Seroprevalence and Risk Factors forToxoplasma gondiiInfection on Finishing Swine Reared in the Umbria Region, Central Italy

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is a worldwide zoonotic protozoan parasite and pork is considered the major meat source of Toxoplasma infection in humans. To determine the prevalence of infection of Toxoplasma gondii in pigs reared in the Umbria Region (central Italy), blood samples of 960 pigs from 10 different farms (96 for each farm) were randomly collected and tested for antibodies (IgG) against T. gondii using an IFA assay. Sera were screened at 1/16 titrr and the endpoint titre was determined. Farm management questionnaires were completed and used to develop descriptive statistics on the tested farms as well as to determine measures of association for risk factors for the presence of T. gondii-seropositive pigs. A total of 155 seropositive pigs (16.14%) were identified; within herds prevalence ranged from 8.33 to 25%. The statistical analysis identified all-in-all-out housing and cleaning method as risk factors for Toxoplasma infection.

First report on seroepidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii infection in pigs in Central Ethiopia

“…The overall prevalence of the infection was found to be 32.1%. The result of the present study was much higher than the reports from Brazil (12.5%) using indirect fluorescent antibody tests (IFAT) [35], Central Italy (16.14%) using IFAT [36], Southern Italy (16.3%) [37] using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), Serbia (9.2%) [38] and Portugal (15.6%) [39] using modified agglutination test (MAT). In contrast, the present result was lower than the report from Egypt (56.6%) using MAT [40].…”

“…Presence of cats is considered as one of the main risk factors for seropositivity in pigs, especially in animals kept in outdoor facilities. This is due to the fact that only a few oocysts are sufficient to produce infection in pigs [1,36]. Furthermore, most farm workers do not use boots and coveralls or footbaths before entering stables, thus contributing to the introduction of the oocysts collected from the environment into the pig units.…”

Detection of Toxoplasma gondii in free-range, organic pigs in Italy using serological and molecular methods

“…In the present study, all but one animal was positive (95.2%). If compared with the few studies carried out in confinement-raised pigs in Italy, that report seroprevalence values ranging from 16-36%; (Ranucci et al 2012;Veronesi et al 2011;Villari et al 2009), results of the present study confirm that outdoor access dramatically increases the risk for T. gondii infection.…”

Toxoplasma gondii in Meat and Food Safety Implications - A Review

“…T. gondii infection is widespread in pigs raised in Spain and a seroprevalence of 16.6% was obtained in a recent study (Garcia-Bocanegra et al, 2010). Similar seroprevalences were obtained in studies carried out in Italy (Villari et al, 2009;Veronesi et al, 2011), Portugal (De Sousa et al, 2006 and Germany (Damriyasa et al, 2004). Lower seroprevalence levels were found in USA (2.6%) (Hill et al, 2010), Sweden (5.2%) (Lundén et al, 2002), the Netherlands (10.9%) (Kijlstra et al, 2004) and Mexico (12.7%) (Alvarado-Esquivel et al, 2011); while higher values were observed in Serbia (28.9%) (Klun et al, 2006) and Argentina (37.8%) (Venturini et al, 2004).…”