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Map of Villa Clara province (Cuba) showing the distribution and within-farm seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii on the sampled pig farms
Source publication
A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and associated risk factors in pigs in the largest pork-producing region in Cuba. Serum samples from 420 pigs, including 210 sows and 210 post-weaning pigs, were tested for antibodies against T. gondii using a commercial indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... cross-sectional study was carried out to determine seroprevalence against T. gondii in domestic pigs in Villa Clara (Central Cuba) (Fig. 1). This region accounts for the highest number of domestic pigs and is the largest pork producer in Cuba, with annual production at around 49,332 tons (ONEI 2017). Pork production in Cuba is characterized by an agreement management system. This means that all breeding farms, including sows, reproductive males, and piglets (from ...
Context 2
... Seropositivity was found in six of the seven (85.7%) tested farms, and the withinfarm seroprevalence ranged between 5.0 and 25%: with the highest seroprevalence observed in pigs from farm B and the lowest value in pigs from farm D had the lowest value. Interestingly, antibodies against T. gondii were not found in samples from farm C (Table 1) (Fig. 1). ANOM showed a significant lower seroprevalence on farm "C," which was negative to the presence of anti-T. gondii antibodies, in relation to the overall mean of the other farms tested (Fig. 2). No association between seropositivity to T. gondii and sex, offspring per weaning piglets, and still birth was found in the bivariate analysis. ...
Citations
... For Trichinella spp., the time to seroconversion has been shown to depend on the parasite species, as well as the larval burden in the muscle, and can be as short as 2-3 weeks, with antibodies persisting for between 12 and > 24 months, or potentially indefinitely (Gottstein et al., 2009;Pozio et al., 2020). Additionally, antibodies to T. gondii are also thought to persist for the life of the animal (Castillo-Cuenca et al., 2021). For decades, there has been a concerted effort to eliminate these two parasites from the commercial swine industry. ...
... These data may be directly compared with the seroprevalence most recently determined by a direct agglutination test (DAT) in pigs from small and medium holdings in Poland, which was slightly lower, at 11.9% [53]. Interestingly, the seroprevalence in pigs produced on intensive farms, but finished at private farms in Cuba was 13.3% as determined by a commercial ELISA, while the seroprevalence in sows was higher (21.9%), as expected [54]. In comparison, the seroprevalence in fattened pigs reared and finished at intensive farms in Denmark, also determined by a commercial ELISA, was just 2%, while it was 19% in sows, yet it was 11% in organically reared finishers and a notable 60% in organically reared sows [19]. ...
As pork is an important source for Toxoplasma gondii infection, we have analyzed T. gondii genotypes and toxoplasmosis prevalence in pigs in Serbia in the context of production statistics and economics to assess the specific risk to public health. Genotyping was performed using MnPCR-RFLP; T. gondii-specific IgG antibodies were detected using a modified agglutination test (MAT); and statistical data were extracted from official records and provided by government authorities. The results indicate that, from 2006 to 2021, the median number of annually slaughtered pigs was 5.6 million, yet only 36.1% were processed by abattoirs. The remainder were “backyard pigs” slaughtered on family farms and homesteads. Toxoplasmosis seroprevalence in market-weight (MW) pigs prior to 2006 was 15.2%, and was 15.1% in 2019. The seroprevalence in owned city cats, likely infected by livestock meat, was 33.2%. ToxoDB#1 was identified in pig tissues. The results indicate that backyard pigs are the backbone of the industry and provide as much as 60% of the pork in Serbia. The seroprevalence in pigs and city cats shows that farms are reservoirs for the parasite. Thus, innovative means of reducing T. gondii infection designed with backyard farmers in mind are needed to reduce the risk to public health.
... Age is the most widely discussed variable in literature, and its association with T. gondii infection has been demonstrated previously [34][35][36][37]. According to da Silva et al. (2010) [38], pig age is closely associated with the risk of infection in humans, because generally, the carcasses of older pigs are used for the preparation of swine products. ...
Background: Toxoplasmosis, caused by Toxoplasma gondii, is a zoonotic disease highly prevalent in Brazil and poses considerable risk to public health. T. gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan that is capable of infecting mammals and birds. In humans, the infection occurs mainly by the ingestion of raw or undercooked meat containing tissue cysts or other food items or water contaminated with sporulated oocysts, or by congenital transmission. Despite the prevalence of T. gondii in Brazil and its proven circulation among humans, animals, and the environment, there have been few studies on toxoplasmosis and its epidemiology.
Methods: Blood samples were collected from 416 pigs from 55 producer farms in 27 municipalities in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. An indirect immunofluorescent assay (IFA) was performed to estimate the seroprevalence of T. gondii and identify the associated risk factors.
