Prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii and anti-Neospora caninum antibodies in swine from Northeastern Brazil

Abstract

A serologic survey was conducted among 130 swine slaughtered in the public slaughterhouse of the city of Patos, Paraíba State, Northeastern Brazil, to determine the prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii and anti-Neospora caninum antibodies, and to verify possible associations between sex of the animals and antibody prevalence. The sera were analyzed by indirect antibody tests, considering 1:64 (T. gondii) and 1:50 (N. caninum) dilutions as cut-off points. The prevalence of anti-T. gondii antibodies was 36.2% (47/130) (95% CI = 27.9 -45.0%) with reciprocal titers ranging from 64 to 2,048, and of anti-N. caninum antibodies was 3.1% (4/130) (95% CI = 0.8 -7.7%) with reciprocal titers ranging from 50 to 6,400. Three of the four N. caninum-positive samples were also positive for T. gondii antibodies. All Neospora and Toxoplasma IFAT-positive animals were also positive for confirmatory immunoblotting techniques using total and purified N. caninum and T. gondii tachyzoite antigens, i.e., p38 (NcSRS2) and p30 (TgSAG1). There was no association between sex of animals and prevalence of anti-T. gondii and anti-N. caninum antibodies. This is the first indication of N. caninum natural infection in pigs from Brazil.Keywords: Swine, Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum, seroprevalence, Northeastern Brazil. ResumoFoi conduzido um estudo sorológico em 130 suínos abatidos no matadouro público do município de Patos, Estado da Paraíba, Nordeste do Brasil, com o objetivo de determinar a prevalência de anticorpos anti-Toxoplasma gondii e anti-Neospora caninum, e verificar possíveis associações entre o sexo dos animais e a prevalência de anticorpos. Os soros foram analisados pelo testes de imunofluorescência indireta, considerando as diluições 1:64 (T. gondii) e 1:50 (N. caninum) como pontos de corte. A prevalência de anticorpos anti-T. gondii foi de 36,2% (47/130) (IC 95% = 27,9 -45,0%) com títulos variando de 64 a 2.048, e anti-N. caninum de 3,1% (4/130) (IC 95% = 0,8 -7,7%) com títulos variando de 50 a 6.400. Três das quatro amostras positivas para anticorpos anti-N. caninum também foram positivas para anticorpos anti-T. gondii. Todos os animais positivos na RIFI para Neospora e Toxoplasma também foram positivos nas técnicas confirmatórias de immunoblotting usando antígenos totais e purificados de taquizoítos de N. caninum e T. gondii, ou seja, p38 (NcSRS2) e p30 (TgSAG1). Não houve associação entre o sexo dos animais e a prevalência de anticorpos anti-T. gondii e anti-N. caninum. Essa é a primeira indicação de infecção natural por N. caninum em suínos do Brasil.

Occurrence of Toxoplasma gondii and risk factors for infection in pigs raised and slaughtered in the Triângulo Mineiro region, Minas Gerais, Brazil

“…This data is similar to other study that observed that both genders were exposed to the same risk factors (Azevedo et al 2010). According to Garcia et al (1999) the animal breed or genetics can contribute to variation observed in the occurrence of T. gondii infection.…”

“…However, the occurrence of toxoplasmosis in pigs found in this study was higher than those observed in previous studies: 36.2% in Paraíba (Azevedo et al 2010); 26.9% in Alagoas (Valença et al 2011); 18.2% in Bahia (Bezerra et al 2009); 12.8% in Mato Grosso (Muraro et al 2010); 12.6% in Paraná (Santos et al 2015) and 12.5% in Pernambuco (Fernandes et al 2012). But was lower than observed in Rio de Janeiro (65.8%; Bonna et al 2006) and Rio Grande do Sul (86.0%; Silva et al 2003).…”

“…Viable forms of the parasite have been isolated from a great variety of meat products and serological studies in Brazil showed a wide distribution of this infection in pigs (Bonna et al 2006, Millar et al 2008, Muraro et al 2010, Azevedo et al 2010, Valença et al 2011, Sousa et al 2014.…”

Seroprevalence of <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> and <i>Neospora caninum</i> in urban and rural dogs from southwestern Nigeria

“…The prevalence of anti-T. gondii and N. caninum antibodies in obtained sera was determined by the Western blott technique using antigens (total and purified) of T. gondii and N. caninum respectively as described by Damriyasa et al (2004) and Azevedo (2010).…”

Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in domestic cats from the Brazilian semi-arid: seroprevalence and risk factors

“…Several works have been carried out on T. gondii and N. caninum infection in pigs, goats, and sheep (Araújo Neto et al, 2008;Azevedo et al, 2010;Faria et al, 2010) from the semiarid mesoregion of northeastern Brazil, but no research was carried out to determine the status of these agents in cats. Thus, in the present study, we aimed to determine the frequency of seroreagent for T. gondii and N. caninum and possible risk factors in domiciled and stray cats in the municipality of Patos, Paraíba state.…”