Boozhmehrani Mohammad Javad, Feiz-Haddad Mohammad Hossein, Tavalla Mehdi, Nouri Mohammad, Ghoreishi Seyed Morteza
Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
Zoonoses Public Health. 2025 Mar;72(2):166-173. doi: 10.1111/zph.13195. Epub 2024 Dec 2.
Toxoplasma gondii is a parasitic protozoan capable of infecting warm-blooded animals, including humans, and is the causative agent of toxoplasmosis. Wild boars (Sus scrofa) serve as reservoirs for zoonotic pathogens like T. gondii, which can cause disease in humans if transmitted. This study aimed to assess the seroprevalence and molecular prevalence of T. gondii in wild boars in Khuzestan Province, Iran.
Seroprevalence of T. gondii antibodies was assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), employing a commercial kit (Calbiotech), whereas molecular detection was carried out through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the B1 gene of T. gondii on tissue samples (tongue, muscle, diaphragm and heart). Thirty wild boars were sampled from the regions of Shush, Shushtar, Dezful and Abadan, and both blood and tissue samples were analysed.
In this study, the seroprevalence of T. gondii antibodies was found to be 83.3% (25/30) among wild boar serum samples using ELISA. Molecular detection through PCR identified T. gondii DNA in 46.7% (14/30) of tissue samples, with the highest detection rates in tongue tissues (64%), followed by muscle (21%) and diaphragm (14%). No positive results were found in heart samples, and no animal had multiple tissues testing positive. All PCR-positive cases corresponded with positive ELISA results, and a statistically significant difference was observed in parasite prevalence across different tissues (p = 0.002).
Although consumption of wild boar meat is banned in Iran, illegal hunting and consumption remain a concern. The high prevalence of T. gondii in wild boars poses a potential risk for transmission through the illegal consumption of undercooked or raw meat. This study highlights the need for public health interventions to control the illegal trade of wild boar meat and reduce the risk of toxoplasmosis transmission. Further research is recommended to investigate T. gondii distribution in other tissues, including the brain, and to better understand the parasite's epidemiology in this region.
刚地弓形虫是一种寄生原生动物，能够感染包括人类在内的温血动物，是弓形虫病的病原体。野猪（Sus scrofa）是刚地弓形虫等人畜共患病原体的宿主，如果传播，这些病原体可导致人类患病。本研究旨在评估伊朗胡齐斯坦省野猪中刚地弓形虫的血清流行率和分子流行率。
使用酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA），采用商业试剂盒（Calbiotech）评估刚地弓形虫抗体的血清流行率，而分子检测则通过针对组织样本（舌头、肌肉、膈肌和心脏）中刚地弓形虫B1基因的聚合酶链反应（PCR）进行。从舒什、舒什塔尔、迪兹富勒和阿巴丹地区采集了30头野猪的样本，并对血液和组织样本进行了分析。
在本研究中，使用ELISA法在野猪血清样本中发现刚地弓形虫抗体的血清流行率为83.3%（25/30）。通过PCR进行的分子检测在46.7%（14/30）的组织样本中鉴定出刚地弓形虫DNA，在舌头组织中的检测率最高（64%），其次是肌肉（21%）和膈肌（14%）。心脏样本未发现阳性结果，且没有动物的多个组织检测呈阳性。所有PCR阳性病例均与ELISA阳性结果相符，并且在不同组织中的寄生虫流行率存在统计学显著差异（p = 0.002）。
尽管伊朗禁止食用野猪肉，但非法捕猎和食用仍然令人担忧。野猪中刚地弓形虫的高流行率通过非法食用未煮熟或生肉构成了传播的潜在风险。本研究强调了公共卫生干预措施对于控制野猪肉非法贸易和降低弓形虫病传播风险的必要性。建议进一步研究调查刚地弓形虫在包括大脑在内的其他组织中的分布，并更好地了解该地区寄生虫的流行病学。
