scholarly journals Epidemiological Survey of Toxoplasma gondii and Associated Risk Factors in Ruminant Species of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Abid Ali ◽  
Talha Omer ◽  
Asad Ullah ◽  
Abdul Haleem ◽  
Maryam Naseem ◽  
...  

Toxoplasma infection is one of the most common human parasitic diseases. During 2018-2020, in the rural areas of three districts of Pakistan, we surveyed a total of 451 animals, belonging to different asymptomatic ruminant species, to determine the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies. We used ELISA assay as well as recorded some associated risk factors contributing to its transmission. IgM antibodies were detected in 17% and IgG in 13.4% of ruminant samples with the highest percentage, 10% for IgM and 8.6% for IgG in sheep. A strong significant association was found between antibodies and different species (IgM, χ 2 = 29 .280, P = .000 , and IgG, χ 2 = 22.580 , P = .000 ), respectively. Infection with T. gondii seems mainly associated with different geographic features and the presence of cats in the environment, low hygiene water systems and livestock that are mostly dependent on outdoor drinking and grazing. There was no significant association between IgM and age grouping ( χ 2 = 6.660 , P = 0.840 nor for IgG ( χ 2 = 8.136 , P = 0.43 ). The results of this study may be considered the starting point to promote the awareness about parasitic infections in ruminants in Pakistan in order to prevent this infection from further spreading.

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (01) ◽  
pp. 26-35
Author(s):  
Dhiren Subba Limbu ◽  
Samana Shrestha ◽  
Kamana Bantawa ◽  
Ramesh Majhi ◽  
Milan Kharel

 Intestinal parasitic infections have been a major public health burden of developing countries, especially in children. Higher prevalence has been reported among school children, mostly in rural areas of Nepal where water, toilets, hygiene, and sanitation facilities are insufficient. This cross-sectional study was carried out from April to September 2019 to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among school-going children1-5 years of Dharan, Nepal, and to assess the associated risk factors. Stool samples were collected in a clean, dry, screw-capped, and wide-mouthed plastic container, kept in an icebox, and transported to the laboratory. Data relating to different risk factors were collected from the parents of 116 participants using a structured questionnaire. The parasites were identified by using the direct wet mount method and formal-ether concentration method. Pearson’s chi-square test was carried out to establish associations between dependent and independent variables using SPSS version 20, and the test considered a greater than < 0.05% as statistically significant with a 95% confidence level. Out of the 116 stool samples, 9 (7.75%) tested positive for the parasitic infections in which 5 (55.5%) were protozoa and 4 (44.45%) were helminths. The prevalent parasites, were Entamoeba histolytica (23%), Hyamenolepis nana (22%), Giardia lamblia (11%), Hookworm (11%), Entamoeba coli (11%), Ascaris lumbricoides (11%), and Intestinal parasitic infections had a significant association with drinking water, bowel syndrome, bathing habit, toilet facility, and washing hands after toilets (p<0.05). Lack of toilets, poor hygiene, and unsafe drinking water were the main risk factors. Improved hygienic practices, safe drinking water, and the use of latrines could lower the rate of parasitic infections.


Author(s):  
Julio César Castillo-Cuenca ◽  
Álvaro Martínez-Moreno ◽  
José Manuel Diaz-Cao ◽  
Angel Entrena-García ◽  
Jorge Fraga ◽  
...  

AbstractA 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 assay. Anti-T. gondii antibodies were detected in 56 animals (13.3%, 95% CI: 10.1–16.6). A generalized estimating equations model revealed that the risk factors associated with higher seropositivity in pigs were altitude (higher in farm’s location < 250 m above sea level (masl) versus ≥ 250 masl) and age (higher in sows compared to post-weaning pigs). The results indicated that this protozoan parasite is widely distributed on pig farms in the study area, which is a public health concern since the consumption of raw or undercooked pork meat products containing tissue cysts is considered one of the main routes of T. gondii transmission worldwide. Control measures should be implemented to reduce the risk of exposure to T. gondii in pigs in Cuba.


1999 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 483-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
María de la Luz Galván Ramírez ◽  
Guillermo Sánchez Vargas ◽  
Marcos Vielma Sandoval ◽  
Juan Luis Soto Mancilla

Cats are the definitive hosts of Toxoplasma gondii. Infected cats excrete oocysts in their feces, infecting humans and other animals. The objective of the present study was to determine the presence of anti-Toxoplasma antibodies in cat owners and their pets, and determine if there was a relationship between Toxoplasma infection and humans who live with infected cats. IgG anti-Toxoplasma antibodies in sera of 59 cat owners were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), in 24 sera from their cats, IgG, IgM, and IgA antibodies were found using Burney's ELISA. Thirty-eight (64%) of 59 cat owners were positive to IgG anti-Toxoplasma. Seropositivity for cats was 70.8% IgG, 8.3% IgM, and 62.5% IgA. Cohabitation with cats infected by T. gondii, feeding with leftovers or raw viscera, and lack of control over how their feces were handled are risk factors conducive for humans to become infected by T. gondii.


