Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #210428
Title: Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma Gondii antibodies in cats from Durango City, Mexico.

Author
item ALVARADO-ESQUIVEL, C - DURANGO MEXICO
item LIESENFELD, O - BERLIN GERMANY
item HERRERA-FLORES, R - DURANGO MEXICO
item RAMIREZ-SANCHEZ, B - DURANGO MEXICO
item GONZALEZ-HERRERA, A - DURANGO MEXICO
item MARTINEZ-GARCIA, S - DURANGO MEXICO
item Dubey, Jitender

Submitted to: Journal of Parasitology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2007
Publication Date: 12/5/2007
Citation: Alvarado-Esquivel, C., Liesenfeld, O., Herrera-Flores, R.G., Ramirez-Sanchez, B.E., Gonzalez-Herrera, A., Martinez-Garcia, S.A., Dubey, J.P. 2007. Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma Gondii antibodies in cats from Durango City, Mexico. Journal of Parasitology. 93:1214-1216.

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. Scientists at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and a Univ. in Mexico report prevalence of T. gondii infection in cats from mexico for the first time. The results will be of interest to biologists, parasitologists, and veterinarians.

Technical Abstract: The prevalence of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii was determined in sera from 105 domestic cats from Durango City, Mexico. Using a modified agglutination test, antibodies to this parasite were found in (21%) of the 105 cats with titers of 1:25 in 3, 1:50 in 4, 1:200 in 5, 1:400 in 2, 1:800 in 2, 1:1,600 in 4, and 1: 3,200 or higher in 2. Cats older than 1 yr had a significantly higher frequency of infection than that found in cats younger than 0.5 yr (41% versus 13.2%, respectively; OR = 4.55; 95% CI: 1.24-17.18; p=0.01). Overall, the seroprevalence of T. gondii antibodies in cats in Durango, Mexico is much lower compared with those reported in other countries.