An Antibody-Based Survey of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum Infection in Client-Owned Cats from Portugal

Maria Aires Pereira; Carmen Nóbrega; Teresa L. Mateus; Daniela Almeida; Andreia Oliveira; Catarina Coelho; Rita Cruz; Paula Oliveira; Ana Faustino-Rocha; Maria J. Pires; João R. Mesquita; Helena Vala

doi:10.3390/ani13142327

An Antibody-Based Survey of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum Infection in Client-Owned Cats from Portugal

Maria Aires Pereira, Carmen Nóbrega, Teresa L. Mateus, Daniela Almeida, Andreia Oliveira, Catarina Coelho, Rita Cruz, Paula Oliveira, Ana Faustino-Rocha, Maria J. Pires, João R. Mesquita, Helena Vala

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum are obligate intracellular protozoan parasites infecting a wide range of hosts worldwide. However, information on the epidemiology of toxoplasmosis and neosporosis in cats from Portugal is limited. Thus, this study aims to evaluate anti-T. gondii and anti-N. caninum seroprevalence in client-owned cats from Portugal and to identify risk factors using a panel of well-characterized sera. A total of 183 domestic cats were sampled and screened for antibodies against T. gondii and N. caninum using commercial ELISA assays, and their owners answered an online questionnaire designed to obtain background information. The overall anti-T. gondii and anti-N. caninum seroprevalences were 13.1% (CI: 8.97–18.77) and 3.8% (CI: 1.87–7.68), respectively. Univariate analysis revealed that living strictly indoors was a significant protection factor (cOR: 0.053; CI: 0.005–0.627), and the presence of a chronic disease a significant risk factor (cOR: 3.106; CI: 1.062–9.082) to T. gondii seroprevalence. When performing multivariate analysis, only chronic disease (aOR: 57.527; CI: 1.7–1976.7) and seropositivity to N. caninum (aOR: 7.929; CI:0.8–82.9) were found to be a significant risk factor to anti-T. gondii antibodies. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of N. caninum seropositivity in cats from Portugal.

Original language	English
Article number	2327
Journal	Animals
Volume	13
Issue number	14
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13142327
Publication status	Published - Jul 2023

Keywords

Felis catus
neosporosis
risk factors
seroprevalence
toxoplasmosis

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.3390/ani13142327Licence: CC BY

An Antibody-Based Survey of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum Infection in Client-Owned Cats from PortugalFinal published version, 697 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{9b017f204711420fb5ee8a9fc88195fc,

title = "An Antibody-Based Survey of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum Infection in Client-Owned Cats from Portugal",

abstract = "Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum are obligate intracellular protozoan parasites infecting a wide range of hosts worldwide. However, information on the epidemiology of toxoplasmosis and neosporosis in cats from Portugal is limited. Thus, this study aims to evaluate anti-T. gondii and anti-N. caninum seroprevalence in client-owned cats from Portugal and to identify risk factors using a panel of well-characterized sera. A total of 183 domestic cats were sampled and screened for antibodies against T. gondii and N. caninum using commercial ELISA assays, and their owners answered an online questionnaire designed to obtain background information. The overall anti-T. gondii and anti-N. caninum seroprevalences were 13.1% (CI: 8.97–18.77) and 3.8% (CI: 1.87–7.68), respectively. Univariate analysis revealed that living strictly indoors was a significant protection factor (cOR: 0.053; CI: 0.005–0.627), and the presence of a chronic disease a significant risk factor (cOR: 3.106; CI: 1.062–9.082) to T. gondii seroprevalence. When performing multivariate analysis, only chronic disease (aOR: 57.527; CI: 1.7–1976.7) and seropositivity to N. caninum (aOR: 7.929; CI:0.8–82.9) were found to be a significant risk factor to anti-T. gondii antibodies. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of N. caninum seropositivity in cats from Portugal.",

keywords = "Felis catus, neosporosis, risk factors, seroprevalence, toxoplasmosis",

author = "Pereira, {Maria Aires} and Carmen N{\'o}brega and Mateus, {Teresa L.} and Daniela Almeida and Andreia Oliveira and Catarina Coelho and Rita Cruz and Paula Oliveira and Ana Faustino-Rocha and Pires, {Maria J.} and Mesquita, {Jo{\~a}o R.} and Helena Vala",

note = "Funding Information: The participation of M.A.P. was supported by Global Health and Tropical Medicine (GHTM) under the project UID/04413/2020, by the Centre for Natural Resources, Environment and Society (CERNAS) through the project UIDB/00681/2020, and by the project PTDC/CVT-CVT/0228/2020, all founded by Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). The participation of T.L.M. was supported by the projects UIDB/CVT/00772/2020 and LA/P/0059/2020, funded by FCT. The participation of H.V. was supported by the Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB) through the project UIDB/04033/2020 and by CERNAS through the project UIDB/00681/2020, both funded by FCT. The participation of C.N., P.O., A.F.-R. and M.J.P., were supported by CITAB through the project UIDB/04033/2020. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 by the authors.",

year = "2023",

month = jul,

doi = "10.3390/ani13142327",

language = "English",

volume = "13",

journal = "Animals",

issn = "2076-2615",

publisher = "MDPI - Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute",

number = "14",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - An Antibody-Based Survey of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum Infection in Client-Owned Cats from Portugal

AU - Pereira, Maria Aires

AU - Nóbrega, Carmen

AU - Mateus, Teresa L.

AU - Almeida, Daniela

AU - Oliveira, Andreia

AU - Coelho, Catarina

AU - Cruz, Rita

AU - Oliveira, Paula

AU - Faustino-Rocha, Ana

AU - Pires, Maria J.

AU - Mesquita, João R.

AU - Vala, Helena

N1 - Funding Information: The participation of M.A.P. was supported by Global Health and Tropical Medicine (GHTM) under the project UID/04413/2020, by the Centre for Natural Resources, Environment and Society (CERNAS) through the project UIDB/00681/2020, and by the project PTDC/CVT-CVT/0228/2020, all founded by Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). The participation of T.L.M. was supported by the projects UIDB/CVT/00772/2020 and LA/P/0059/2020, funded by FCT. The participation of H.V. was supported by the Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB) through the project UIDB/04033/2020 and by CERNAS through the project UIDB/00681/2020, both funded by FCT. The participation of C.N., P.O., A.F.-R. and M.J.P., were supported by CITAB through the project UIDB/04033/2020. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 by the authors.

PY - 2023/7

Y1 - 2023/7

N2 - Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum are obligate intracellular protozoan parasites infecting a wide range of hosts worldwide. However, information on the epidemiology of toxoplasmosis and neosporosis in cats from Portugal is limited. Thus, this study aims to evaluate anti-T. gondii and anti-N. caninum seroprevalence in client-owned cats from Portugal and to identify risk factors using a panel of well-characterized sera. A total of 183 domestic cats were sampled and screened for antibodies against T. gondii and N. caninum using commercial ELISA assays, and their owners answered an online questionnaire designed to obtain background information. The overall anti-T. gondii and anti-N. caninum seroprevalences were 13.1% (CI: 8.97–18.77) and 3.8% (CI: 1.87–7.68), respectively. Univariate analysis revealed that living strictly indoors was a significant protection factor (cOR: 0.053; CI: 0.005–0.627), and the presence of a chronic disease a significant risk factor (cOR: 3.106; CI: 1.062–9.082) to T. gondii seroprevalence. When performing multivariate analysis, only chronic disease (aOR: 57.527; CI: 1.7–1976.7) and seropositivity to N. caninum (aOR: 7.929; CI:0.8–82.9) were found to be a significant risk factor to anti-T. gondii antibodies. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of N. caninum seropositivity in cats from Portugal.

AB - Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum are obligate intracellular protozoan parasites infecting a wide range of hosts worldwide. However, information on the epidemiology of toxoplasmosis and neosporosis in cats from Portugal is limited. Thus, this study aims to evaluate anti-T. gondii and anti-N. caninum seroprevalence in client-owned cats from Portugal and to identify risk factors using a panel of well-characterized sera. A total of 183 domestic cats were sampled and screened for antibodies against T. gondii and N. caninum using commercial ELISA assays, and their owners answered an online questionnaire designed to obtain background information. The overall anti-T. gondii and anti-N. caninum seroprevalences were 13.1% (CI: 8.97–18.77) and 3.8% (CI: 1.87–7.68), respectively. Univariate analysis revealed that living strictly indoors was a significant protection factor (cOR: 0.053; CI: 0.005–0.627), and the presence of a chronic disease a significant risk factor (cOR: 3.106; CI: 1.062–9.082) to T. gondii seroprevalence. When performing multivariate analysis, only chronic disease (aOR: 57.527; CI: 1.7–1976.7) and seropositivity to N. caninum (aOR: 7.929; CI:0.8–82.9) were found to be a significant risk factor to anti-T. gondii antibodies. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of N. caninum seropositivity in cats from Portugal.

KW - Felis catus

KW - neosporosis

KW - risk factors

KW - seroprevalence

KW - toxoplasmosis

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85165943384&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3390/ani13142327

DO - 10.3390/ani13142327

M3 - Article

C2 - 37508104

AN - SCOPUS:85165943384

SN - 2076-2615

VL - 13

JO - Animals

JF - Animals

IS - 14

M1 - 2327

ER -

An Antibody-Based Survey of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum Infection in Client-Owned Cats from Portugal

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this