Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in domestic cats, dogs and rabbits from Poland

cris.virtual.author-orcid0000-0002-4509-8852
cris.virtual.author-orcid0000-0002-1256-0107
cris.virtual.author-orcid0000-0002-7227-0654
cris.virtual.author-orcid0000-0003-2220-2730
cris.virtualsource.author-orcid702c3b7e-b378-411f-bc9b-510fe73f43da
cris.virtualsource.author-orcid0320b45e-cc98-4201-88f2-602b5dfa2a20
cris.virtualsource.author-orcidad732626-b998-4c32-a9dc-82d9928533d8
cris.virtualsource.author-orcid71dccebf-e765-40b9-87bb-e98ab3b7299c
dc.abstract.enThe seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in domestic cats, dogs and rabbits was evaluated. Samples from cats and dogs were collected from five veterinary practices from various parts of Poland - Poznan (wielkopolskie voivodeship), Przemysl (podkarpackie voivodeship), Kluczbork (opolskie voivodeship), Lublin (lubelskie voivodeship) and Deblin (lubelskie voivodeship). Moreover, the samples from rabbits were collected in Poznan. In total, serum samples from 193 cats, 204 dogs and 71 rabbits were randomly selected and tested for specific antibodies against T. gondii using a commercial ELISA test. Pathogen seroprevalence among cats and dogs was calculated at a 95% confidence interval (CI) for each sex and age category (up to 12 months, 1–3 years, 4–7 years and over 8 years) and compared with a chi-squared test. The highest seroprevalence of T. gondii was noted in cats − 49.74% (96/193; 95% CI: 42.76–56.73). In dogs, it reached 28.92% (59/204; 95% CI: 23.13–35.49). Only 1 rabbit (3-year-old male) was seropositive, and the seroprevalence in rabbits was 1.41% (1/71; 95% CI: 0.25–7.56). A statistically significant correlation between seropositivity and age (p < 0.05) was observed in cats and dogs. No statistically significant difference in seroprevalence concerning gender or location was found in cats and dogs. Our findings indicate that cat and dog serum samples had a high frequency of anti-T. gondii antibodies, while rabbit serum samples had low frequency and that these species are exposed to T. gondii in Poland and develop humoral response due to infection.
dc.affiliationWydział Medycyny Weterynaryjnej i Nauk o Zwierzętach
dc.affiliation.instituteKatedra Nauk Przedklinicznych i Chorób Zakaźnych
dc.affiliation.instituteKatedra Fizjologii, Biochemii i Biostruktury Zwierząt
dc.contributor.authorTurlewicz-Podbielska, Hanna
dc.contributor.authorRuszkowski, Jakub Jędrzej
dc.contributor.authorGogulski, Maciej
dc.contributor.authorPomorska-Mól, Małgorzata
dc.date.access2025-11-07
dc.date.accessioned2025-11-07T09:49:36Z
dc.date.available2025-11-07T09:49:36Z
dc.date.copyright2023-01-16
dc.date.issued2023
dc.description.abstract<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>The seroprevalence of <jats:italic>Toxoplasma gondii</jats:italic> in domestic cats, dogs and rabbits was evaluated. Samples from cats and dogs were collected from five veterinary practices from various parts of Poland - Poznan (wielkopolskie voivodeship), Przemysl (podkarpackie voivodeship), Kluczbork (opolskie voivodeship), Lublin (lubelskie voivodeship) and Deblin (lubelskie voivodeship). Moreover, the samples from rabbits were collected in Poznan. In total, serum samples from 193 cats, 204 dogs and 71 rabbits were randomly selected and tested for specific antibodies against <jats:italic>T. gondii</jats:italic> using a commercial ELISA test. Pathogen seroprevalence among cats and dogs was calculated at a 95% confidence interval (CI) for each sex and age category (up to 12 months, 1–3 years, 4–7 years and over 8 years) and compared with a chi-squared test. The highest seroprevalence of <jats:italic>T. gondii</jats:italic> was noted in cats − 49.74% (96/193; 95% CI: 42.76–56.73). In dogs, it reached 28.92% (59/204; 95% CI: 23.13–35.49). Only 1 rabbit (3-year-old male) was seropositive, and the seroprevalence in rabbits was 1.41% (1/71; 95% CI: 0.25–7.56). A statistically significant correlation between seropositivity and age (p &lt; 0.05) was observed in cats and dogs. No statistically significant difference in seroprevalence concerning gender or location was found in cats and dogs. Our findings indicate that cat and dog serum samples had a high frequency of anti-<jats:italic>T. gondii</jats:italic> antibodies, while rabbit serum samples had low frequency and that these species are exposed to <jats:italic>T. gondii</jats:italic> in Poland and develop humoral response due to infection.</jats:p>
dc.description.accesstimeat_publication
dc.description.bibliographyil., bibliogr.
dc.description.financepublication_nocost
dc.description.financecost0,00
dc.description.if1,8
dc.description.number3
dc.description.points100
dc.description.versionfinal_published
dc.description.volume47
dc.identifier.doi10.1007/s11259-022-10055-0
dc.identifier.eissn1573-7446
dc.identifier.issn0165-7380
dc.identifier.urihttps://sciencerep.up.poznan.pl/handle/item/5802
dc.identifier.weblinkhttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11259-022-10055-0
dc.languageen
dc.relation.ispartofVeterinary Research Communications
dc.relation.pages1753–1758
dc.rightsCC-BY
dc.sciencecloudnosend
dc.share.typeOTHER
dc.subject.encats
dc.subject.endogs
dc.subject.enrabbits
dc.subject.enseroprevalence
dc.subject.enToxoplasma gondii
dc.titleSeroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in domestic cats, dogs and rabbits from Poland
dc.typeJournalArticle
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.citation.issue3
oaire.citation.volume47