title: Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in pet dogs in Lanzhou, Northwest China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In recent years, surveys of Toxoplasma gondii infection in dogs have been reported worldwide, including China. However, little is known about the prevalence of T. gondii in pet dogs in Northwest China. In the present study, the prevalence of T. gondii in pet dogs in Lanzhou, China was investigated using the modified agglutination test (MAT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this survey, antibodies to T. gondii were found in 28 of 259 (10.81%) pet dogs, with MAT titers of 1:20 in 14 dogs, 1:40 in nine, 1:80 in four, and 1:160 or higher in one dog. The prevalence ranged from 6.67% to 16.67% among dogs of different ages, with low rates in young pet dogs, and high rates in older pet dogs. The seroprevalence in dogs >3 years old was higher than that in dogs ≤1 years old, but the difference was not statistically significant (P >0.05). The seroprevalence in male dogs was 12.50% (17 of 136), and in female dogs it was 8.94% (11 of 123), but the difference was not statistically significant (P >0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A high prevalence of T. gondii infection was found in pet dogs in Lanzhou, Northwest China, which has implications for public health in this region. In order to reduce the risk of exposure to T. gondii, further measures and essential control strategies should be carried out rationally in this region.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, CAAS, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, PR China.
authors.forename: Song-Ming
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Si-Yang
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Bao-Quan
authors.initials: BQ
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Guang-Yuan
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jia-Xu
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Mu-Xin
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zi-Guo
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Dong-Hui
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Ya-Biao
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.forename: Xing-Quan
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: De-He
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Ye
mesh_terms: D000372:Agglutination Tests; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D002681:China; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D057805:Pets; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan