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AuthorBoughattas, Sonia
AuthorBehnke, Jerzy
AuthorSharma, Aarti
AuthorAbu-Madi, Marawan
Available date2017-02-13T10:28:30Z
Publication Date2017-01-18
Publication NameBMC Veterinary Research
Identifierhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12917-017-0952-4
CitationBoughattas, S., Behnke, J., Sharma, A. and Abu-Madi, M. (2017) “Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in feral cats in Qatar” BMC Veterinary Research, 13 (26)
ISSN1746-6148
URIhttp://hdl.handle.net/10576/5250
AbstractBackground: Cats are essential in the life cycle of Toxoplasma gondii as they can shed the environmentally resistant oocysts after acquiring infection. Human populations living in cities with high densities of feral cats are therefore likely to be at risk of infection. The current study is the first to estimate the seroprevalence of T. gondii in the feral cat population in Qatar. We investigated the seroprevalence of T. gondii among 495 adult cats from urban and suburban districts in Qatar. Using results from the Modified Agglutination Test, we fitted statistical models with host sex, area and season as explanatory factors and seropositivity as the outcome. Results: The analysis revealed an overall seroprevalence of 82%. Seroprevalence was significantly higher in the summer season (P = 0.006). No significant difference was detected (P > 0.05) between seroprevalence in female and male cats and in cats from urban and suburban districts of Qatar. Conclusions: Despite the seasonal difference, the observed seroprevalence of T. gondii suggests high environmental contamination throughout the year, with some female cats generating more intense responses compared to males. Both findings merit further investigations.
SponsorNPRP grant number NPRP 4-164-4-001 from Qatar National Research Fund
Languageen
PublisherBioMed Central
SubjectSerosurvey
Antibodies
Toxoplasmosis
Felids
Middle East
Season
Sex
TitleSeroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in feral cats in Qatar
TypeArticle
Issue Number26
Volume Number13
dc.accessType Open Access


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