title: Seroprevalence ofToxoplasma gondiiinfection in domestic dogs in an area from northwest of Iran: a cross-sectional study using immunodominant surface antigen 1 (SAG1).
abstract: Toxoplasma gondiiis an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that infects humans and animals.T. gondiisurface antigen 1 (SAG1) is an appropriate antigen with high specificity and sensitivity for the detection ofT. gondiiinfection in humans and animal hosts. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence ofT. gondiiinfection using SAG1 antigen (P30) in ownership dogs in Meshkin-Shahr district in the northwestern Iran. The sera samples were collected from 171 domestic dogs and tested using indirect ELISA (SAG1 antigen). The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 13. From a total of 171 dogs, 82 (48 %) of them were sero-positive. No statistical significant difference was seen betweenT. gondiiinfection and gender (P= 0.995). The highest sero-prevalence of rate was observed in >5 years animals; but no statistical significant difference was seen betweenT. gondiiinfection and age (P= 0.589). Our findings indicate thatToxoplasmaseropositivity rate is high in ownership dogs in northwest of Iran. This is probably due to high exposure to contaminated food, soil, or water sources with sporulatedToxoplasmaoocysts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box: 14155-6446, Tehran, Iran ; Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sharifdini
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box: 14155-6446, Tehran, Iran ; Research Center for Zoonoses, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohebali
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box: 14155-6446, Tehran, Iran ; Research Center for Endemic Parasites of Iran, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Keshavarz
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute of Zoonotic Diseases, University of Shahrekord, Shahrekord, Iran.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hosseininejad
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box: 14155-6446, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hajjaran
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box: 14155-6446, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Akhoundi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rahimi Foroushani
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box: 14155-6446, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zarei
keywords: Dogs; ELISA; Iran; Seroprevalence; Toxoplasma gondii