title: Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in feral raccoons (Procyon lotor) in Japan.
abstract: Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii were found in 92 (9.9%) of 929 feral raccoons ( Procyon lotor ) in Japan with the use of the latex agglutination test (LAT, 1∶64 or higher). Seropositivity varied by geographic location, season, and weight of raccoons trapped. Seroprevalences in the northern, central, and western areas of Japan were found to be 7.9% (39/492), 16.5% (47/285), and 3.9% (6/152), respectively. The seroprevalence by season varied from 8.5% (13/153) in spring to 18.9% (14/74) in winter, which was significantly higher than those in other seasons (P < 0.05). Seroprevalence of T. gondii was elevated in accordance with the increase in body weight of raccoons ( r(s)  =  0.9), suggesting that the animals acquired the infection postnatally. The results suggest that the raccoon may serve as a useful indicator for the distribution of T. gondii in peridomestic environments in Japan.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan.
authors.forename: Shingo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kabeya
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Makino
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asano
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sentsui
authors.forename: Sadao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nogami
authors.forename: Soichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maruyama
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D001835:Body Weight; D002415:Cats; D005260:Female; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D007841:Latex Fixation Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D011821:Raccoons / Q000469:parasitology*; D012621:Seasons; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan