title: Seroepidemiology and risk assessment of Toxoplasma gondii infection in captive wild birds and mammals in two zoos in the North of Portugal.
abstract: Toxoplasmosis, caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, is one of the most widespread zoonoses in the world. It can affect most warm-blooded animals but only felids are its definitive hosts. We determined seroprevalence and associated risk factors in birds and mammals kept in two zoological parks in northern Portugal. Sera from 77 birds and 42 mammals were assayed for the presence of T. gondii antibodies by the modified agglutination test (MAT, cut-off titre 20); 34.5% (41/119) were seropositive. All seropositive animals were apparently healthy except one seropostive mandarin (Aix galericulata) which had chorioretinitis. This is the first report on T. gondii seroprevalence in wild animals in captivity in Portugal. The present findings indicate a widespread exposure of zoo animals in Portugal to T. gondii.
authors.affiliation: University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tidy
authors.affiliation: University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fangueiro
authors.affiliation: Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA.
authors.forename: Jitender P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Dubey
authors.affiliation: University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal; Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal.
authors.forename: Luís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.affiliation: University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal; Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal. Electronic address: aplopes@utad.pt.
authors.forename: Ana Patrícia
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Lopes
mesh_terms: D000372:Agglutination Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo / Q000469:parasitology*; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D001717:Birds; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008322:Mammals / Q000469:parasitology*; D011174:Portugal / Q000453:epidemiology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D015047:Zoonoses
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan
keywords: Birds; Mammals; Modified agglutination test; Portugal; Toxoplasma gondii; Zoological parks