Frequency of Toxoplasma gondii and Risk Factors Associated with the Infection in Stray Dogs and Cats of Panama

Abstract

Stray animals such as dogs and cats have an important role in maintaining the transmission cycles and dissemination of Toxoplasma gondii. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency of T. gondii in stray dogs and cats in six different regions of Panama and determine risk factors associated with the dynamics of infection in each of the studied regions. Data were obtained using serological tests for the detection of anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies. The results of this study revealed an overall infection frequency of 23.73%. The infection frequencies found in dog and cat populations were 25.70% and 21.93% respectively, showing no statistically significant difference. Risk factor correlations suggested different infection dynamics depending on the region analyzed. The San Miguelito, North and West regions were more associated with positive cases in dogs with an age range greater than 13 months. Conversely, the Metro, Central and East regions were more associated with negative cases in cats with age ranging between 0 and 5 months. Infection of the parasite in stray animals can be influenced by intrinsic characteristics of each region, which can potentiate different risk factors associated with the different routes of transmission.

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in outdoor dogs and cats in Bangkok, Thailand

“…Considering that dogs and cats can be involved in the maintenance of the urban and periurban life cycle of T. gondii, and that they usually share the same areas within cities, serological surveys in both species are the key aspect to address control strategies of this zoonotic pathogen, especially in areas where there are colonies of free-roaming dogs and cats in close contact with humans (Fábrega et al, 2020;Park et al, 2020). In fact, this health concern is reflected in various studies of T. gondii seroprevalence in dogs and cats previously conducted in several areas around the world from a One Health perspective (Rengifo-Herrera et al, 2017;Cong et al, 2018;de Oliveira et al, 2019;Park et al, 2020).…”

Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii Antibodies in Stray Dogs from Various Locations in West and East Malaysia

“…However, 32.5% of the samples from KL/Selangor were seropositive compared to those from Penang/Kedah (12.5%). The seroprevalence rates in most of the locations suggest that similar factors may be influencing the exposure of stray dogs to T. gondii infection [35]. Nevertheless, the location-KL/Selangor with highest seroprevalence is relatively more urbanized and densely populated, which may increase the exposure of stray dogs to environment contaminated with oocysts.…”

“…Saldanha-Elias et al [36] reported that stray dogs from urban areas had higher risk of T. gondii seropositivity compared to those from rural areas. Specific factors common in urban areas such as high population of cats, human-related activities leading to more garbage cans in the street, and exposure to poorly cooked meat may heighten the risk of T. gondii infection in stray dogs [35]. Additionally, shelters in the sampled areas with high seroprevalence might have cats that readily interact with the quarantined dogs or share a common environment.…”

Epidemiological Aspects of Maternal and Congenital Toxoplasmosis in Panama

“…Domestic animals have been considered risk factors due to their constant interaction with humans [ 8 , 44 ]. Previous studies carried out in West Panama and in different regions of Panama province showed high frequencies of infection by T. gondii in dogs and cats, both strays and pets [ 45 , 46 ]. The bivariate analyses carried out in this study did not show significant association between the presence of domestic animals and the frequency of infection.…”