Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence in beef cattle raised in Italy: a multicenter study.

Toxoplasmosis represents an important public health issue, with the consumption of raw or undercooked meat being a major way of human infection. The role of beef in the transmission of the parasite to humans is questioned due to lower quantity of tissue cysts compared with other meat-producing species. However, the habit of consuming raw beef is regionally diffused, and the risk posed by Toxoplasma gondii infection in cattle should not be overlooked. Therefore, to update information on T. gondii in cattle reared in Italy, a multicentric seroepidemiological survey was designed and implemented in four Northern regions (Liguria, Lombardy, Piedmont, and Trentino Alto Adige) and Sardinia. Overall, a convenience sampling was performed, collecting 1444 serum samples from 57 beef cattle herds. Thirteen beef breeds were sampled, besides cross-breed; bovines age varied from 3 months to over 12 years. Sera were tested with a commercial ELISA for the detection of anti-T. gondii antibodies. Individual and herd data were analyzed by binary logistic regression analysis. A T. gondii seroprevalence of 10.2% was recorded, with differences among regions and values ranging from 5.3% in Liguria to 18.6% in the Piedmont region (p value = 0.0001). Both young and adult animals and males and females tested positive, without any significant difference (age and gender: p value > 0.05). Lower seroprevalence values were recorded in cattle born in Italy (8.7%) if compared with animals imported from abroad (13.4%) (p value = 0.046). The spread of T. gondii in beef cattle destined to Italian consumers is confirmed, suggesting the need of continuous monitoring of the infection.

Besnoitia besnoiti among cattle in insular and northwestern Italy: endemic infection or isolated outbreaks?

BACKGROUND: Bovine besnoitiosis, caused by the apicomplexan Besnoitia besnoiti, is a chronic and debilitating disease considered as emerging in Europe. In Spain, Portugal and France it is endemic and foci of infection were recorded in Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, Greece and Italy. In Italy, cases of bovine besnoitiosis were registered both in imported and autochthonous cattle, and mostly in central regions; high seroprevalence was also revealed by an epidemiological survey performed in the southern part of the country. Aiming to update information on the disease in northwestern and insular areas of Italy, where data on bovine besnoitiosis were missing, a serosurvey was designed for the present study. METHODS: Three thousand one hundred and forty bovine blood samples from both dairy and beef farms (n = 126) were collected in northwestern regions (Lombardy, Piedmont and Liguria) and in the island of Sardinia. Samples were analyzed by a standardized in-house ELISA and those resulted positive were re-tested by Western Blot (WB) for confirmation. On results obtained by both ELISA and WB, apparent (AP) and true prevalence (TP) were calculated at individual and herd levels. Further, a panel of sera resulted positive to ELISA was analyzed by IFAT. RESULTS: A total of 712 animals (AP = 22.7%; TP = 18.8%) and 109 farms (AP = 86.5%; TP = 88.2%) showed a positive reaction in ELISA. Only ten (AP = 0.3%; TP = 0%) specimens proceeding from five farms (AP = 3.9%; TP = 1.7%) from Lombardy were confirmed positive to the WB, corresponding to two Holstein Friesian cows and eight beef cattle. IFAT showed a low sensitivity (44.4%) scoring positive in only four samples out of 9 positive to WB. CONCLUSIONS: The survey demonstrated that bovine besnoitiosis cannot still be considered endemic in whole Italy. In fact, independent foci of infection were registered only in Lombardy region. Therefore, a sanitary strategy aimed to increase control measures and to organize monitoring plans, by adequate diagnostic tools is necessary to avoid overestimation of B. besnoiti in Italy.