Seroepidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum, and Leishmania spp. infections and risk factors for cats from Brazil

• Published in: Parasitology research (1987) Vol. 109; no. 4; pp. 1009 - 1013
• Main Authors: Coelho, Willian Marinho Dourado, do Amarante, Alessandro Francisco Talamini, Apolinário, Juliana de Carvalho, Coelho, Natalia Marinho Dourado, de Lima, Valéria Marçal Felix, Perri, Silvia Helena Venturoli, Bresciani, Katia Denise Saraiva
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01-10-2011; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Age; Animals; Antibodies; Antibodies, Protozoan - analysis; Antibodies, Protozoan - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Brazil; Cat Diseases - epidemiology; Cat Diseases - immunology; Cat Diseases - parasitology; Cats; Coccidiosis - epidemiology; Coccidiosis - immunology; Coccidiosis - parasitology; Coccidiosis - veterinary; Diets; Ecosystem; Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay - veterinary; Feeding; Feeding Behavior; Feline immunodeficiency virus; Feline leukemia; Feline leukemia virus; Female; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect - veterinary; Food; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; General aspects and techniques. Study of several systematic groups. Models; Health aspects; Immunofluorescence; Immunology; Immunosuppression; Infection; Infections; Invertebrates; Leishmania; Leishmania - immunology; Leishmaniasis - epidemiology; Leishmaniasis - immunology; Leishmaniasis - parasitology; Leishmaniasis - veterinary; Male; Medical Microbiology; Microbiology; Milk; Neospora - immunology; Neospora caninum; Original Paper; Postnatal infection; Protozoa; Rats; Risk Factors; Rodents; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Seroepidemiology; Serologic Tests; Toxoplasma - immunology; Toxoplasma gondii; Toxoplasmosis, Animal - epidemiology; Toxoplasmosis, Animal - immunology; Toxoplasmosis, Animal - parasitology; Viral antibodies; South America; Brazil; America; Feline Immunodeficiency Virus; Feline Leukemia Virus; Leishmania Infection; Leishmaniasis; Toxoplasmosis; Kinetoplastida; Fissipedia; Protozoa; Apicomplexa; Carnivora; Parasite; Epidemiology; Infection; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Toxoplasma gondii; Leishmania; Cat; Risk factor; Neospora caninum
• ISSN: 0932-0113; 1432-1955
• DOI: 10.1007/s00436-011-2461-x

The seroprevalence of infection by
Toxoplasma gondii
,
Neospora caninum
, and
Leishmania
spp. was detected through an indirect immunofluorescence in 70 cats from the Andradina Municipality, São Paulo State, Brazil. Anti-
T. gondii
antibodies (titer >64) were detected in 15.7% (11/70) of animals, whereas positivity for
N. caninum
(titer 16) was not observed in any animal. Of the cats from urban and rural areas, 10.4% (5/48) and 27.2% (6/22) were positive for
T. gondii
, respectively. Breed, age, food, and contact with animals of other species were significant for considering the positivity for
T. gondii
(
P
 ≤ 0.0001). Cats having access to streets (17.1%, 11/64), cats cohabiting with rats (19.6%, 10/51), and cats feeding on homemade food and raw milk (27.2%, 6/22) were positive for
T. gondii
. In addition, 4.2% (3/70) of the cats were positive for
Leishmania
spp. by ELISA technique and negative by IFAT without coinfection with
T. gondii
and
Leishmania
spp. There was no serological positivity against feline immunodeficiency virus or feline leukemia virus. In conclusion,
T. gondii
infection in part of the feline population from Andradina is not linked to immunosuppressions or coinfections but probably to postnatal infection in association with the type of diet and presence of rats.