Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinária (Jun 2020)

Serological prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in cats (Belém, Pará, Brazil)

  • Katarine de Souza Rocha,
  • Michele de Souza Lima,
  • Thamillys Rayssa Marques Monteiro,
  • Betsy Emely Tavares Honorio,
  • Ana Paula Vilhena Beckman Pinho,
  • Giselle Souza da Paz,
  • Alessandra Scofield,
  • Gustavo Góes Cavalcante,
  • Paulo Cesar Magalhães-Matos,
  • Francisco Dantas Sampaio Junior,
  • Isis Abel,
  • Helio Langoni,
  • Carla Cristina Guimarães de Moraes

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/s1984-29612020038
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 29, no. 2

Abstract

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Abstract We evaluated the prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in the serum samples collected from domestic cats in Belém, Pará, Brazil. We also correlated the presence of T. gondii antibodies with environmental variables and cat-owner habits. Four-hundred and forty-seven serum samples from domestic cats were analyzed. The sera were tested using an indirect immunofluorescence assay. Among the animals analyzed, 21.92% (98/447) were seropositive. A statistically significant association was found in relation to age and serology among the animals over 1 year old (p<0.01): in the group up to 1 year old, 12.82% (20/156) of the animals were positive, and in the group over 1 year old, 26.80% (78/291) were positive. Our results show that the cats in Belém, Pará region have anti-T. gondii antibodies, and their owners are not aware of toxoplasmosis or how to prevent its transmission.

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