title: Seroprevalence and Risk Factors of Toxoplasma gondii in Slaughter Pigs in Shaanxi Province, Northwestern China.
abstract: Toxoplasma gondii is an important food-borne zoonotic protozoan parasite, which can infect endothermic animals, including pigs. However, data on T. gondii in slaughter pigs in Shaanxi Province were still lacking. To detect the seroprevalence and analyze the risk factors of T. gondii infection in slaughter pigs in Shaanxi Province, Northwestern China, a total of 784 serum samples were collected from four administrative regions and detected by indirect hemagglutination test for T. gondii infection. Antibodies to T. gondii were found in 19.9% (156/784) slaughter pigs. Moreover, the seropositive rate was different among rearing systems (31% in nonintensive pig farms and 6.7% in intensive pig farms), genders (19.8% in male and 20.0% in female), and regions (ranging from 6.7% in Shenmu to 38.2% in Zhouzhi). Rearing system and region were identified as risk factors for T. gondii infection. These results showed that T. gondii is highly prevalent in slaughter pigs in Shaanxi Province, and it could cause a serious risk to public health. This study provided fundamental information for the prevention and control of T. gondii infection in slaughter pigs in China.
authors.affiliation: 1 College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University , Yangling, People's Republic of China .|2 State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University , Xining, People's Republic of China .
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: 1 College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University , Yangling, People's Republic of China .
authors.forename: Ya-Lin
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: 1 College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University , Yangling, People's Republic of China .
authors.forename: Zhao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: 2 State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University , Xining, People's Republic of China .|3 College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University , Xining, People's Republic of China .
authors.forename: Xi-Lai
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: 2 State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University , Xining, People's Republic of China .|3 College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University , Xining, People's Republic of China .
authors.forename: Zong-Ren
authors.initials: ZR
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: 1 College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University , Yangling, People's Republic of China .|2 State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University , Xining, People's Republic of China .|3 College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University , Xining, People's Republic of China .
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015047:Zoonoses
keywords: Toxoplasma gondii; indirect hemagglutination; seroprevalence; slaughter pig