title: Seroprevalence and risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infection in stray dogs in northern China.
abstract: Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic protozoan of almost all species of mammals and birds. However, no information is available about seroprevalence of the pathogen in stray dogs in seven cities from Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Liaoning province, China. Using the indirect hemagglutination antibody (IHA) test with a cutoff titer of 1:64, 129 (14.05 %) out of 918 stray dogs were surveyed to be T. gondii seropositive. Analysis of the risk factor showed that there was no statistical difference of seroprevalence of T. gondii between males (13.46 %) and females (14.54 %) (P > 0.05). The seropositive rates of T. gondii infection in stray dogs among the seven cities in northern China were significant statistically different (P = 0.005). Moreover, seroprevalence of T. gondii in dogs were varied from 11.01 % (95 % CI 6.94-15.09) to 16.86 % (95 % CI 12.27-21.46) among different age groups, and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.03). More importantly, T. gondii seropositive in stray dogs has a declining tendence from 2011 to 2015 (P = 0.004). The results of the present study showed that stray dogs in Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Liaoning province, China are exposed to T. gondii, for the first time, and could also provide a foundation data for prevent and control T. gondii infection in dogs, other animals and humans.
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin Province, 130118, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Xuan
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin Province, 130118, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ya-Nan
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin Province, 130118, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chun-Feng
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Shuangyang, Jilin Province, 130600, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: College of Agriculture, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin Province, 133002, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ying-Tian
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin Province, 130118, People's Republic of China. yangguilian@jlau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Gui-Lian
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin Province, 130118, People's Republic of China. zhaoquan0825@163.com.
authors.forename: Quan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D002947:Cities; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan
keywords: Indirect hemagglutination antibody (IHA) test; Northern China; Seroprevalence; Stray dogs; Toxoplasma gondii