Prevalence of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in Hungarian red foxes (Vulpes vulpes).
In the present study we have investigated the seroprevalence to the protozoan parasites Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in 337 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from 16 out of 19 counties in Hungary. The foxes were originally collected within a National vaccination program against rabies. Antibodies to T. gondii were detected in as many as 228 (68%) of the foxes using a commercial direct agglutination test (DAT). In an indirect iscom ELISA, five foxes (1.5%) were positive for antibodies against N. caninum. The high prevalence of foxes positive for T. gondii might be explained by the widespread occurrence of the parasite in the diet of foxes. As a contrast, latent infections of N. caninum among red foxes in Hungary are much less common.
Jakubek
Eva-Britt
EB
Department of Parasitology (SWEPAR), National Veterinary Institute, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-751 89 Uppsala, Sweden.
Farkas
Robert
R
Pálfi
Vilmos
V
Mattsson
Jens G
JG
D000372:Agglutination Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000469:parasitology; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000662:veterinary; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D005589:Foxes / Q000469:parasitology*; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D018688:Neospora / Q000276:immunology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology*
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan