title: Prevalence of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii and intestinal parasites in stray, farm and household cats in Spain.
abstract: Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii was tested for in 585 cats in different regions of Spain. Sera were tested by the indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT). Specific antitoxoplasma IgG (IFAT titer>or=1/80) were found in 189 of 585 (32.3%): 117 of 317 (36.9%) stray cats, 16 of 48 (33.3%) farm cats and 56 of 220 (25.5%) household cats. The overall prevalence was significantly higher in stray groups (36.4% of 365) than in household cats (25.5% of 220), higher in adult cats (>6 months old, 36.8% of 443) than in juvenile cats (<6 months old, 13.9% of 101), and higher in male stray cats (45.3% of 128) than in female stray cats (32% of 153). Prevalence of intestinal parasites was also analysed by a routine coprological method in 382 of the 585 cats. Intestinal parasites were found in 107 faecal samples (28%): 76 of 231 (32.9%) stray cats, 14 of 48 (29.2%) farm cats and 17 of 103 (16.5%) household cats. T. gondii oocysts were not found in any faecal samples analysed. The following prevalences of other intestinal parasites were found: Toxocara cati (18.3%), Toxascaris leonina (1.3%), Ancylostoma sp. (1%), Capillaria spp. (1.3%), Aelurostrongylus abstrusus (1%), Taenia like (3.7%), Dipylidium caninum (2.6%) and Cystoisospora spp. (6.3%).
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Avda. Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain. gmiro@vet.ucm.es
authors.forename: Guadalupe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Miró
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Montoya
authors.forename: Santos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jiménez
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Frisuelos
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mateo
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fuentes
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D000835:Animals, Wild; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002415:Cats; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D010270:Parasite Egg Count / Q000662:veterinary; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan