Kinetics of Toxoplasma infection in the Balkans

Bobić, Branko; Nikolić, Aleksandra; Klun, Ivana; Djurković–Djaković, Olgica

doi:10.1007/s00508-011-0052-6

Cited by 23 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Concerning childbearing women, we observed a significant decreasing trend in the T. gondii seroprevalence over time ( table 4 ). This observation is corroborated by other studies, which show that the prevalence of T. gondii infection in women of childbearing ages has decreased over the past 30 years, 31 and consequently, more women are now susceptible to the infection. Besides the factors stated above that most likely justify the seroprevalence decrease in the general population, the major factor associated with the decline observed for this target group most likely relies on the promotion of educational programmes yielding an improvement of the primary prevention.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Toxoplasma gondiiseroprevalence in the Portuguese population: comparison of three cross-sectional studies spanning three decades

et al. 2016

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BackgroundToxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan infecting up to one-third of the world's population, constituting a life threat if transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy. In Portugal, there is a lack of knowledge of the current epidemiological situation, as the unique toxoplasmosis National Serological Survey was performed in 1979/1980.MethodsWe studied the seroprevalence trends in the Portuguese general population over the past 3 decades, by assessing chronological spread cross-sectional studies, with special focus on women of childbearing age, by age group, region and gender.ResultsThe T. gondii overall seroprevalence decreased from 47% in 1979/1980 to 22% (95% CI 20% to 24%) in 2013. Generally, we observed that the prevalence of T. gondii IgG increased significantly with age and it decreased over time, both in the general population and in the childbearing women (18% prevalence in 2013).ConclusionsThe scenario observed for the latter indicates that more than 80% of childbearing women are susceptible to primary infection yielding a risk of congenital toxoplasmosis and respective sequelae. Since there is no vaccine to prevent human toxoplasmosis, the improvement of primary prevention constitutes a major tool to avoid infection in such susceptible groups.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Toxoplasma gondiiseroprevalence in the Portuguese population: comparison of three cross-sectional studies spanning three decades

et al. 2016

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“…Toxoplasmosis is widespread in south-east Europe [ 20 ]. The average prevalence of IgG antibodies was reported to be approximately 50% in pregnant woman in Albania [ 21 ] and among Albanians who migrated to Italy [ 22 ] and this percentage of exposure represents the upper limit of the range of currently reported data from the Balkans [ 23 - 25 ]. The overall seroprevalence of 62.3% in the cats from Tirana is among the highest infection percentage observed in Europe where T. gondii antibodies were detected in up to 70% of the cats [ 26 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Survey of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum, haemotropic mycoplasmas and other arthropod-borne pathogens in cats from Albania

Silaghi

Knaus²,

Rapti

et al. 2014

Parasites & Vectors

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BackgroundAlbania is a country on the western part of the Balkan Peninsula. The Mediterranean climate is favourable for the stable development of many arthropod species, which are incriminated as vectors for various agents. Recently, several papers have reported on epidemiological aspects of parasitic diseases including vector-borne disease agents of dogs with zoonotic characteristics in Albania. However, data on the epidemiology of feline parasitic and bacterial agents in Albania is scarce.MethodsSerum and EDTA-blood samples collected from 146 domestic cats from Tirana during 2008 through 2010 were examined for exposure to Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum, Leishmania infantum, and Anaplasma spp. with IFAT, for infection with L. infantum, A. phagocytophilum, Bartonella spp. and haemotropic mycoplasmas with conventional PCR and real-time PCR and for Dirofilaria immitis with antigen ELISA. Additionally blood smear microscopy was carried out for detection of blood-borne pathogens.ResultsAntibodies to T. gondii (titre ≥1:100) were demonstrated in 91 cats (62.3%). Antibodies to N. caninum (titre ≥1:100), L. infantum (titre ≥1:64) and Anaplasma spp. (titre ≥1:100) were found in the serum of 15 (10.3%), 1 (0.7%) or 3 (2.1%) cats, respectively. DNA of haemotropic mycoplasmas was detected in the blood of 45 cats (30.8%), namely Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum (21.9%), Mycoplasma haemofelis (10.3%), and Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis (5.5%), with ten cats harbouring co-infections of two mycoplasmas each; blood from one cat was PCR positive for Bartonella henselae. No DNA of Leishmania spp. and A. phagocytophilum or circulating D. immitis antigen was detected in any cat sample. The overall prevalence of haemotropic mycoplasmas was significantly higher in male compared to female cats (40.6% vs. 24.1%, p = 0.0444); and age was associated positively with the prevalence of antibodies to T. gondii (p = 0.0008) and the percentage of haemotropic mycoplasma infection (p = 0.0454).ConclusionsWith the broad screening panel including direct and indirect methods applied in the present study, a wide spectrum of exposure to or infection with parasitic or bacterial agents was detected.

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“…For instance, in 1994, the prevalence ranged from 69% in southern Hungary (as a region neighbouring the SEE to the north) (Szénási et al, 1997), over 53% in Serbia (Bobić et al, 2003) to 26% in northern Greece (Diza et al, 2005 Bobić et al, 2011). Moreover, a significant north-to-south decrease in the infection prevalence was also shown within Serbia itself (Bobić et al, 2003).…”

Section: Toxoplasmosis In Generative Age Womenmentioning

confidence: 96%

Toxoplasma gondii Infection in South-East Europe: Epidemiology and Epizootiology

Bobić¹,

Klun²,

Nikolić³

et al. 2012

Toxoplasmosis - Recent Advances

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Kinetics of Toxoplasma infection in the Balkans

Abstract: A decreasing trend of Toxoplasma prevalence over time in the Balkans is part of a changing pattern of Toxoplasma infection throughout Europe. Strategies for the prevention of congenital toxoplasmosis should take the infection dynamics into account.

Cited by 23 publications

References 17 publications

Toxoplasma gondiiseroprevalence in the Portuguese population: comparison of three cross-sectional studies spanning three decades

Toxoplasma gondiiseroprevalence in the Portuguese population: comparison of three cross-sectional studies spanning three decades

Survey of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum, haemotropic mycoplasmas and other arthropod-borne pathogens in cats from Albania

Toxoplasma gondii Infection in South-East Europe: Epidemiology and Epizootiology

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