Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in wild carnivores from Spain

• Published in: Veterinary Parasitology
• Main Authors: Sobrino, Raquel, Cabezón, Óscar, Millán, Javier, Pabón, Marcela, Arnal, Maria Cruz, Luco, Daniel F., Gortázar, Christian, Dubey, Jitender P., Almería, Sonia
• Other Authors: Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, Principado de Asturias, Organismo Autónomo Parques Nacionales (España), Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología, CICYT (España), Junta de Andalucía
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2007
• Subjects: Canis lupus; Lince; Lutra lutra; Lynx
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10261/283811; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2007.06.038; https://doi.org/10.13039/501100007273; https://doi.org/10.13039/501100011011; https://doi.org/10.13039/501100011698; https://doi.org/10.13039/100011941

Serum samples from 282 wild carnivores from different regions of Spain were tested for antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii by the modified agglutination test using a cut-off value of 1:25. Antibodies to T. gondii were found in 22 of 27 (81.5%) of Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus), 3 of 6 European wildcats (Felis silvestris), 66 of 102 (64.7%) red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), 15 of 32 (46.9%) wolves (Canis lupus), 26 of 37 (70.3%) Eurasian badgers (Meles meles), 17 of 20 (85.0%) stone martens (Martes foina), 4 of 4 pine martens (Martes martes), 6 of 6 Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra), 4 of 4 polecats (Mustela putorius), 1 of 1 ferret (Mustela putorius furo), 13 of 21 (61.9%) European genets (Genetta genetta), and 13 of 22 (59.1%) Egyptian mongooses (Herpestes ichneumon). Serological results indicated a widespread exposure to T. gondii among wild carnivores in Spain. The high T. gondii seroprevalence in Iberian lynx and the European wildcat reported here may be of epidemiologic significance because seropositive cats might have shed oocysts. This study is a contribution to GC-05-006, ICS, JCCM, and agreements between IREC and Principado de Asturias and Ministerio de Agricultura and OAPN, Spain. This study received partially support from the Spanish CICYT, grants AGL2004-06103-C02-01/GAN and AGL2005-07401. This study was also partially included in the “Programa de Actuaciones para la Conservación del Lince en Andalucía II”. Consejería del Medio Ambiente, Junta de Andalucía. R Sobrino was recipient of a PhD grant from Junta de Comunidades de Castilla La Mancha (JCCM). Peer reviewed