2010 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 152-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piassa Franciele Rossandra ◽  
Jacqueline Baptista de Araújo ◽  
Ronaldo César da Rosa ◽  
Rodrigo José Mattei ◽  
Rodrigo Costa da Silva ◽  
...  

Toxoplasma gondii infection has been diagnosed in pigs all over the world. Economical losses are generally related to reproductive disorders. Toxoplasma infection is also a matter of public health because tissue cysts of the parasite may remain in pork and pork products, and become sources of human infection. The objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency and risk factors associated with Toxoplasma infection in certified and non-certified pig breeding farms in the Toledo microregion, in the State of Paraná, Brazil which includes the cities of Toledo, Nova Santa Rosa, Sao José das Palmeiras and Sao Pedro do Iguaçu. Relative frequency of infection was 13.4%, independently of the type of farm. Logistic regression analysis showed that the following factors were associated with infection: absence of workers exclusive for each area of the farm, access of other animals to feeders and drinkers, lack of lids in drinkers, lack of rodent control measures, mean piglet number and weight at weaning per female.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e00080
Author(s):  
Gabriela Capriogli Oliveira ◽  
Henrique Meiroz de Souza Almeida ◽  
Raissa Saran Sartori ◽  
Gabriel Augusto Marques Rossi ◽  
Luis Guilherme de Oliveira ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Kefale Shiferaw ◽  
Teklemichael Tesfay ◽  
Girmay Kalayu ◽  
Gebrehiwot Kiros

This study was aimed to assess the prevalence and associated risk factors of intestinal parasitic infections in grade school children in Maksegnit, Northwest Ethiopia. Five species of intestinal parasites were identified with an overall prevalence of 155 (40.4%). Among these, Ascaris lumbricoides 122 (31.8%) and Entamoeba histolytica 18 (4.7%) were predominant. Of the total 155 (40.4%) positive individuals, 149 (39%) had a single infection and the rest 6 (1.6%) had double parasitic infections. Of the different variables assessed, age, gender, shoe wearing, and eating raw or undercooked vegetables were not significantly associated with the prevalence of intestinal parasites ( P > 0.05 ). However, a statistically significant association ( P < 0.05 ) was observed between infected children and variables including defecation habit (AOR = 0.216), cleanliness of fingernails (AOR = 0.146), drinking river water (AOR = 0.124), and hand washing habit after defecation (AOR = 0.236) ( P < 0.05 ). Regular deworming, education on personal hygiene, and environmental sanitation to both students and their parents shall be implemented to reduce the prevalence rate of intestinal parasitic infections in the study area.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabrice Carrat ◽  
Mathilde Touvier ◽  
Gianluca Severi ◽  
Laurence Meyer ◽  
Florence Jusot ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Our main objectives were to estimate the incidence of illnesses presumably caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection during the lockdown period and to identify the associated risk factors.Methods Participants from 3 adult cohorts in the general population in France were invited to participate in a survey on COVID-19. The main outcome was possible COVID-19, defined as a sudden onset of cough, fever, dyspnea, ageusia and/or anosmia, that lasted more than 3 days and occurred during the 17 days before the survey. We used delayed-entry Cox models to identify associated factors.Results Between April 2, 2020 and May 12, 2020, 279,478 participants were invited, 116,903 validated the questionnaire and 106,848 were included in the analysis. Three thousand thirty-five cases of possible COVID-19 were reported during 62,099 person-months of follow-up. The cumulative incidences of possible COVID-19 were 6.2% (95% Confidence Interval (95%CI): 5.7%; 6.6%) on day 15 and 8.8% (95%CI 8.3%; 9.2%) on day 45 of lockdown. The risk of possible COVID-19 was lower in older age groups and higher in French regions with a high prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection, in participants living in cities >100,000 inhabitants (vs rural areas), when at least one child or adolescent was living in the same household, in overweight or obese people, and in people with chronic respiratory diseases, anxiety or depression or chronic diseases other than diabetes, cancer, hypertension or cardiovascular diseases. Conclusion The incidence of possible COVID-19 in the general population remained high during the first two weeks of lockdown, and decreased significantly thereafter. Modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors were identified.


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