Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.
Department of Companion Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.
BMC Vet Res. 2021 Jul 22;17(1):252. doi: 10.1186/s12917-021-02965-z.
Toxoplasmosis is one of the most common parasitic zoonoses worldwide. Cats become infected after ingesting infected tissue cysts. The objective of the present study was to compare the prevalence of toxoplasmosis in pet cats and semi-domesticated cats in the Bangkok metropolitan region. A survey of Toxoplasma infection was conducted in 260 cats (median age [range]: 3 years [10 months-10 years]; 155 females and 105 males) by collecting blood samples from 130 client-owned pet cats and 130 semi-domesticated cats within and around Bangkok during 2016-2017 using indirect fluorescence antibody tests. An IgG antibody to Toxoplasma antigen ratio of ≥1:100 was considered positive for Toxoplasma infection.
The overall prevalence of T. gondii in cats was 6.5% (17/260). The prevalence of T. gondii in semi-domesticated cats and pet cats was 11.5 and 1.5%, respectively. Semi-domesticated cats aged 1-5 years (14.9%) had a higher prevalence of infection than domesticated cats (1.3%, p = 0.002) of the same age. The odds (95% confidence interval [CI]) of having T. gondii infection in semi-domesticated cats were 8.34 (1.86-76.29, p = 0.0017) times higher than in pet cats. Interestingly, there was an association between T. gondii infection according to city region (p = 0.002). The odds (95% CI) of having T. gondii infection in cats living in the inner city were 4.96 (1.03-47.16, p = 0.023) times higher than cats living in the suburb and the vicinity.
The present study identified a higher prevalence of Toxoplasma infection in semi-domesticated cats compared with pet cats. The semi-domesticated cats could serve as a zoonotic reservoir. Public health regulations should be implemented to prevent toxoplasmosis spread.
弓形虫病是全球最常见的寄生虫性人畜共患病之一。猫通过摄入受感染的组织包囊而感染。本研究的目的是比较曼谷大都市区宠物猫和半驯化猫的弓形虫病流行率。2016-2017 年，通过收集来自曼谷内部和周围的 130 只宠物猫和 130 只半驯化猫的血液样本，使用间接荧光抗体试验对 260 只猫（中位数年龄[范围]：3 岁[10 个月-10 岁]；155 只雌性和 105 只雄性）进行了弓形虫感染调查。对 Toxoplasma 抗原的 IgG 抗体比值≥1:100 被认为对 Toxoplasma 感染呈阳性。
猫中 T. gondii 的总体流行率为 6.5%（17/260）。半驯化猫和宠物猫的 T. gondii 流行率分别为 11.5%和 1.5%。1-5 岁的半驯化猫（14.9%）的感染率高于同年龄的驯化猫（1.3%，p=0.002）。半驯化猫感染 T. gondii 的几率（95%置信区间[CI]）比宠物猫高 8.34 倍（1.86-76.29，p=0.0017）。有趣的是，根据城市区域，T. gondii 感染存在关联（p=0.002）。生活在市中心的猫感染 T. gondii 的几率（95% CI）是生活在郊区和附近的猫的 4.96 倍（1.03-47.16，p=0.023）。
本研究发现，与宠物猫相比，半驯化猫的弓形虫感染率更高。半驯化猫可能是一种人畜共患的储存库。应实施公共卫生法规以防止弓形虫病传播。
