Seroprevalence of Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii Infections in Stray Dogs of Hamadan Suburb, West of Iran, 2018

Abstract

Dogs exposed to zoonotic parasites (e.g., Leishmania spp., Toxoplasma gondii, Toxocara spp., Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato) represent a threat to public health (1). Moreover, some dog-associated pathogens (e.g. Neospora caninum and Taenia spp.) may frequently infect livestock and cause economic losses due to fatality, abortions, and spoilage of meat and other edible tissues (2).Neospora caninum (Apicomplexa: Sarcocystidae) is an intracellular heterogeneous parasite with cosmopolitan distribution (3). Canines (domestic dogs, coyotes, dingoes, and gray wolves) and a wide range of herbivore animals are definitive and intermediate hosts, respectively (3). In most cases, dogs are without clinical signs of neosporosis; however, the common signs in dogs are neuropathic disorders dependent on the site parasitized ranging from paresis to paralysis, muscle flaccidity, muscle atrophy, and heart failure (4). Stray dogs play an important role in the transmission of diseases to herbivore animals. They especially cause abortions in cattle. Therefore, knowledge on the prevalence and risk factors of neosporosis in dogs is very valuable for the development and implementation of control programs in livestock of the region (5). Moreover, evaluation of the infection rate in definitive hosts and analysis of the risks in different regions is of further value (5).Toxoplasma gondii, another important zoonotic parasite, that infects a wide range of warm-and cold-blooded animals, has a global prevalence (6). Approximately, onethird of general human populations are seropositive for toxoplasmosis (7). Dogs rarely suffer from toxoplasmosis as a primary disease; however, neurological disorders are the predominant indications in ill dogs, with signs of seizures, cranial nerve deficits, tremors, ataxia, paralysis, encephalomyelitis, choroidoretinitis, optic nerve neuritis, hepatitis, keratoconjunctivitis, and orchitis (8). T. gondii does not undergo the sexual reproductive cycle in dogs, and the animals are not consumed as food widely, but they can be involved in the mechanical transmission of T. gondii to humans (9).Several laboratory methods including bioassay, histopathology, immuno-serology, and molecular procedures are applied for the detection of neosporosis and toxoplasmosis in animals from which, serological

Seroprevalence Assessment and Risk Factor Analysis of Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Goats from Northeastern Algeria

“…It seems there was a direct relationship between the history of abortion and the seropositivity rate of T. gondii [ 29 , 57 ]. Moreover, the proportion of abortions and number of aborted fetuses in the last year were in significant correlation with the occurrence of T. gondii , consistently with the findings of Benlakehal et al [ 29 ] and Gharekhani et al [ 58 ], whereas an insignificant association was reported previously [ 34 , 42 , 54 ]. Several studies have used serological methods to identify reproductive losses associated with T. gondii [ 8 ].…”

The Seroprevalence and Risk Factors of Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Sheep in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, Southwest Iran

“…According to published research, the frequency of T. gondii infection among sheep in various regions of Iran ranges from 3.3% to 38.3% (26). Comparing the results of the present study to earlier studies in Iran revealed that the prevalence of our seropositive sheep was similar to other parts (27)(28)(29). Variations in prevalence can be explained by factors such as climate, age, animal breeding conditions, and different parasite detection techniques (30).…”

Seroprevalencia y factores de riesgo asociados a la infección Neospora caninum en sistemas bovinos y caprinos del Noroeste de Argentina

“…Contrariamente en las majadas caprinas esta variable no fue un factor de riesgo, coincidiendo con Utuk y Eski, (2019) y diferenciándose de otros hallazgos que han demostrado que existe una relación entre el aborto y la seropositividad a N. caninum en cabras (Mesquita et al, 2013;Araujo Rodrigues et al, 2020). En el mismo sentido tanto en Irán como en Brasil, Gharekhani et al (2018), Topazio et al (2014) y Varaschin et al (2011 observaron que en las cabras seropositivas el riesgo de padecer abortos era casi de 3 a 4 veces mayor en comparación con cabras y majadas seronegativas.…”