Seroprevalence and risk factors for Toxoplasma gondii exposure in Australian feral and stray cats using an in-house modified agglutination test

• Published in: Veterinary parasitology Vol. 332; p. 110306
• Main Authors: Liyanage, K.L.D. Tharaka D., Amery-Gale, Jemima, Uboldi, Alessandro D., Adriaanse, Katherine, Firestone, Simon M., Tonkin, Christopher J., Jabbar, Abdul, Hufschmid, Jasmin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.12.2024
• Subjects: Agglutination Tests - veterinary; Animals; Animals, Wild - parasitology; Antibodies, Protozoan - blood; Australia; Australia - epidemiology; Cat Diseases - epidemiology; Cat Diseases - parasitology; Cats; Female; Male; Modified agglutination test; Risk Factors; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Toxoplasma - immunology; Toxoplasma gondii; Toxoplasmosis, Animal - epidemiology; Toxoplasmosis, Animal - parasitology; Australia; Cats; Modified agglutination test; Toxoplasma gondii; Australia
• ISSN: 0304-4017; 1873-2550; 1873-2550
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2024.110306

Toxoplasma gondii is a globally distributed zoonotic protist, capable of infecting all warm-blooded animals. In Australia, cats (Felis catus) are the only definitive host capable of spreading T. gondii infection via oocysts. Free-roaming cats are widespread in Australia and can play a central role in the ecology of T. gondii. Therefore, understanding the epidemiology of this parasite in stray and feral cats is essential to understanding the potential risk of infection in animals and humans. Due to a lack of easily accessible commercial kits, an in-house modified agglutination test (MAT) was established to test for IgG antibodies against T. gondii, using cell culture-derived T. gondii tachyzoites, and compared with a commercial MAT. A total of 552 serum samples collected during 2018 – 2021 from stray (n = 456) and feral cats (n = 90) (samples with missing data n = 6) from four Australian states, representing different age groups of both sexes, were screened for antibodies against T. gondii. Risk factors for T. gondii infection were assessed using multivariable logistic regression analysis. The in-house MAT had excellent agreement with the commercial MAT and provided a reliable and economical serological tool for T. gondii screening in animals. The overall observed seroprevalence for T. gondii in cats was 40.4 % (223/552). Bodyweight (as a proxy for age), geographical location, season and whether cats were feral or stray, were factors associated with T. gondii seropositivity in cats. Sex was not found to be a risk factor for T. gondii infection in feral and stray cats. This study shows that Australian stray and feral cats have a high T. gondii seroprevalence, which may translate to significant health impacts for wildlife species, livestock and the public. •An in-house modified agglutination test (MAT) was established to detect Toxoplasma gondii exposure in animals.•A seroprevalence of 40.4 % (223/552) was detected in feral and stray cats in Australia.•Bodyweight, geographical location, season, cat type were identified as risk factors.•High T. gondii seroprevalence in free roaming cats possess a significant one health challenge for Australia.