title: Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in cats from Colombo, Sri Lanka.
abstract: Cats are essential in the life cycle of Toxoplasma gondii because they are the only hosts that can excrete the environmentally resistant oocysts in nature. Nothing is known of the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in cats from Sri Lanka. Serum samples from 86 cats from Colombo, Sri Lanka, were tested for antibodies to T. gondii using the modified agglutination test; antibodies were found in 26 (30.2%) cats with titers of 1:25 in 4, 1:50 in 4, 1:100 in 3, 1:400 in 2, 1:800 in 3, 1:1,600 in 4, and 1:3,200 or higher in 6 cats. Seropositivity increased with age and was higher in stray cats versus pet cats. This is the first report of seroprevalence of T. gondii in cats from Sri Lanka.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Kulasena
authors.forename: R P V J
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Rajapakse
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Dubey
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Dayawansa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Premawansa
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D002415:Cats; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013188:Sri Lanka / Q000453:epidemiology; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan