Infection rate by TOXOPLASMA GONDII in free-range and broiler chickens in the states of Rio Grande do Norte and Paraíba, Brazil

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonosis caused by Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan that has a cosmopolitan geographic distribution and low specificity for intermediate hosts. Domestic chickens are among the most important hosts in toxoplasmosis epidemiology, since they are potential sources of infection for humans, in addition to indicating environmental contamination by protozoa. In this work, we studied the prevalence of T. gondii infection in chickens in different breeding systems from distinct mesoregions of Rio Grande do Norte and Paraiba States: broiler chickens from commercial farms and free-range chickens from small farms. Indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and ELISA techniques were used for detecting specific antibodies in blood samples from the birds. There were no seropositive samples among the broilers tested, indicating that intensive management limited the chances of infection for these animals. Among the free-range chickens, the frequency of IgG anti-T. gondii detected by IFAT and ELISA were 37.9% and 40.4% respectively. Among the seropositive samples by IFAT, 33 (27.1%) were positive at a dilution of 1:16; in 1:32, 31 (25.4%); in 1:64, 24 (19.7%); 15 (12.3%) in 1:128, and 19 presented titers greater than or equal to 1:256 (15.6%). The substantial concordance observed between IFAT and ELISA signifies these methods are effective methodologies for the diagnosis of avian toxoplasmosis. The high prevalence of specific antibodies among poultry in the studied region highlights the potential risk of T. gondii transmission to humans through consumption of infected meat.

Infeccoes de transmissao vertical em material abortivo e sangue com enfase em Toxoplasmose gondii / Vertical transmission from abortive material and blood with emphasis on Toxoplasma gondii

OBJETIVO: Analisar os resultados sorológicos, anatomopatológicos e parasitológicos de material abortivo para infecções com risco de transmissão vertical, com ênfase na toxoplasmose. MÉTODOS: Foi realizado um estudo coorte-transversal tratando da prevalência das doenças infectoparasitárias. Participaram da pesquisa 105 mulheres que sofreram aborto espontâneo completo e/ou incompleto; elas foram entrevistadas por meio de um questionário, e foram coletadas amostras de sangue e material abortivo. Foram realizados testes imunológicos para toxoplasmose, doença de Chagas, rubéola, citomegalovírus e sífilis e análise anatomopatológica nos restos ovulares. RESULTADOS: 55% das mulheres tinham entre 20 e 30 anos de idade. A maioria (68%) apresentou idade gestacional entre a 7ª e a 14ª semanas. 54,3% das mulheres tinham o ensino médio completo ou incompleto. Pela análise da sorologia, a infecção com risco de transmissão vertical mais frequente foi o citomegalovírus (CMV) com 97,1% de positividade, e em seguida a rubéola, com 95,2%. A toxoplasmose teve um percentual de 54,3%, a doença de Chagas, de 1,9% e a sífilis, de 0,95%. A análise dos laudos de biópsia demonstrou que 63,1% apresentaram inflamação e 34%, ausência de inflamação. Das análises sorológica, anatomopatológica e parasitológica das 105 mulheres, 57 foram soropositivas para T. gondii, e nenhuma teve resultado positivo para a Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase (PCR) e para inoculação em camundongos. CONCLUSÕES: A prevalência de doenças com risco de transmissão congênita nas mulheres com abortamento espontâneo é importante, sendo necessárias pesquisas visando esclarecer a etiologia do aborto. .

PURPOSE: To analyze the serological, anatomopathological and parasitological results obtained from abortive material in order to detect infections with the risk of vertical transmission, with emphasis on toxoplasmosis. METHODS: A cross-sectional cohort study was conducted in order to determine the prevalence of infectoparasitic diseases. A total of 105 women who suffered spontaneous complete or incomplete abortion participated in the study. The women were interviewed, answered a questionnaire and had their blood and abortive material collected. Immunological tests were carried out in order to detect toxoplasmosis, Chagas disease, rubeola, cytomegalovirus and syphilis, and anatomopathological analysis of the ovular remains was performed. RESULTS: 55% of the women studied were 20 to 30 years old. Most of them (68%) presented a gestational age between the 7th and 14th week. 54.3% of the women had complete or incomplete high school education. Serological analysis showed cytomegalovirus (CMV) as the most common vertically transmitted infection with 97.1% positivity, followed by rubeola with 95.2%. Toxoplasmosis showed 54.3% positivity, Chagas disease 1.9% and syphilis 0.95%. Anatomopathological analysis showed inflammation in 63.1% of the cases and absence of inflammation in 34%. The results of the serological, anatomopathological and parasitological analysis of the 105 participants showed that 57 women were T. gondii positive. However, none showed positivity in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or in mouse inoculation. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of diseases with the risk of vertical transmission is important in women with spontaneous abortion, indicating the need for more research in order to investigate the etiology of abortion. .

Avaliação de um folheto educativo abordamento o conhecimento sobre toxoplasmose / Evaluation of an educational handout on knowledge about toxoplasmosis

Aims: The study sought to determine the factors associated with prior knowledge about toxoplasmosis, and to assess what participants learned after reading an educational handout. Methods: Participants were recruited at two sites in California: a public meeting about water quality in Morro Bay; and at the Women Infants and Children?s Nutrition Program office or La Leche League meetings in Yolo County. Demographic differences between sites were compared using Fisher?s exact test, and change in knowledge before and after reading the handout using Mantel-Haenszel methodology. Results: Non-Hispanic white participants were more likely than those of Hispanic ethnicity (62% vs. 20%, respectively) to have prior knowledge about toxoplasmosis. The most common source of information was newspapers (36%). Only 16% had obtained information from medical professionals. After reading the handout, 85% of participants identified Toxoplasma gondii as a parasite and 98% identified cats as the source of oocysts. Ninety-eight percent of participants who read the handout were aware they could acquire infection from cat faeces, 94% from meat, 78% from soil or in utero, and 69% from unwashed vegetables. Fewer (59%) recognized all sources. Conclusions: Knowledge about Toxoplasma gondii increased in all areas evaluated, but gaps remained, particularly with regard to environmental sources of Toxoplasma gondii infection and clinical manifestations of disease. In addition to care in handling cat faeces/litter and avoidance of undercooked meat, healthcare providers counseling pregnant women should emphasize the importance of wearing gloves when gardening, hand washing after handling soil or meat, and rinsing fresh vegetables thoroughly before consumption.

Toxoplasma gondii em suínos com ênfase na contribuição brasileira: [revisão] / Toxoplasma gondii in swine with emphasis in Brazilian contribution: [review]

Objetivos: revisar a literatura nacional referente aos principais dados de estudos de toxoplasmose sobre a epidemiologia, patologia e imunologia, frequência de anticorpos e isolamento do parasito em suínos, e as literaturas nacional e internacional sobre avaliação molecular de cepas isoladas de suínos. Fonte de dados: foram pesquisadas as bases de dados Scielo, Scopus, Science Direct e Google Scholar. Síntese dos dados: a toxoplasmose em suínos apresenta alta prevalência sorológica e de identificação do parasito, por isolamento ou detecção de DNA, em grande parte do território nacional, causando problemas neurológicos, reprodutivos e econômicos e aumentando o risco de transmissão para a população humana. As principais fontes de infecção para os suínos ainda são os gatos errantes, responsáveis pela disseminação e adaptação do parasito a novos hospedeiros e condições de sobrevivência alternativas. A biologia molecular trouxe grande contribuição, não somente para a detecção em amostras de animais mortos, mas, principalmente, na elucidação do comportamento evolutivo do parasito na espécie suína. Conclusões: a toxoplasmose em suínos é um problema real tanto na criação como produção de alimentos, o que resulta em grave problema econômico e de saúde pública. Apresenta prevalência variável em suínos no mundo e alta variabilidade genotípica, principalmente na América do Sul.

Aims: To review the national literature of toxoplasmosis about epidemiology, pathology, immunology, antibody frequency and parasite isolation in swine, and the national and international literature on molecular evaluation of strains isolated from swine. Source of data: Survey was performed in Scielo, Scopus, Science Direct and Google Scholar databases. Summary of findings: Toxoplasmosis in swine presents high serological prevalence and parasite identification by isolation or DNA detection, is widely distributed in national territory, causing neurological, reproductive, and economical problems, and increases the risk of transmission to human population. Errant cats, which are the main source of infection to swine, are responsible for the dissemination and adaptation of the parasite to new hosts and alternative survival conditions. Molecular biology contributed significantly to the parasite detection in samples from dead animals and, particularly, in the elucidation of the parasite evolutional behavior in swine species. Conclusions: Toxoplasmosis in swine is a real problem in both breeding and food production, becoming a serious problem to public health. It presents a variable prevalence in swine around the world, and presents high genotypic variability, particularly in South America.