Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in household and stray cats in Lanzhou, northwest China

Song Ming Wu; Xing Quan Zhu; Dong Hui Zhou; Bao Quan Fu; Jia Chen; Jian Fa Yang; Hui Qun Song; Ya Biao Weng; De He Ye

doi:10.1186/1756-3305-4-214

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in household and stray cats in Lanzhou, northwest China

Song Ming Wu, Xing Quan Zhu, Dong Hui Zhou, Bao Quan Fu, Jia Chen, Jian Fa Yang, Hui Qun Song, Ya Biao Weng, De He Ye

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

35 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Toxoplasma gondii is an important protozoan parasite infecting humans and almost all warm-blooded animals. As the only definitive host, cats play a crucial role in the transmission of T. gondii infection by shedding parasite oocysts in their feces. However, little information on T. gondii infection in cats was available in Lanzhou, northwest China. This study was performed to determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in household and stray cats in Lanzhou, northwest China. Results: A total of 221 (179 households and 42 strays) blood samples were collected from clinically healthy cats admitted to several pet hospitals located in Lanzhou City, between November 2010 and July 2011 for the serological detection of T. gondii infection. The majority (207) of these cats represented Chinese Lihua cats. 47 of 221 (21.3%) examined cats were seropositive for T. gondii infection using the modified agglutination test (MAT) at the cut-off of 1:25. The seroprevalence in household and stray cats was assessed to be 15.6% and 45.2%, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The seroprevalence ranged from 15.1% to 25.8% among different age groups, but the differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Studies showed that there was no relationship between seroprevalence and the gender (P > 0.05). Conclusions: The present survey indicated the high seroprevalence of T. gondii in cats in Lanzhou, northwest China, which poses a threat to animal and human health. Therefore, measures should be taken to control and prevent toxoplasmosis of cats in this area.

Original language	English
Article number	214
Journal	Parasites and Vectors
Volume	4
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-3305-4-214
State	Published - 2011
Externally published	Yes

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@article{9e5af82cd3da4a9a851bacff8bfa6538,

title = "Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in household and stray cats in Lanzhou, northwest China",

abstract = "Background: Toxoplasma gondii is an important protozoan parasite infecting humans and almost all warm-blooded animals. As the only definitive host, cats play a crucial role in the transmission of T. gondii infection by shedding parasite oocysts in their feces. However, little information on T. gondii infection in cats was available in Lanzhou, northwest China. This study was performed to determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in household and stray cats in Lanzhou, northwest China. Results: A total of 221 (179 households and 42 strays) blood samples were collected from clinically healthy cats admitted to several pet hospitals located in Lanzhou City, between November 2010 and July 2011 for the serological detection of T. gondii infection. The majority (207) of these cats represented Chinese Lihua cats. 47 of 221 (21.3%) examined cats were seropositive for T. gondii infection using the modified agglutination test (MAT) at the cut-off of 1:25. The seroprevalence in household and stray cats was assessed to be 15.6% and 45.2%, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The seroprevalence ranged from 15.1% to 25.8% among different age groups, but the differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Studies showed that there was no relationship between seroprevalence and the gender (P > 0.05). Conclusions: The present survey indicated the high seroprevalence of T. gondii in cats in Lanzhou, northwest China, which poses a threat to animal and human health. Therefore, measures should be taken to control and prevent toxoplasmosis of cats in this area.",

author = "Wu, {Song Ming} and Zhu, {Xing Quan} and Zhou, {Dong Hui} and Fu, {Bao Quan} and Jia Chen and Yang, {Jian Fa} and Song, {Hui Qun} and Weng, {Ya Biao} and Ye, {De He}",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported, in part, by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 31172316 and 31101812), the Open Funds of the State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (Grant Nos. SKLVEB2009KFKT014, SKLVEB2010KFKT010 and SKLVEB2011KFKT004) and the Yunnan Provincial Program for Introducing High-level Scientists (Grant No. 2009CI125). The authors thank Dr J. P. Dubey, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Animal and Natural Resources Institute, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, United States Department of Agriculture, USA for providing the Toxoplasma gondii MAT antigen.",

year = "2011",

doi = "10.1186/1756-3305-4-214",

language = "English",

volume = "4",

journal = "Parasites and Vectors",

issn = "1756-3305",

publisher = "BioMed Central Ltd.",

number = "1",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in household and stray cats in Lanzhou, northwest China

