title: Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence in dairy and beef cattle: Large-scale epidemiological study in Estonia.
abstract: Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic protozoan parasite that thrives in Estonia. In this nationwide cross-sectional study, we tested sera from 3991 cattle, collected from 228 farms in 2012-2013, for anti-T. gondii immunoglobulin G antibodies using a commercial direct agglutination test. Titer of 100 was set as cut-off: samples that tested positive at the dilution 1:100 were defined as positive. The apparent animal-level seroprevalence was 18.62%. At least one seropositive animal was found on 68.86% of the farms, and seropositive cattle were detected in all counties. The seroprevalence appeared to increase with age until five years (60-71 months) of age, but had no obvious pattern in the older animals. Animals of the local Estonian Red breed had higher odds to test seropositive than did animals of the Estonian Holstein breed. Whether the farm focused on dairy or beef cattle was not associated with an animal testing T. gondii seropositive nor with finding at least one T. gondii seropositive animal on the farm. The odds of finding at least one T. gondii seropositive animal on the farm were higher if the herd size was above median (105 in dairy and mixed dairy farms; 35 in beef and mixed beef farms). The results indicate that T. gondii is endemic within the agricultural setting in Estonia and present on the majority of cattle farms.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 62, 51014 Tartu, Estonia; University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 66, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, 2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark. Electronic address: pikka.jokelainen@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Pikka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jokelainen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 62, 51014 Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Maarja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tagel
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 62, 51014 Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Kerli
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mõtus
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 62, 51014 Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Arvo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Viltrop
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 62, 51014 Tartu, Estonia; Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Grønnegårdsvej 15, Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lassen
mesh_terms: D000372:Agglutination Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003612:Dairying; D004957:Estonia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology
keywords: Beef; Bovine; Dairy; Estonia; Serology; Toxoplasmosis; Zoonosis