title: Toxoplasma gondii infection in pork produced in France.
abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the seroprevalence of the Toxoplasma gondii parasite in pork produced in France, and to determine infection risk factors. An innovative survey was designed based on annual numbers of slaughtered pigs from intensive and outdoor farms in France. A total of 1549 samples of cardiac fluids were collected from pig hearts to determine seroprevalence using a Modified Agglutination Test. Of those, 160 hearts were bio-assayed in mice to isolate live parasites. The overall seroprevalence among fattening pigs was 2·9%. The adjusted seroprevalence in pigs from intensive farms was 3·0%; the highest in sows (13·4%); 2·9% in fattening pigs and 2·6% in piglets. Adjusted seroprevalence in fattening animals from outdoor farms was 6·3%. Strains were isolated from 41 animals and all were genotyped by Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism as type II. Risk-factor analysis showed that the risk of infection was more than three times higher for outdoor pigs, and that sows' risk was almost five times higher than that of fattening animals. This study provides further evidence of extensive pork infection with T. gondii regardless of breeding systems, indicating that farm conditions are still insufficient to guarantee 'Toxoplasma-free pork'.
authors.affiliation: Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort,ANSES,INRA,Université Paris-Est,Laboratoire de santé animale de Maisons-Alfort,UMR BIPAR,Maisons-Alfort,France.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Djokic
authors.affiliation: Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort,ANSES,INRA,Université Paris-Est,Laboratoire de santé animale de Maisons-Alfort,UMR BIPAR,Maisons-Alfort,France.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Blaga
authors.affiliation: Université Reims Champagne-Ardenne,Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie,EA 3800,SFR CAP-SANTE,Centre National de Référence de la Toxoplasmose,Centre de Ressources Biologiques Toxoplasma,Hôpital Maison Blanche,Reims,France.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Aubert
authors.affiliation: ANSES,Université Paris-Est,Laboratoire de santé animale de Maisons-Alfort,Epidemiology Unit,Maisons-Alfort,France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Durand
authors.affiliation: ANSES,Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort,INRA,Université Paris-Est,Laboratoire de santé animale de Maisons-Alfort,UMR BIPAR,Maisons-Alfort,France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Perret
authors.affiliation: Université Reims Champagne-Ardenne,Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie,EA 3800,SFR CAP-SANTE,Centre National de Référence de la Toxoplasmose,Centre de Ressources Biologiques Toxoplasma,Hôpital Maison Blanche,Reims,France.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Geers
authors.affiliation: ANSES,Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort,INRA,Université Paris-Est,Laboratoire de santé animale de Maisons-Alfort,UMR BIPAR,Maisons-Alfort,France.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ducry
authors.affiliation: ANSES,Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort,INRA,Université Paris-Est,Laboratoire de santé animale de Maisons-Alfort,UMR BIPAR,Maisons-Alfort,France.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vallee
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Research,National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis,University of Belgrade,Dr. Subotića 4,P.O. Box 102,Belgrade 11129,Serbia.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Djurkovic Djakovic
authors.affiliation: Université Reims Champagne-Ardenne,Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie,EA 3800,SFR CAP-SANTE,Centre National de Référence de la Toxoplasmose,Centre de Ressources Biologiques Toxoplasma,Hôpital Maison Blanche,Reims,France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mzabi
authors.affiliation: Université Reims Champagne-Ardenne,Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie,EA 3800,SFR CAP-SANTE,Centre National de Référence de la Toxoplasmose,Centre de Ressources Biologiques Toxoplasma,Hôpital Maison Blanche,Reims,France.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Villena
authors.affiliation: ANSES,Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort,INRA,Université Paris-Est,Laboratoire de santé animale de Maisons-Alfort,UMR BIPAR,Maisons-Alfort,France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boireau
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D001947:Breeding / Q000379:methods; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D008460:Meat / Q000469:parasitology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan
keywords: Toxoplasma gondii; intensive farms; outdoor farms; parasite isolation; pork; seroprevalence