Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Toxoplasma and Leishmania antibodies found in cats from Luanda Angola
By Lopes, Ana Patrícia et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology·2017·Department of Veterinary Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii and Leishmania spp. in domestic cats from Luanda, Angola.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 102 domestic cats in Luanda, Angola, were tested for exposure to two parasites: Toxoplasma gondii and Leishmania spp. Only four cats (about 4%) had antibodies to Toxoplasma, indicating they had been exposed to it, while none showed signs of exposure to Leishmania. Interestingly, older cats were more likely to test positive for Toxoplasma. The cats in the study were well cared for, and many did not eat raw meat, which may have lowered the chances of finding more positive cases. Further research is needed to better understand the risk these parasites pose to cats and humans in the area.
People also search for: cat Toxoplasma exposure · cat parasite testing · Leishmania in cats · cat health risks Angola · Toxoplasma symptoms in cats
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii and Leishmania spp. are zoonotic protozoa of importance to animal and public health. The present study aimed to assess for the first time the seroprevalence of these zoonotic parasites in a domestic feline population living in Luanda, Angola. One hundred and two cats were sampled at a veterinary medical centre, from May 2014 to February 2016. The age of the cats ranged from 2.5 to 143 months (median: 12 months; interquartile range: 7.5-24). Serum samples were tested for immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibodies to T. gondii at two-fold dilutions of 1:20 to 1:2560 with a modified agglutination test (MAT) commercial kit. The direct agglutination test (DAT) for titration of IgG antibodies specific to Leishmania spp. used a standard freeze-dried antigen at a concentration of 5×10promastigotes per milliliter, following a predefined protocol. Two-fold dilution series ranging from 1:25 to 1:800 were tested, with a cut-off titre of 100 chosen for seropositivity. Four out of 102 cats (3.9%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1-9.7) had antibodies to T. gondii: one had a titer of 20, one a titer of 160, and two had a titer≥2560. No cat (0.0%; CI: 0.0-3.5) was found seropositive for Leishmania spp. A statistically significant difference was found between T. gondii seroprevalence and Leishmania spp. seroprevalence (p=0.043). The odds of a cat being seropositive to T. gondii increased by an average factor of 1.58 for each 1-year increase in age (p=0.003). The sampled cats were well-cared animals and may not represent the overall feline population of Angola at the national and city levels. The fact that only 12 out of the 102 sampled cats ate or had access to raw or undercooked meat and/or viscera may have reduced the likelihood of finding seropositive results. Under these circumstances, additional studies, including a larger number of cats, are necessary for a more comprehensive assessment of the zoonotic risk posed by these animals in Angola.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28495190/