AU - Wu, Song Ming

AU - Zhu, Xing Quan

AU - Zhou, Dong Hui

AU - Fu, Bao Quan

AU - Chen, Jia

AU - Yang, Jian Fa

AU - Song, Hui Qun

AU - Weng, Ya Biao

AU - Ye, De He

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported, in part, by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 31172316 and 31101812), the Open Funds of the State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (Grant Nos. SKLVEB2009KFKT014, SKLVEB2010KFKT010 and SKLVEB2011KFKT004) and the Yunnan Provincial Program for Introducing High-level Scientists (Grant No. 2009CI125). The authors thank Dr J. P. Dubey, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Animal and Natural Resources Institute, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, United States Department of Agriculture, USA for providing the Toxoplasma gondii MAT antigen.

PY - 2011

Y1 - 2011

N2 - Background: Toxoplasma gondii is an important protozoan parasite infecting humans and almost all warm-blooded animals. As the only definitive host, cats play a crucial role in the transmission of T. gondii infection by shedding parasite oocysts in their feces. However, little information on T. gondii infection in cats was available in Lanzhou, northwest China. This study was performed to determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in household and stray cats in Lanzhou, northwest China. Results: A total of 221 (179 households and 42 strays) blood samples were collected from clinically healthy cats admitted to several pet hospitals located in Lanzhou City, between November 2010 and July 2011 for the serological detection of T. gondii infection. The majority (207) of these cats represented Chinese Lihua cats. 47 of 221 (21.3%) examined cats were seropositive for T. gondii infection using the modified agglutination test (MAT) at the cut-off of 1:25. The seroprevalence in household and stray cats was assessed to be 15.6% and 45.2%, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The seroprevalence ranged from 15.1% to 25.8% among different age groups, but the differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Studies showed that there was no relationship between seroprevalence and the gender (P > 0.05). Conclusions: The present survey indicated the high seroprevalence of T. gondii in cats in Lanzhou, northwest China, which poses a threat to animal and human health. Therefore, measures should be taken to control and prevent toxoplasmosis of cats in this area.

AB - Background: Toxoplasma gondii is an important protozoan parasite infecting humans and almost all warm-blooded animals. As the only definitive host, cats play a crucial role in the transmission of T. gondii infection by shedding parasite oocysts in their feces. However, little information on T. gondii infection in cats was available in Lanzhou, northwest China. This study was performed to determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in household and stray cats in Lanzhou, northwest China. Results: A total of 221 (179 households and 42 strays) blood samples were collected from clinically healthy cats admitted to several pet hospitals located in Lanzhou City, between November 2010 and July 2011 for the serological detection of T. gondii infection. The majority (207) of these cats represented Chinese Lihua cats. 47 of 221 (21.3%) examined cats were seropositive for T. gondii infection using the modified agglutination test (MAT) at the cut-off of 1:25. The seroprevalence in household and stray cats was assessed to be 15.6% and 45.2%, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The seroprevalence ranged from 15.1% to 25.8% among different age groups, but the differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Studies showed that there was no relationship between seroprevalence and the gender (P > 0.05). Conclusions: The present survey indicated the high seroprevalence of T. gondii in cats in Lanzhou, northwest China, which poses a threat to animal and human health. Therefore, measures should be taken to control and prevent toxoplasmosis of cats in this area.

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U2 - 10.1186/1756-3305-4-214

DO - 10.1186/1756-3305-4-214

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AN - SCOPUS:80655139103

SN - 1756-3305

VL - 4

JO - Parasites and Vectors

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M1 - 214

ER -

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in household and stray cats in Lanzhou, northwest China

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