Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Toxoplasma and Neospora antibodies found in dogs in Paraíba Brazil
By Azevedo, S S et al.·Published in Research in veterinary science·2005·Departamento de Medicina Veteriná, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Seroepidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in dogs from the state of Paraíba, Northeast region of Brazil.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study in Brazil found that nearly half of the dogs tested had antibodies for Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite that can cause health issues, while about 8% had antibodies for Neospora caninum, another parasite. The research showed that older dogs and those living with cats were more likely to test positive for T. gondii, while dogs that spent time outside were more likely to have N. caninum. This suggests that certain living conditions and age can increase the risk of these infections in dogs. If your dog shows any unusual symptoms, it's a good idea to discuss these findings with your veterinarian.
People also search for: dog Toxoplasma symptoms · Neospora caninum in dogs · dog parasite risk factors · why is my dog sick · dog health check after outdoor exposure
Abstract
A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii and anti-Neospora caninum antibodies and to investigate the risk factors related to antibodies against T. gondii and N. caninum in dogs of the city of Campina Grande, state of Paraiba, Northeast region of Brazil. For this purpose, 286 blood samples were collected from dogs during the rabies vaccination campaign, in September 2003, and on this occasion questionnaires addressing epidemiological aspects of the infections were given to each dog owner. The sera were analyzed for anti-T. gondii and anti-N. caninum antibodies by indirect fluorescent antibody tests. Of the total of 286 dogs, 129 were positive for T. gondii (titer16) with a prevalence value of 45.1% (95% CI=39.24-51.07%). For N. caninum, 24 dogs were positive (titer50), with a prevalence value of 8.4% (95% CI=5.45-12.23%). Antibodies to T. gondii and N. caninum were found simultaneously in 14 dogs (4.9%; 95% CI=2.7-8.08%). For T. gondii infection, the risk factors associated with seroprevalence was the age of the animals, with dogs older than one year presenting higher values of odds ratio, and co-habitation of cats in the household. For N. caninum infection, dogs that have street contact had higher odds of seropositivity than dogs that remained exclusively in a domestic environment.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15894024/