title: Cats and Toxoplasma gondii: A systematic review and meta-analysis in Iran.
abstract: Toxoplasma gondii is a cosmopolitan zoonotic intracellular coccidian of the phylum Apicomplexa infecting warm-blooded animals and human beings. This protozoan causes a significant public health problem in humans and imposes considerable economic losses and damages to husbandry industries. The final host, cats, accounts for all of these significant burdens. Hence the present study was designed to analyse and review the overall prevalence rate of T. gondii infection in cats in Iran for the first time. In the present study data collection (published and unpublished papers, abstracts of proceedings of national parasitology congresses and dissertations) was systematically undertaken on electronic databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, Ebsco, Science Direct, Scopus, Magiran, Irandoc, IranMedex and Scientific Information Database. A total of 21 studies from 1975 to 2013 reporting prevalence of Toxoplasma infection in cats from different areas in Iran met the eligibility criteria. The pooled proportion of toxoplasmosis using the random-effect model amongst cats was estimated at 33.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 22.05-46.41). The prevalence rate of cat toxoplasmosis in various regions of Iran ranged from 1.2% to 89.2%. Firstly, this study establishes a crude prevalence rate of T. gondii infection in cats. Secondly, it discusses the role of significant risk factors including sex, age and being either household or stray cats, in the epidemiology of the disease. Furthermore, the current study determines gaps and drawbacks in the prior studies that are useful to keep in mind to assist in designing more accurate investigations in future.
authors.affiliation: Toxoplasmosis Research Centre, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari; Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Sari Medical School, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari. rahimimt@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mohammad T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Rahimi
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Daryani
authors.forename: Shahabeddin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sarvi
authors.forename: Azar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shokri
authors.forename: Ehsan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ahmadpour
authors.forename: Saeed H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Teshnizi
authors.forename: Azade
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mizani
authors.forename: Mahdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sharif
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D002415:Cats; D007492:Iran; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology