Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in dogs from the state of Tocantins: serology and associated factors

Abstract

This study investigated occurrences of anti-Neospora caninum and anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgG antibodies by means of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFAT), along with risk factors associated with toxoplasmosis and neosporosis, in 204 dogs from urban and rural areas of the municipality of Araguaína, state of Tocantins, Brazil. One hundred and thirty samples (63.7%) were positive for T. gondii using ELISA: 57.1% and 70.7% in the urban and rural areas, respectively. The seropositivity frequency for T. gondii observed through IFAT was 57.4%, distributed between rural and urban areas as 62.6% and 52.4%, respectively. The factors associated with canine toxoplasmosis were age and breed (p<0.05). In relation to N. caninum, 88 samples (43.1%) were positive, according to ELISA, distributed as 42.9% in urban areas and 43.3% in rural areas. Anti -N. caninum antibodies were detected through IFAT in 62 dogs (30.4%), distributed as 31.3% and 29.5% between rural and urban areas, respectively. Age and breed were associated with neosporosis occurrence (p<0.05) by IFAT. This study provides the first detection of IgG antibodies for canine toxoplasmosis and neosporosis in the state of Tocantins and highlights the importance of dogs in the epidemiological chain of these diseases.Keywords: Dogs, toxoplasmosis, neosporosis, ELISA, IFAT. ResumoEste estudo investigou a ocorrência de anticorpos anti-Neospora caninum e anti-Toxoplasma gondii por ensaio imunoenzimático indireto (ELISA) e reação de imunofluorescência indireta (RIFI), assim como os fatores de risco associados à toxoplasmose e à neosporose em 204 cães provenientes de áreas urbana e rural do município de Araguaína, Estado de Tocantins, Brasil. Cento e trinta amostras (63,7%) foram positivas para T. gondii, destas 57,1% e 70,7% oriundas de áreas urbanas e rurais, respectivamente. Considerando-se o teste RIFI, a frequência de soropositividade para T. gondii foi de 57,4% com distribuição de 62,6% e 52,4% entre áreas rurais e urbanas, respectivamente. Fatores associados à toxoplasmose canina foram raça e idade, com soropositividade maior para animais mais velhos (p<0,05). Em relação à N. caninum, 88 (43,1%) amostras foram positivas, segundo ELISA, sendo distribuídas em 42,9% para área urbana e 43,3% para área rural. Por meio da RIFI, anticorpos anti-N. caninum foram detectados em 62 (30,4%) cães, sendo distribuídos em 31,3% e 29,5% entre áreas rurais e urbanas, respectivamente. Os fatores associados à ocorrência de neosporose, pela RIFI, foram idade e raça (p<0,05). Este estudo representa a primeira detecção de anticorpos IgG para toxoplasmose e neosporose canina no Estado de Tocantins e evidencia a importância de cães na cadeia epidemiológica dessas doenças.

All about neosporosis in Brazil

“…The age of dogs was a statistically significant factor in nine reports; older dogs were more likely to be seropositive FERNANDES et al, 2004;AZEVEDO et al, 2005;ANDREOTTI et al, 2006;CUNHA et al, 2008;MINERVINO et al, 2012;NOGUEIRA et al, 2013;BALTHAZAR et al, 2013;RAIMUNDO et al, 2015). Gender and breed were not associated with presence of antibodies.…”

“…However, 45 of 49 surveys used IFAT as a diagnostic technique, and most of them employed the cut-off value of 1:50, facilitating comparisons of occurrence values. In three surveys, IFAT and ELISA were compared for serological diagnosis of N. caninum in dog sera and IFAT was superior to indirect ELISA used HIGA et al, 2000;RAIMUNDO et al, 2015).…”

“…Gender and breed were not associated with presence of antibodies. In two surveys mixed breed dogs constituted a risk factor for the infection RAIMUNDO et al, 2015). The diet in some studies was related with access to street and prevalence was higher in dogs that had outdoor access than in pets with little or no outdoor scavenging CAÑÓN-FRANCO et al, 2003;BENETTI et al, 2008;SICUPIRA et al, 2012).…”

Occurrence of Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in dogs from rural properties surrounding a biological reserve, Espirito Santo, Brasil

“…In Brazil T. gondii is a common parasite, and the infection in dogs ranges from 2.6% to 90% (revised by DUBEY et al, 2012;FOURNIER et al, 2014;LOPES et al, 2011LOPES et al, , 2015RAIMUNDO et al, 2015). Also common, N. caninum is found to infect dogs in rates that go from 2.6% to 67.6% (revised by DUBEY, 2013).…”

Função da galectina-1 na resistência do hospedeiro contra a infecção experimental por Neospora caninum

“…Os hospedeiros definitivos reportados na literatura são os canídeos, a saber, cães (Canis familiaris) (MCALLISTER et al, 1998), coiote (Canis latrans) (GONDIM et al, 2004), dingo (Canis dingo) (KING et al, 2010) e lobo cinza (Canis lupus) (DUBEY et al, 2011). No Brasil, o parasita está disseminado por todo o país (GONDIM et al, 2001), verificado através da soropositividade em bovinos de vários estados brasileiros, além de caprinos, cães, canídeos silvestres, gatos, ovinos, búfalos, cavalos, capivaras e jumentos ( FUJII et al, 2001;FERNANDES et al, 2004;GUIMARÃES et al, 2004;GENNARI et al, 2005GENNARI et al, , 2016YAI et al, 2008;SCHARES, 2011;MORAES et al, 2011;JOSUÉ PIRES et al, 2014;RAIMUNDO et al, 2015;CAZAROTTO et al, 2016).…”