Karamati Seyed Ahmad, Effatpanah Hosein, Khodayari Mohammad Taghi, Shiee Mohammad Reza, Davari Afshin, Faraji Reza, Angazbany Fereshteh, Bozorgomid Arezoo
Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
Asadabad School of Medical Sciences, Asadabad, Iran.
Vet Med Sci. 2025 Jan;11(1):e70207. doi: 10.1002/vms3.70207.
Neospora caninum (Apicomplexa, Sarcocystidae) is a protozoan parasite regarded as a major cause of reproductive failure in cattle. Swine are susceptible to N. caninum infection; however, the role of these animals in the circulation, maintenance, and transmission of N. caninum remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to estimate the global seroprevalence of N. caninum in domestic pigs (Sus domesticus) and wild boars (Sus scrofa).
Online databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar were systematically searched to identify relevant studies up to 30 April 2024. A random-effects meta-analysis model was used to estimate the overall and subgroup-pooled prevalence of N. caninum across studies. The Cochrane test (Q) and the I index were employed to heterogeneity. Funnel plots and Egger's regression test were used to evaluate publication bias, year of publication, and sample size.
A total of 11,124 animals from 26 eligible studies were included. The pooled seroprevalence of N. caninum in swine was 17% (95% CI: 7%-26%) with a prevalence of 17% in domestic pigs and 16% in wild boars. In the subgroup analysis, the highest prevalence was observed among female animals, with a pooled seroprevalence of 17% (95% CI: 7%-26%). The pooled seroprevalence of N. caninum was nearly equal in adult and sub-adult swine (18% and 14%, respectively). The overall seroprevalence of N. caninum in swine, based on sample size and year of publication, showed no statistically significant correlations.
The present study showed that domestic swine are suitable intermediate hosts of N. caninum based on serological findings. However, further studies are needed to describe the epidemiology of the N. caninum and to isolate the parasite from swine to confirm this hypothesis.
犬新孢子虫（顶复门，肉孢子科）是一种原生动物寄生虫，被认为是牛繁殖失败的主要原因。猪易感染犬新孢子虫；然而，这些动物在犬新孢子虫的循环、维持和传播中的作用仍不清楚。因此，我们旨在估计家猪（Sus domesticus）和野猪（Sus scrofa）中犬新孢子虫的全球血清阳性率。
系统检索包括PubMed、Web of Science、Scopus和谷歌学术在内的在线数据库，以识别截至2024年4月30日的相关研究。使用随机效应荟萃分析模型估计各研究中犬新孢子虫的总体和亚组合并流行率。采用Cochrane检验（Q）和I指数评估异质性。使用漏斗图和Egger回归检验评估发表偏倚、发表年份和样本量。
共纳入来自26项合格研究的11,124只动物。猪中犬新孢子虫的合并血清阳性率为17%（95%置信区间：7%-26%），家猪的阳性率为17%，野猪为16%。在亚组分析中，雌性动物的患病率最高，合并血清阳性率为17%（95%置信区间：7%-26%）。成年猪和亚成年猪中犬新孢子虫的合并血清阳性率几乎相等（分别为18%和14%）。基于样本量和发表年份，猪中犬新孢子虫的总体血清阳性率无统计学显著相关性。
本研究表明，根据血清学结果，家猪是犬新孢子虫合适的中间宿主。然而，需要进一步研究来描述犬新孢子虫的流行病学，并从猪中分离出该寄生虫以证实这一假设。