Results: The T. gondii antibody prevalence rate in commercial swine herds from Espírito Santo was 15.4% (64/416), and the most frequent antibody titer was 1:64 (61/64) followed by 1:256 (3/64). Seropositivity for T. gondii was related to the presence of cats, existence of internal insulation fences on the farm, use of compost chambers on the farm, water sources, and the age of pigs.
Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report anti- T. gondii antibodies in the serum of pigs in the state of Espirito Santo, Brazil. This finding is important to public health because seropositive pigs can harbor tissue cysts in their meat, thereby representing a zoonotic risk for consumers of raw or undercooked porcine meat or its products.
... Consumption of infected raw or undercooked meat from farm animals, mostly pork, is considered the main route of T. gondii infection in humans in many countries (Belluco et al., 2018;Dubey et al., 2020). Pork is the most frequently consumed meat in Cuba (ONEI, 2017); however, epidemiological studies on T. gondii in pigs are very scarce in the country (Castillo-Cuenca et al., 2021;Suárez-Hernández et al., 2005), and survey studies in pigs intended for human consumption have not been carried out to date. ...
... Serum was separated and stored at −20°C until tested. Serum samples were analysed using a commercial indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA; PrioCHECK® Toxoplasma Ab porcine, Thermo Fisher Scientific Prionics AG) in accordance with the manufacturerʼs recommendations as previously described (Castillo-Cuenca et al., 2021). ...
... In addition, the higher T. gondii exposure during the finishing period could be due to the more hygienically relaxed management conditions in this period and/or the presence of outdoor facilities in growing-finishing units in the herds.Seropositive animals were detected in all the municipalities sampled, with a within-municipality seroprevalence ranging between 13.6% and 36.9%. These findings indicate that T. gondii is widely distributed in slaughtered pigs from private farms in Cuba, which is in line with those previously observed in sows from breeding farms in this country(Castillo-Cuenca et al., 2021). Further studies are warranted to identify and remove the sources of exposure to T. gondii in pigs during the finishing period in order to reduce the zoonotic risk in Cuba. ...
Domestic pigs are considered as one of the main intermediate hosts in the zoonotic transmission of Toxoplasma gondii in many countries. Serological and molecular studies are warranted to better understand the epidemiology and transmission patterns of this parasite worldwide. To date, seroepidemiological information on T. gondii in domestic pigs in Cuba is very scarce and there are no reports of T. gondii genotypes circulating in this country. Here, we aimed to estimate the seroprevalence of T. gondii and provide genetic characterization of the strains circulating in slaughtered pigs intended for human consumption in Central Cuba. Seroprevalence was determined in 450 serum samples from slaughtered pigs in Villa Clara province using ELISA. Anti‐Toxoplasma gondii IgG antibodies were detected in 100 animals (22.2%, 95% CI: 18.5–26.2). Conventional PCR of the 529‐bp marker of T. gondii was performed in hearts and diaphragm tissues of all ELISA‐seropositive pigs. Toxoplasma gondii DNA was detected in four animals. Further genetic characterization of the positive DNA samples was performed by multilocus PCR‐RFLP and PCR‐sequencing typing tools. Molecular analysis revealed four different genetic profiles that were combinations of type I, II, III and u‐1 alleles, suggesting the circulation of non‐clonal genotypes of T. gondii in domestic pigs in Cuba. Our results indicate that T. gondii is widely distributed in slaughtered pigs in this country, which might have important implications for public health. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on genetic characterization of T. gondii in Cuba. Although preliminary, the results suggest a high genetic diversity of T. gondii in the study region. Further studies based on parasite isolation are needed to definitively identify the genotypes circulating and characterize the virulence of strains detected in pigs in Cuba, and to assess the risk of zoonotic transmission from pork products in this country.
... In the same way, organic farms present higher prevalence than conventional farms, probably due to due to the high risk of being exposed and infected with environmental oocysts of parasites or from ingested infected rodents [110]. Nevertheless, the most important factor in all production systems seems to be the biosecurity level (control of exposition and infection of animals with environmental parasites and control of domestic animals that are infected near the farms) and early detection [110,112]. Consumption of fresh milk and dairy products are other of factors that cause T. gondii infection in humans. In fact, pasteurization of milk and milk products is also an important control measure. ...
Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, with approximately one third of the population around the world seropositive. The consumption of contaminated food is the main source of infection. These include meat products with T. gondii tissue cysts, and dairy products with tachyzoites. Recently, contamination has been detected in fresh products with oocysts and marine products. Despite the great health problems that are caused by T. gondii, currently there are no standardized methods for its detection in the food industry. In this review, we analyze the current detection methods, the prevalence of T. gondii in different food products , and the control measures. The main detection methods are bioassays, cell culture, molecular and microscopic techniques, and serological methods, but some of these do not have applicability in the food industry. As a result, emerging techniques are being developed that are aimed at the detection of multiple parasites simultaneously that would make their application more efficient in the industry. Since the prevalence of this parasite is high in many products (meat and milk, marine products, and vegetables), it is necessary to standardize detection methods, as well as implement control measures.
