Toxoplasma gondii is a major neglected parasitic infection occurring in settings of extreme poverty in Africa. Apart from causing reproductive failure in animals it is also a significant zoonotic concern. The objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence and associated risk factors of T. gondii infection in cats, chickens, goats, sheep and pigs in the southeast of South Africa, of which little is known. Sera was obtained from 601 domestic animals including 109 cats, 137 chickens, 128 goats, 121 sheep and 106 pigs managed under different production systems in different agro-ecological regions and evaluated by the Toxoreagent, a latex agglutination test for T. gondii antibody detection. Household-level and animal-level data were collected by interviewing animal owners and/or herders using a closed-ended questionnaire. The study revealed an overall farm seroprevalence of 83.33% (125/150 farms) with the highest rate of infection for the parasite found in sheep with 64.46% (78/121), followed by goats with 53.91% (69/128), pigs with 33.96% (36/106), cats with 32.11% (35/109 cats) and chickens with 33.58% (46/137). The risk factors that were found to be statistically significant (p < 0.05) to different species of seropositivites were age, location, climate, animal production system, rodent control, seropositive cat, cat-feed access and cat faecal disposal. The relatively high seroprevalence of T. gondii detected in this region suggests that domestic animals may pose a substantial public health risk through the consumption of T. gondii-infected raw meat as well as via contact with cat faeces.

O gambá (Didelphis spp.) é um marsupial onívoro nativo das Américas que apresenta comportamento sinantrópico em áreas urbanas. Apesar da sua proximidade com animais domésticos e o homem, o conhecimento da sua participação na epidemiologia de alguns agentes zoonóticos é fundamental. Este estudo objetivou determinar a presença de anticorpos contra Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora spp. e Leptospira spp. em amostras de sangue colhidas de gambás de 18 municípios do estado de São Paulo, Brasil, entre 2003 e 2008. Foram obtidas amostras sanguíneas de 343 gambás: Didelphis aurita (n = 256) e Didelphis albiventris (n = 87). As amostras foram testadas para detecção de anticorpos contra T. gondii, utilizando o teste de aglutinação modificado (TAM-Toxo; ponto de corte ≥ 25); Neospora spp., utilizando a reação de imunofluorescência indireta (RIFI; ponto de corte ≥ 25); e Leptospira spp., utilizando a soroaglutinação microscópica (SAM-Lepto; ponto de corte ≥ 100). As frequências de anticorpos contra T. gondii, Neospora spp. e Leptospira spp. foram 22,7%, 1,5% e 3,5%, respectivamente. Os sorogrupos-sorovares de Leptospira spp. que apresentaram soropositividade foram: Autumnalis-Butembo; Mini-Mini; Ballum-Castellonis; Icterohaemorrhagiae-Icterohaemorrhagiae; Icterohaemorrhagiae-Copenhageni e Grippotyphosa-Grippotyphosa ou Bananal. Esse estudo demonstrou que esses agentes estão circulando em populações de gambás no estado de São Paulo. Desta forma, investigações que visam determinar o papel dos marsupiais na epidemiologia de cada doença devem ser conduzidas, especialmente visando o entendimento do comportamento desses animais como hospedeiros dessas zoonoses.

A dead stray cat was necropsied for zoonotic feline disease monitoring. Grossly, there were no specific lesions. Major microscopic lesions included lymphocytic meningoencephalitis, malacia, and tissue cysts in the cerebral and cerebellar cortex. The size and shape of tissue cysts were identical to those of Apicomplexa including Toxoplasma (T.) gondii. Bradyzoites in the tissue cyst were strongly positive for T. gondii by immunohistochemistry. Electron microscopy revealed that bradyzoites within the tissue cyst were similar to the morphological features of T. gondii. Fresh tissue samples were examined by a polymerase chain reaction assay and resulted in a specific band of T. gondii only in the brain. Based on the results, this case was diagnosed as toxoplasmosis. This is the first case of toxoplasmic meningoencephalitis in a cat in Korea.

This study was conducted to evaluate the possibility of application of a micro-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (micro-ELISA) for the serodiagnosis of specific toxoplasma antibodies in swine sera and this test was performed as a microplate system by coating the polystyrene plates with toxoplasma soluble antigen, incubated serially diluted sera, then added horse radish peroxidase labelled goat anti-swine IgG(r) conjugate followed by o-phenylenediamine as substrate. The color development by enzyme-substrate reaction was determined by the photometric reading [ELISA reader at 490nm (OD)] and visual reading. The soluble antigen was prepared from the tachyzoites in mouse peritoneal cavity. A total of 1,200 swine sera from pig slaughter-house and a total of 116 swine sera from pig breeding station (S-C farm) were tested for the detection of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii. The optimal reactions of indirect ELISA for the test sera were determined by the dilution of antigen 1:256 and 1:3,200 of horse radish peroxidase conjugate [anti-swine IgG (r)]. The specific toxoplasma antibody (IgG) in pigs infected with Tp artifically were detected as the serum titers of 1:64 or 1:128 at one week postinfection. Of a total of 1,200 swine sera from pig slaughter-house 505 samples of sera were detected as positive (42.1 %) and of a total of 116 swine sera from S-C pig breeding station 68 samples of sera as positive (58.6 %). The specific antibody (IgG) detection rates against a total of 1,200 test sea from pig slaughter-house were not significant between male (43.1 %) and female (40.7 %). The indirect ELISA was proved to be a sensitive and specific procedure for the serodiagnosis of swine toxoplasmosis and also evaluated as an effective screening test for the large scale of test samples in laboratory

In the last decade, studies on wildlife worldwide have discovered key epidemiological aspects of the sylvatic cycle of Toxoplasma gondii. However, despite the known role of wild felines as definitive hosts in the transmission and maintenance of this parasite, few studies have focused on the involvement of these animals. Brazil exhibits the largest number of wild felid species in the Americas, all of which have a critical conservation status. However, serological detections, epidemiological studies and some molecular characterizations of T. gondii have primarily used Neotropical felid populations that are maintained in captivity, which does not reflect the disease behavior in free-living conditions. A systematic review of the worldwide scientific literature was conducted focusing on toxoplasmosis in small Neotropical felids. This review covered a number of aspects, including the state of scientific research, parasite transmission in the wild, the genetic characteristics of isolates, the relationship between these genetic characteristics and the pathogenicity of the parasite, and the risk factors linked to conflicts with humans. The present review shows the relevance of studying these felid populations based on their frequent interactions with humans in peri-urban areas and the need for further comprehensive studies to establish the real significance of T. gondii in public and animal health in tropical and temperate regions. | Na ultima década, pesquisas em animais silvestres no mundo todo, tem demonstrado aspectos importantes na epidemiologia do ciclo silvestre de Toxoplasma gondii. No entanto, apesar do papel conhecido dos felinos silvestres como hospedeiros definitivos na transmissão e manutenção desse parasita, há poucos estudos sobre o envolvimento desses animais. O Brasil possui a maior quantidade de espécies de felinos silvestres do continente americano, todas em estado crítico de conservação. Porém, a detecção sorológica, pesquisas epidemiológicas e algumas caracterizações moleculares do T. gondii nestas espécies, utilizaram principalmente populações de felinos neotropicais mantidos em cativeiro, o que não reflete o comportamento da doença em condições de vida livre.Uma revisão sistemática da literatura cientifica mundial foi realizada focando a toxoplasmose em pequenos felinos neotropicais, abrangendo aspectos como o estado da pesquisa cientifica, transmissão do parasita na vida silvestre, características genéticas dos isolados e sua relação com a patogenicidade, além dos fatores de risco ligados aos conflitos com o homem. Esta revisão mostra a importância do estudo dessas populações de felinos, em função das frequentes interações com o homem em áreas peri-urbanas e a necessidade de estudos mais  abrangentes, que estabeleçam a real importância do T. gondii no tangente á saúde pública e saúde animal nas regiões tropicais e temperadas.

Eluates of 183 dried caprine blood samples on filter paper were tested for anti-<em>Toxoplasma gondii<strong> </strong></em>antibodies, using IFA, ELISA and dot-ELISA, and compared with results obtained by direct observations on comparable sera, usin the same tests. The results has showed that papers with dried blood can be preserved for up to 45 days at room temperature and for six months at 4°C, provided they are protected against humid conditions by using desiccating agents such as silica-gel. Comparison between serum and eluate reactions revelated 97-100% correspondance. The antibody titers remained constant throughout the study period. | <p>Foi realizada pesquisa de anticorpos anti<strong><em>-</em></strong><em>Toxoplasma gondii<strong> </strong></em>em 183 amostras de sangue dessecado em papel de filtro utilizando as reações de imunofluorescência indireta ELISA e dot-ELISA, tomando como referência os resultados obtidos nos soros. A análise dos resultados demonstrou que papéis com sangue dessecado podem ser conservados por um período mínimo de 45 dias à temperatura ambiente e por seis meses a 4°C, desde que mantidos livres de umidade pela utilização de agentes dessecantes como a sílica-gel. A reprodutibilidade das reações, avaliada por meio da curva dos títulos de anticorpos no decorrer do tempo após a coleta do sangue em papéis de filtro, demonstrou uma concordância de 97 a 100% entre os resultados obtidos nos soros e eluatos. Os títulos de anticorpos permaneceram estáveis durante o período observado. Os resultados obtidos com eluato de sangue dessecado foram semelhantes na RIFI, ELISA e dot-ELISA, indicando que qualquer uma das três reações pode ser utilizada em eluatos de sangue dessecado para o diagnóstico da toxoplasmose caprina.</p>