Animal Parasitic Diseases Site Logo
ARS Home About Us Helptop nav spacerContact Us En Espanoltop nav spacer
Printable VersionPrintable Version     E-mail this pageE-mail this page
Agricultural Research Service United States Department of Agriculture
Search
  Advanced Search
 
Programs and Projects
Subjects of Investigation
 

Research Project: INTEGRATED APPROACH TO THE DETECTION AND CONTROL OF FOODBORNE PARASITES AND THE IMPACT ON FOOD SAFETY

Location: Animal Parasitic Diseases

Title: Serological survey of Toxoplasma gondii, Dirofilaria immitis, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) infections in pet cats in Bangkok and vicinities, Thailand

Authors
item Sukhumavasi, Woraporn -
item Bellosa, Mary -
item Lucio-Forster, Araceli -
item Liotta, Janice -
item Lee, Alice C.Y. -
item Pornmingmas, Pitcha -
item Chungpivat, Sudchit -
item Mohammed, Hussni -
item Lorentzen, Leif -
item Dubey, Jitender
item Bowman, Dwight -

Submitted to: Veterinary Parasitology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: October 1, 2011
Publication Date: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Toxoplasma gondii is a single-celled parasite of all warm-blooded hosts worldwide. It causes mental retardation and loss of vision in children, and abortion in livestock. Cats are the main reservoir of T. gondii because they are the only hosts that can excrete the resistant stage (oocyst) of the parasite in the feces. Humans become infected by eating undercooked meat from infected animals and food and water contaminated with oocysts. In the present study, authors report prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in cats from Thailand. The results will be of interest to biologists, parasitologists, and public health workers.

Technical Abstract: The seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii, Dirofilaria immitis (heartworm), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) infections was examined using serum or plasma samples from 746 pet cats collected between May and July 2009 from clinics and hospitals located in and around Bangkok, Thailand. The samples were tested for heartworm, FIV, and FeLV using a commercial ELISA. Of the 746 samples, 4.56% (34/746) were positive for heartworm antigen, 24.53% (183/746) had circulating FeLV antigen, and 20.11% (150/746) had antibodies against FIV. In addition, the first 348 submitted samples were tested for T. gondii antibodies using a modified agglutination test (MAT, cut off 1:25); 10.06% (35/348) were seropositive T. gondii. Of the 348 cats sampled for all four agents, 11 (3.16%), 10 (2.87%), and 1 (0.29%) were positive for T. gondii antibodies and FIV antibodies, FeLV antigen, or D. immitis antigen, respectively. Of the 35 T. gondii-seropositive cats, 42.86% (15/35) were co-infected with at least one of the other three pathogens. The presence of antibodies to FIV was significantly associated with both age and gender, while FeLV antigen presence was only associated with age. In the case of FIV, males were twice as likely to be infected as females, and cats over 10 years of age were 12 times more likely to be infected than cats less than 1 year of age. FeLV antigen was more common in younger cats, with cats over 10 years of age being 10 times less likely to be FeLV positive than cats under 1 year of age. Results of the present study are compared with those from other studies in Southeast Asia.

   

 
Project Team
Hill, Dolores
Dubey, Jitender
Zarlenga, Dante
Urban, Joseph
 
Publications
   Publications
 
Related National Programs
  Food Safety, (animal and plant products) (108)
 
Related Projects
   TOWARDS A VACCINE TO PREVENT TOXOPLASMOSIS
   INFECTIVITY AND TRANSMISSION OF TOXOPLASMOSIS
   MOLECULAR BASIS OF TOXOPLASMOSIS
   ASSESSMENT OF TOXOPLASMA GONDII IN GOAT’S MEAT, MILK, AND CHEESE ROLE IN TRANSMISSION OF TOXOPLASMOSIS TO HUMANS
   ANALYST TRAINING AND CHECK SAMPLE PROGRAM FOR PORK AND HORSEMEAT EXPORT PROGRAM
   PERIODIC NATIONAL COMMODITY STUDIES TO INVESTIGATE CURRENT ISSUES AND EXAMINE GENERAL HEALTH AND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES USED ON FARMS
   TOXOPLASMA GONDII OOCYSTS IN AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS: TRANSPORT FROM LAND TO SEA
   ASSESSING PREDOMINANT TRANSMISSION ROUTES FOR TOXOPLASMA GONDII USING NHANES 2007-2010
   CHARACTERIZATION OF...MOLECULES FROM ES PRODUCTS OF TRICHINELIA SPIRALIS/T. PSEUDOSPIRALIS L1 & THEIR USE IN IMMUNODIAGNOSIS
   IDENTIFICATION FOR TOXOPLASMA TRANSMISSION IN PASTURE RAISED ANIMALS SUBAWARD NO. Z551401
   NATIONAL ANIMAL HEALTH MONITORING SURVEY FOR TOXOPLASMA GONDII AND TRICHINELLA SPIRALIS
 
 
Last Modified: 05/23/2013
ARS Home | USDA.gov | Site Map | Policies and Links 
FOIA | Accessibility Statement | Privacy Policy | Nondiscrimination Statement | Information Quality | USA.gov | White House