Seroprevalence and risk factors for Toxoplasma gondii infection in domestic cats in The Netherlands

Prev Vet Med. 2012 May 1;104(3-4):317-26. doi: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2012.01.003. Epub 2012 Feb 2.

Abstract

Cats, as definitive hosts, play an important role in the transmission of Toxoplasma gondii. To determine the seroprevalence and risk factors for T. gondii infection in Dutch domestic cats, serum samples of 450 cats were tested for T. gondii antibodies by indirect ELISA. Binary mixture analysis was used to estimate the seroprevalence, the optimal cut-off value and the probability of being positive for each cat. The seroprevalence was estimated at 18.2% (95% CI: 16.6-20.0%) and showed a decrease with age in very young cats, an increase up to about 4 years old and ranged between 20 and 30% thereafter. Hunting (OR 4.1), presence of a dog in the household (OR 2.1), former stray cat (OR 3.3) and feeding of raw meat (OR 2.7) were identified as risk factors by multivariable logistic regression analysis. Prevalence differences were estimated by linear regression on the probabilities of being positive and used to calculate the population attributable fractions for each risk factor. Hunting contributed most to the T. gondii seroprevalence in the sampled population (35%).

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Protozoan / blood
  • Cat Diseases / blood
  • Cat Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Cat Diseases / parasitology
  • Cats
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Netherlands / epidemiology
  • Risk Factors
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Toxoplasma / immunology
  • Toxoplasma / isolation & purification
  • Toxoplasmosis, Animal / epidemiology*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Protozoan