Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
Ann Parasitol. 2024;70(2):101-111. doi: 10.17420/ap7002.527.
Toxoplasma gondii and Toxocara spp. zoonotic infections may cause severe systemic and ocular illness in infected individuals. Cats play a significant role in environmental contamination and the transmission of parasites. The goal of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) and Toxocara spp. infection among stray cats at Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences campus. The current descriptive study began with the collection of 170 fresh cat faecal samples from various sites in the Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences area. Sheather's sugar flotation method was applied to all specimens, and parasites were identified and examined microscopically. Next, a nested-PCR assay, sequencing, and real-time PCR with high-resolution melting curve (HRM) analysis were performed. In this study, out of 170 cat faecal samples microscopically evaluated, 8 (4.70%) and 37 (21.76%) were infected with T. gondii oocysts and Toxocara eggs, respectively. Using nested PCR, 8 out of 170 samples (4.70%) were found to be infected with T. gondii. HRM analysis showed that all isolates could be classified into three genetic lineages. Considerable prevalence, exceeding 50% for Toxocara and surpassing 25% for Toxoplasma in certain instances, along with genetic diversity, was observed in the present study. Hence, it is suggested that all individuals, including kindergarten children, students, employees, workers, and pregnant women who are in contact with their surroundings, take the necessary precautions.
刚地弓形虫和弓首蛔虫属等动物源性寄生虫感染可能导致感染者发生严重的全身和眼部疾病。猫在环境污染和寄生虫传播中起着重要作用。本研究旨在调查阿瓦兹 Jundishapur 医科大学园区流浪猫中刚地弓形虫（Toxoplasma gondii）和弓首蛔虫属感染的流行情况。本描述性研究首先从阿瓦兹 Jundishapur 医科大学区域的不同地点收集了 170 份新鲜猫粪便样本。所有标本均采用 Sheather 蔗糖漂浮法处理，并通过显微镜鉴定和检查寄生虫。然后，进行巢式 PCR 检测、测序以及高分辨率熔解曲线（HRM）分析的实时 PCR。在本研究中，在对 170 份猫粪便样本进行显微镜评估后，8 份（4.70%）和 37 份（21.76%）分别感染了刚地弓形虫卵囊和弓首蛔虫卵。使用巢式 PCR，发现 170 个样本中有 8 个（4.70%）感染了刚地弓形虫。HRM 分析表明，所有分离株可分为三个遗传谱系。本研究发现，在某些情况下，弓首蛔虫的流行率超过 50%，刚地弓形虫的流行率超过 25%，具有较高的遗传多样性。因此，建议包括幼儿园儿童、学生、员工、工人和接触周围环境的孕妇在内的所有人群采取必要的预防措施。
