Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in cattle, horses, pigs and chickens in Japan

Kayoko Matsuo; Rika Kamai; Hirona Uetsu; Hanyu Goto; Yasuhiro Takashima; Kisaburo Nagamune

doi:10.1016/j.parint.2014.04.003

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in cattle, horses, pigs and chickens in Japan

Parasitol Int. 2014 Aug;63(4):638-9. doi: 10.1016/j.parint.2014.04.003. Epub 2014 Apr 26.

Authors

Kayoko Matsuo¹, Rika Kamai², Hirona Uetsu², Hanyu Goto², Yasuhiro Takashima³, Kisaburo Nagamune⁴

Affiliations

¹ Gifu Prefectural Meat Inspection Office, 3-167-1 Hayashimachi, Oogaki, Gifu 503-0015, Japan; Department of Veterinary Parasitological Diseases, Faculty of Applied Biological Science, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan. Electronic address: alaeuris@violin.ocn.ne.jp.
² Gifu Prefectural Meat Inspection Office, 3-167-1 Hayashimachi, Oogaki, Gifu 503-0015, Japan.
³ Department of Veterinary Parasitological Diseases, Faculty of Applied Biological Science, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan.
⁴ Division of Protozoology, Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan.

PMID: 24780140
DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2014.04.003

Abstract

The presence of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in livestock and poultry was investigated by latex agglutination tests; samples that agglutinated at dilutions of 1:64 or higher were regarded as positive. Sera were collected from fattening beef cattle (102 Japanese black, 105 crossbreeds and 114 castrated Holstein), culled dairy cattle (101 Holstein), 100 horses, 115 fattening pigs and 235 chickens (163 free-range and 72 broilers) at abattoirs in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, from August 2012 to August 2013. Antibodies to T. gondii were found in 7.3% (31/422) in cattle, 5.2% (8/155) in pigs, but not in horses or chickens. These results suggest that toxoplasmosis may be transmitted to humans via consumption of T. gondii-infected raw beef in Japan.

Keywords: Japan; Latex agglutination test (LAT); Livestock; Poultry; Seroprevalence; Toxoplasma gondii.

MeSH terms

Animals
Antibodies, Protozoan / isolation & purification
Cattle
Cattle Diseases / blood
Cattle Diseases / epidemiology*
Cattle Diseases / parasitology
Cattle Diseases / prevention & control
Chickens
Horse Diseases / blood
Horse Diseases / epidemiology*
Horse Diseases / parasitology
Horse Diseases / prevention & control
Horses
Japan / epidemiology
Latex Fixation Tests / veterinary
Poultry Diseases / blood
Poultry Diseases / epidemiology*
Poultry Diseases / parasitology
Poultry Diseases / prevention & control
Prevalence
Seroepidemiologic Studies
Swine
Swine Diseases / blood
Swine Diseases / epidemiology*
Swine Diseases / parasitology
Swine Diseases / prevention & control
Toxoplasma / immunology
Toxoplasma / isolation & purification*
Toxoplasmosis, Animal / blood
Toxoplasmosis, Animal / epidemiology*
Toxoplasmosis, Animal / parasitology
Toxoplasmosis, Animal / prevention & control

Substances

Antibodies, Protozoan