Seroprevalence and Risk Factors for Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Horses

Mohamed Marzok; Omar A Al-Jabr; Mohamed Salem; Khalid Alkashif; Mohamed Sayed-Ahmed; Majed H Wakid; Mahmoud Kandeel; Abdelfattah Selim

doi:10.3390/vetsci10030237

Seroprevalence and Risk Factors for Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Horses

Vet Sci. 2023 Mar 22;10(3):237. doi: 10.3390/vetsci10030237.

Authors

Mohamed Marzok^{1

2

3}, Omar A Al-Jabr⁴, Mohamed Salem^{1

3

5}, Khalid Alkashif⁶, Mohamed Sayed-Ahmed^{7

8}, Majed H Wakid^{9

10}, Mahmoud Kandeel^{11

12}, Abdelfattah Selim¹³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Hofuf 31982, Saudi Arabia.
² Department of Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafr El Sheikh University, Kafr El Sheikh 33511, Egypt.
³ King Faisal University Veterinary Hospital, Al-Asha 31982, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ Department of Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Asha 31982, Saudi Arabia.
⁵ Department of Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo 12613, Egypt.
⁶ Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jazan 82722, Saudi Arabia.
⁷ Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jazan 82722, Saudi Arabia.
⁸ Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt.
⁹ Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.
¹⁰ Special Infectious Agents Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.
¹¹ Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafr El Sheikh University, Kafr El Sheikh 33511, Egypt.
¹² Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia.
¹³ Department of Animal Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Toukh 13736, Egypt.

Abstract

Background: Toxoplasma gondii is classified as intracellular protozoa and is one of the major zoonotic parasites. Most warm-blooded intermediate hosts, including humans, are commonly infected by this parasite. The epidemiology of T. gondii infection in Egyptian horses is currently poorly understood.

Methods: 420 blood samples were randomly collected from horses raised in four governorates in Northern Egypt (110 each from Giza and Kafr El Sheikh, and 100 each from Qalyubia and Gharbia) to investigate the existence of antibodies against T. gondii using a commercial ELISA kit, and to ascertain the risk factors for the infection.

Results: the antibodies for T. gondii were found in 16.2% (68/420) of the examined horses, with no significant differences among the four studied governorates. The highest prevalence rate was observed in Giza. The results revealed that sex, breed, age, and contact with domestic ruminants or cats were recognized as potential risk factors. The high prevalence rate was found in mixed breed horses (OR = 2.63, 95% CI: 0.95-7.26), mares (OR = 2.35, 95% CI: 1.31-4.19), and horses aged over 10 years (OR = 2.78, 95% CI: 1.30-3.44). Moreover, the likelihood of seropositivity for T. gondii infection was higher in horses raised in environments with cats (OR = 1.97, 95% CI: 1.13-3.44, p = 0.017) or domestic ruminants (OR = 2.16, 1.21-3.86, p = 0.010). This report confirms that horses in Northern Egypt are exposed to T. gondii and thus raises the possibility that people and other animals could contract the disease.

Conclusions: routine examination and management of T. gondii infection in horses in these governorates is advised.

Keywords: Egypt; T. gondii; horse; indirect ELISA; risk factor; seroprevalence.

Grants and funding

This work was supported through the Annual Funding track by the Deanship of Scientific Research, Vice Presidency for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia (Grant Number 2950).