Seroepidemiological study of Toxoplasma gondii in equids in different European countries

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis, caused by the obligate intracellular protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, is a worldwide parasitic zoonosis. A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the exposure to T. gondii in equids in Europe. Serum samples from 1399 equids (1085 horses, 238 donkeys, and 76 mules/hinnies) bred in four European countries (Italy, Spain, United Kingdom [UK], and Ireland) were collected during the period of 2013-2021. The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii was 18.9% (95% Confidence Interval[CI]: 16.9-21.0) by using the modified agglutination test (MAT) at a cut-off of 1:25.Seropositivity by country was 27.1% in Italy, 16.6% in Spain, 12.0% in UK and 7.0% in Ireland. Anti-T. gondii antibodies were detected in 12.8% of the horses, 43.7% of the donkeys, and in 28.9% of the mules/hinnies. A Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) analysis was carried out to study the associations between seropositivity and explanatory variables related to individuals, herds, and management measures on these herds, selected based on the bivariate analysis. The risk for being seropositive for T. gondii was 5.3 and 2.7 times higher in donkeys and mules/hinnies than in horses, respectively. In addition, significantly higher seropositivity was observed in horses | 277 CANO-TERRIZA et al.

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora spp. in Horse Population of Tehran, the Capital of Iran: Insights from the First Survey Analysis

“…The rst-line strategy to diagnose T.gondii infections in farm animals is, similar to Neospora, serological testing for the presence of IgG 11 .…”

“…In contrast to other species, congenital infection of horses with N. caninum during pregnancy is rarely reported 1,16 . In addition, the seroprevalence of T. gondii in horses was studied in European countries 11 , Brazil 12 , Japan 3 , the United States 17 , Korea 18 , China 19 , Pakistan 20 , Saudi Arabia 21 , and Turkey 22 . All these studies demonstrated the presence of both parasites in horse populations.…”