alexios Giannakopoulos
- Department of Microbiology & Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Karditsa, Greece
| | - Eleni Tzika
- Farm Animal Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Charalambos Billinis
- Department of Microbiology & Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Karditsa, Greece
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Fazel R, Rezanezhad H, Solhjoo K, Kalantari M, Erfanian S, Armand B, Jahromi ME. PCR-based detection of Toxoplasma gondii from cattle in southern Iran. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2021; 77:101677. [PMID: 34116387 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2021.101677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that is widely prevalent in most warm-blooded vertebrates. Humans mainly become infected by eating raw or undercooked meat. This study was designed to investigate the infection of cattle with T. gondii in Jahrom, southern Iran. METHODS Tissue samples consisting of heart, diaphragm, and tongue were collected from 125 slaughtered cattle. DNA samples were extracted from the homogenized tissues. T. gondii was detected and genotyped using nested-polymerase chain reaction (Nested-PCR) and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) based on GRA6 and SAG2 (3', 5' terminal regions) genes, respectively. RESULTS The prevalence of T. gondii DNA was 56% in cattle. The most infected tissue was the diaphragm (54.4%) followed by the heart (48.8%) and tongue (43.2%). Type II was the most prevalent genotype (70%) among T. gondii isolates. CONCLUSION In this study, the high prevalence of T. gondii infection in cattle meat indicates the important role of cattle in the transmission of infection to humans. Therefore, incorporating the correct method of consuming meat in health education programs is crucial to prevent human infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Razieh Fazel
- Parasitology Dept, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
| | - Hassan Rezanezhad
- Parasitology Dept, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran; Zoonoses Research Center, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran.
| | - Kavous Solhjoo
- Parasitology Dept, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran; Zoonoses Research Center, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
| | - Mohsen Kalantari
- Research center for health Sciences, Institute of Health, Department of Vector Biology and Control of Diseases, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Saiedeh Erfanian
- Research Centre for Non-Communicable Diseases, Department of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, School of Medicine, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
| | - Belal Armand
- Parasitology Dept, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
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Experimental infection with Toxoplasma gondii in broiler chickens (Gallus domesticus): seroconversion, tissue cyst distribution, and prophylaxis. Parasitol Res 2021; 120:593-603. [PMID: 33415386 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-020-06984-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/22/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a widespread zoonotic protozoan that infects most species of mammals and birds, including poultry. This study aimed to investigate the course of T. gondii infection and the efficacy of diclazuril and Artemisia annua in preventing infection in experimentally infected chickens. Seventy-five 1-month-old chickens, female and male, were randomly divided into five groups (n = 15 each) as follows: (1) uninfected untreated (negative control, NC); (2) infected with T. gondii genotype II/III isolated from a wild cat (group WC); (3) infected with T. gondii genotype II isolated from a domestic cat (group DC); (4) infected with T. gondii domestic cat strain and treated with the anticoccidial diclazuril (group DC-D); and (5) infected with T. gondii domestic cat strain and treated with the medicinal plant Artemisia annua (group DC-A). Clinical signs, body temperature, mortality rate, weight gain, feed conversion ratio, hematological parameters, and the presence of T. gondii-specific IgY antibodies were recorded in all groups. Five chickens per group were euthanized 28 days post-infection (p.i.) and their brains, hearts, and breast muscle tested for T. gondii by mouse bioassay and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). No clinical signs related to the experimental infection were observed throughout the study period. T. gondii-specific antibodies were detected by day 28 p.i., but not in all infected chickens. Overall, T. gondii DNA was detected (bioassay or tissue digests) in all infected and untreated chickens (10/10), while viable parasite (bioassay) was isolated from 7 out of 10 chickens. The parasite was most frequently identified in the brain (7/10). There were no differences in the T. gondii strains regarding clinical infection and the rate of T. gondii detection in tissues. However, higher antibody titers were obtained in chickens infected with T. gondii WC strain (1:192) comparing with T. gondii DC strain (1:48). A. annua reduced replication of the parasite in 3 out of 5 chickens, while diclazuril did not. In conclusion, broiler chickens were resistant to clinical toxoplasmosis, irrespective of the strain (domestic or wild cat strain). The herb A. annua presented prophylactic efficacy by reduced parasite replication. However, further studies are required aiming at the efficacy of diclazuril and A. annua for the prevention of T. gondii infection in chickens using quantitative analysis methods.
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Dubey JP, Cerqueira-Cézar CK, Murata FHA, Kwok OCH, Hill D, Yang Y, Su C. All about Toxoplasma gondii infections in pigs: 2009-2020. Vet Parasitol 2020; 288:109185. [PMID: 33271424 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2020.109185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii infections are common in humans and animals worldwide. Toxoplasma gondii infection in pigs continues to be of public health concern. Pigs are important for the economy of many countries, particularly, USA, China, and European countries. Among the many food animals, pigs are considered the most important for T. gondii transmission in USA and China because viable parasites have rarely been isolated from beef or indoor raised chickens. Besides public health issues, T. gondii causes outbreaks of clinical toxoplasmosis in pigs in China, associated with a unique genotype of T. gondii (ToxoDB genotype #9 or Chinese 1), rarely found in other countries. The safety of ready to eat pork products with respect to T. gondii infection is a matter of recent debate. Here, we review in detail seroprevalence, prevalence of viable and nonviable T. gondii, epidemiology, risk assessment, diagnosis, and curing of pork products containing T. gondii for the past decade. This review will be of interest to biologists, parasitologists, veterinarians, and public health workers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jitender P Dubey
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705-2350, USA.
| | - Camila K Cerqueira-Cézar
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705-2350, USA
| | - Fernando H A Murata
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705-2350, USA
| | - Oliver C H Kwok
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705-2350, USA
| | - Dolores Hill
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705-2350, USA
| | - Yurong Yang
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, PR China
| | - Chunlei Su
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-0845, USA
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