A serologic and epidemiologic study was carried out in order to determinate herd and animal seroprevalence and associated factors for Toxoplasma gondii in commercial pigs from Espírito Santo state, Brazil. Blood samples were collected from 416 pigs from 55 producer farms in 27 municipalities. An indirect immunofluorescent assay (IFA) was performed to estimate the seroprevalence of T. gondii and identify the associated risk factors using a questionnaire. The T. gondii antibody prevalence rate in commercial swine herds was 15.4% (64/416) using a cutoff of 1:64. The seropositivity for T. gondii was related to the presence of cats, water origin and age of swine in the increase of seroprevalence, and the existence of internal isolation fences and use of composting chambers as protective factors. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report anti- T. gondii antibodies in the serum of pigs in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. This finding is important to public health because seropositive pigs can harbor tissue cysts in their meat, thereby representing a zoonotic risk for consumers of raw or undercooked porcine meat or its products.
Aims
Toxoplasmosis is one of the most common food‐borne parasitic zoonosis, caused by Toxoplasma gondii , an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite. A cross‐sectional study was carried out to determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii and associated risk factors in pigs in Haryana, India.
Methods and Results
Serum samples were collected from 429 pigs from three agroclimatic zones (I–III) of Haryana and analysed for the presence of antibodies against T. gondii using a commercial indirect enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Anti‐ T. gondii antibodies were detected in 106 animals (24.7%), with the highest seropositivity in zone II (31.3%) followed by zone III (24.4%) and zone I (18.3%). Risk factors associated with higher seropositivity in pigs were farm size (higher in large‐sized farms), age (higher in pigs >1 year of age), sex (higher in males), type of feeding (higher in combination of homemade and hotel waste) and housing (higher in free‐ranging pigs).
Conclusions
The findings of the study testify to the exposure of pigs (of all agro‐climatic zones) to T. gondii. Hence, the observations are of significant medical and veterinary importance for devising and implementing control measures to check the dissemination of toxoplasmosis to pigs and eventually to humans.
Toxoplasma gondii, an important food-borne zoonotic parasite, poses a worldwide public health hazard. Domestic pigs are considered one of the main intermediate hosts in the zoonotic transmission of T. gondii. To date, seroepidemiological information on T. gondii in domestic pigs in India is very scarce, and there are no reports of occupational hazards to pig farmers in this country. Here, we aimed at estimating the occurrence of T. gondii (antibodies and parasite DNA) in slaughtered pigs and pig farmers in Central India. Seroprevalence was determined in 410 serum samples from slaughtered pigs and 103 sera from pig farmers using an in-house prepared antigen-based modified agglutination test (MAT), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and indirect-fluorescent antibody test (IFAT). Anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies were detected in 200 pigs (up to 48.8%, confidence interval [95% CI]: 40.4-52.2) and 44 pig farmers (up to 42.7%, 95% CI: 35.6-47.3) using MAT, ELISA, and IFAT. Inter-rater agreement showed an excellent agreement (kappa κ = 0.9) among the different serological tests suggesting similar detection potential of these tests. Recently acquired infections in all seropositive subjects were determined using IgG avidity testing and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). IgG avidity showed that 20 (10.3%) of slaughtered pigs and 8 (19.5%) pig farmers had a recently acquired infection. PCR for B1 and 529 repeats was performed in the heart tissues of slaughtered pigs and the blood cells of pig farmers. T. gondii DNA was detected in 14 (7.2%) slaughtered pigs and 5 (12.2%) pig farmers. Univariate analysis revealed that adult animals (>1 year), cats and rodents on the farm, and outdoor access are common factors (p ≤ 0.05) associated with T. gondii infection in pigs. Our results indicate that T. gondii is widely distributed in slaughtered pigs and pig farmers at risk of infection, highlighting a potential zoonotic transmission and health risk to consumers.
The analysis of means (ANOM) is a method that can compare the mean of each treatment with the overall mean. As one-way ANOVA, the conventional ANOM is not robust under unequal variances. We applied two inference procedures, single-stage and modified single-stage sampling, to solve heteroscedastic analysis of means (HANOM) under unbalanced design. Using proposed weighted average across groups, the influence of the unknown mean and variance are both eliminated. To validate the stability of HANOM under several scenarios of unequal variances and sample sizes, simulation studies of empirical type I error rate are conducted to test the quality of procedures. A real application is provided for illustrating these two procedures clearly. In addition, we build an user-friendly interface to show the results of the HANOM by using Shiny package in R software.
