First report of Toxoplasma gondii infection in market-sold adult chickens, ducks and pigeons in northwest China.
BACKGROUND
Toxoplasma gondii infection is a global concern, affecting a wide range of warm-blooded animals and humans worldwide, including poultry. Domestic and companion birds are considered to play an important role in the transmission of T. gondii to humans and other animals. However, little information on T. gondii infection in domestic birds in Lanzhou, northwest China was available. Therefore, this study was performed to determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in domestic birds in Lanzhou, northwest China.


METHODS
In the present study, the seroprevalence of T. gondii antibodies in 413 (305 caged and 108 free-range) adult chickens, 334 (111 caged and 223 free-range) adult ducks and 312 adult pigeons in Lanzhou, northwest China, were examined using the modified agglutination test (MAT).


RESULTS
30 (7.26%) chickens, 38 (11.38%) ducks and 37 (11.86%) pigeons were found to be positive for T. gondii antibodies at the cut-off of 1:5. The prevalences in caged and free-range chickens were 6.23% and 10.19% respectively, however, statistical analysis showed that the difference was not significant (P > 0.05). The seroprevalences in caged and free-range ducks were 6.31% and 13.90% respectively, but the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of the present survey indicated the presence of T. gondii infection in adult chickens, ducks and pigeons sold for meat in poultry markets in Lanzhou, northwest China, which poses a potential risk for T. gondii infection in humans and other animals in this region. This is the first seroprevalence study of T. gondii infection in domestic birds in this region.
State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, People's Republic of China.
Wei
W
Cong
Si-Yang
SY
Huang
Dong-Hui
DH
Zhou
Min-Jun
MJ
Xu
Song-Ming
SM
Wu
Chao
C
Yan
Quan
Q
Zhao
Hui-Qun
HQ
Song
Xing-Quan
XQ
Zhu
D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D002645:Chickens; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D010856:Columbidae; D003132:Commerce; D004372:Ducks; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology*
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan