The prevalence of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii among hospitalized animals and stray dogs.
Abstract: Hospitalized animals and stray dogs were serologically tested for antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii. In addition, the data were examined for the possibility of toxoplasmosis infection being associated with the clinical diagnosis and with the discharge status (alive vs. dead). Among 1056 hospitalized animals, 17 (20%) of 86 cats, 112 (14%) of 804 dogs, 34 (26%) of 133 horses and 6 (18%) of 33 cattle had serological evidence of infection with T. gondii. Only 22 (6%) of 342 young (median age = one year) stray dogs were seropositive. The difference in antibody prevalence between hospitalized and stray dogs was thought to be due to age and dietary factors. Of 249 dogs grouped by clinical diagnosis, there was significantly (p less than 0.01) higher prevalence of seropositives among dogs with diseases of the kidney or with adrenocortical hyperfunction than among dogs hospitalized for other diseases. Of 19 dogs with diseases of the kidney and 12 with adrenocortical hyperfunction 37% and 42%, respectively, were seropositive.. There was higher risk of being discharged from the hospital dead among seropositive dogs, cattle and horses than among seronegative animals of the same species. The exception was cats, where of 69 seronegative cats 29% were dead at discharge and where of 17 seropositive cats 18% were dead at discharge. The possible effects of stress due to hospitalization need further research.
Publication Date: 1978-10-01 PubMed ID: 743598PubMed Central: PMC1277665
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- Comparative Study
- Journal Article
Summary
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The research article focuses on examining the prevalence of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite, in hospitalized animals and stray dogs. It also investigates the link between these antibodies with clinical diagnosis and survival outcomes in these animals.
Objective and Methodology
- The study aims to understand the prevalence of antibodies against the parasite Toxoplasma gondii in hospitalized animals and stray dogs.
- With this aim, the researchers used serological tests to detect the presence of antibodies in these animals. In total, 1056 hospitalized animals, consisting of cats, dogs, horses, and cattle, and 342 stray dogs were tested.
- Furthermore, the data was also analyzed to inspect any potential correlation between toxoplasmosis infection and the clinical diagnosis of the animals. Additionally, the survival outcomes (discharged alive or dead) of the animals were also tracked and analyzed in relation to the infection.
Findings
- The results revealed that a certain percentage of animals across different species (cats, dogs, horses, and cattle) hospitalised were seropositive for T. gondii.
- The prevalence of antibodies varied across species. For instance, 20% of the cats, 14% of dogs, 26% of horses, and 18% of cattle were seropositive. Conversely, only 6% of the stray dogs were found to be seropositive.
- The researchers suggested that differences in the prevalence rates in stray and hospitalized dogs could be attributed to factors such as varying ages and diets.
- More specifically, among the 249 dogs grouped by clinical diagnosis, those with diseases of the kidney or adrenocortical hyperfunction had a significantly higher prevalence of seropositivity compared to dogs hospitalized with other diseases.
- Interestingly, seropositive dogs, cattle, and horses showed an increased risk of being dead at discharge than the seronegative animals of the same species. However, an exception was noted in cats, wherein seronegative cats presented a higher chance of being dead at discharge compared to the seropositive ones.
Implications
- The findings from this research illuminate the prevalence and effects of Toxoplasma gondii infection among various species of animals, highlighting the need for preventative measures, treatment, and further research.
- Particularly, the correlation between the presence of antibodies and certain diseases implies that better understanding of the relationship between Toxoplasma gondii and these health conditions could potentially lead to improved diagnoses and treatment strategies.
- The impact of hospitalization and its induced stress on the correlation between the survival outcome and seropositivity necessitates further exploration.
Cite This Article
APA
Riemann HP, Kaneko JJ, Haghighi S, Behymer DE, Franti CE, Ruppanner R.
(1978).
The prevalence of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii among hospitalized animals and stray dogs.
Can J Comp Med, 42(4), 407-413.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Animals, Domestic / immunology
- Antibodies / isolation & purification
- Cats / immunology
- Cattle / immunology
- Dogs / immunology
- Horses / immunology
- Hospitalization
- Risk
- Species Specificity
- Stress, Physiological
- Toxoplasma / immunology
- Toxoplasmosis, Animal / immunology
References
This article includes 8 references
- Dubey JP. A review of Sarcocystis of domestic animals and of other coccidia of cats and dogs.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1976 Nov 15;169(10):1061-78.
- Franti CE, Riemann HP, Behymer DE, Suther D, Howarth JA, Ruppanner R. Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in wild and domestic animals in northern California.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1976 Nov 1;169(9):901-6.
- Franti CE, Kraus JF. Aspects of pet ownership in Yolo County, California.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1974 Jan 15;164(2):166-71.
- Quinn PJ, McCraw BM. Current status of toxoplasma and toxoplasmosis: a review.. Can Vet J 1972 Nov;13(11):247-62.
- Vanderwagen LC, Behymer DE, Riemann HP, Franti CE. A survey for Toxoplasma antibodies in northern California livestock and dogs.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1974 May 15;164(10):1034-7.
- Schneider R, Vaida ML. Survey of canine and feline populations: Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, California, 1970.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1975 Mar 1;166(5):481-6.
- Averill DR Jr, DeLahunta A. Toxoplasmosis of the canine nervous system: clinicopathologic findings in four cases.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1971 Nov 1;159(9):1134-41.
- Capen CC, Cole CR. Pulmonary lesions in dogs with experimental and naturally occurring toxoplasmosis.. Pathol Vet 1966;3(1):40-63.
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Schurer JM, Ndao M, Skinner S, Irvine J, Elmore SA, Epp T, Jenkins EJ. Parasitic zoonoses: one health surveillance in northern Saskatchewan. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2013;7(3):e2141.
- Shariatzadeh SA, Sarvi S, Hosseini SA, Sharif M, Gholami S, Pagheh AS, Montazeri F, Nayeri T, Nakhaei M, Mikaeili Galeh T, Daryani A. The global seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in bovines: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Parasitology 2021 Oct;148(12):1417-1433.
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