SEROPREVALENCE OF Toxoplasma gondii (Nicole & Manceaux, 1909) AND RETROVIRAL STATUS OF CLIENT-OWNED PET CATS (Felis catus, Linnaeus, 1758) IN RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

Abstract

Cats, as definitive host, play an important role in the transmission of Toxoplasma gondii. This study aimed to establish the seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii immunoglobulins G and M, and determine the frequency of oocysts in the feces of the domestic cat population in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We also aimed to study the association between T. gondii infection and age, sex, breed, lifestyle, diet and retroviral infection. A total of 108 cats were included in the study and fecal samples of 54 of those cats were obtained. Only 5.6% of the cats were seropositive for anti-T. gondii immunoglobulins using the indirect hemagglutination test. None of the 54 cats presented oocysts in their fecal samples. Although not statistically significant, males, mixed-breed, free-roaming and cats aged two years and older were found to be more exposed. Age, lifestyle and the use of litter boxes were found to play an important role as risk factors. Anemia and retroviral infections were independent of T. gondii infection. No antibodies were detected in the majority of cats (94.4%), indicating that those cats had never been exposed to the parasite and, therefore, once infected, they could present the risk of shedding large numbers of oocysts into the environment.

Serologic survey of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in cats (Felis catus) sold at live animal markets in Southwestern Nigeria

“…This can be attributed to the fact that T. gondii infection in cats has been known to be asymptomatic (Elmore et al, 2010;Bastos et al, 2014) with the cats periodically shedding oocysts during primary infection and in the absence of any form of immune incompetence. The absence of clinical symptoms in seropositive cats in this study might also be attributed to the fact that the IgG-based test used could only detect previous exposure to T. gondii and not current infection which an IgM-based assay would detect.…”

“…gondii infection in cats is usually asymptomatic (Elmore et al, 2010;Bastos et al, 2014), but may occasionally cause non-suppurative encephalomyelitis, pancreatitis and pneumonia-like respiratory disorders. The life cycle of T. gondii can be expressed in two phases mainly: a sexual phase occurring in the intestinal epithelium of the cat where oocysts are shed in faeces, and an asexual phase which occurs in the extra-intestinal tissues of mammals and birds (Dubey, 2010).…”

“…Clinical infection can also occur when cats are immuno-compromised or suffer from immune-suppressing infections such as feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukemia virus infections. Symptoms mostly observed in cats infected with T. gondii include fever, diarrhoea, icterus, cough, dyspnea, loss of appetite and neurological signs (Elmore et al, 2010;Bastos et al, 2014).…”

Firocoxib on aqueous humor prostaglandin E 2 levels for controlling experimentally-induced breakdown of blood-aqueous barrier in healthy and Toxoplasma gondii -seropositive cats

“…There are no reports of aqueous humor PGE 2 quantitation in healthy and in T. gondii-seropositive cats. Considering that the prevalence rates of T. gondii in cats from Brazil range from 5.6 to 87.3% (BASTOS et al, 2014), and that the specific anti-T. gondii IgG titers remain high for 2 years or longer in the cat population (DAVIDSON & ENGLISH, 1998), it seems to be reasonable to evaluate these effects of firocoxib for controlling experimentally-induced anterior uveitis in healthy and in T. gondii-seropositive cats.…”

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“…Algumas variáveis como idade e o estilo de vida dos animais, foram considerados importantes fatores de risco para a ocorrência de T. gondii. (BASTOS et al, 2014).…”