Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii Measured by Western Blot, ELISA and DNA Analysis, by PCR, in Cats of Western Mexico

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is the causative agent of toxoplasmosis in humans and animals. The sexual reproductive cycle of Toxoplasma takes place in the small intestine of felines, the definitive hosts. In the final part of the sexual cycle, T. gondii forms oocysts in infected cats. Oocysts transferred via the faeces to the environment are highly infectious to both animals and humans. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with T. gondii infection in cats from the metropolitan region of Guadalajara in western Mexico. Western blotting and ELISA for anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies was performed, and Toxoplasma DNA was identified using polymerase chain reaction. Prevalence of anti-T. gondii antibodies was 14.8% (44/297), and only 2/297 cases were positive for PCR. Cats older than one year were at an increased risk of infection (OR = 3.9, 95% CI 1.844–8.362). Sex, raw meat feeding, hunting habits, vaccination status, and body condition were not associated with positivity. The prevalence of T. gondii infection determined with Western blot in cats in the metropolitan area of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, was lower than that reported in previous studies.