Prevalence and incidence of dogs infected by Toxoplasma gondii in the City of Botucatu, SP

• Grant number: 16/17503-3
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): November 01, 2016
• Effective date (End): October 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal researcher: Felipe Fornazari
• Grantee: Alisson Vinícius Gimenes Olbera
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis is a disease of global importance, with great impact on public and animal health, caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii. Domestic dogs, when infected, can present several types of lesions, especially young animals or when the immune system is deficient. Data on the incidence of dogs infected with T. gondii have great importance of animal epidemiology, thus estimating the risk of infection in populations of a given region. However, studies related to the incidence of this parasite in dogs are extremely scarce. This study aims to determine the prevalence and cumulative incidence of dogs infected with T. gondii in the city of Botucatu, SP. Three hundred and sixty nine dogs aged between two months and one year will be studied, which were sampled in an earlier study and whose blood samples were previously collected and stored at -20° C. The animals were randomly selected and distributed homogeneously in five regions of the urban area of Botucatu (North, South, East, West, Central). Blood samples were collected on days 0, 180 and 360, and will be submitted to serologic diagnosis by Immunofluorescence Antibody Test (IFAT) to detect IgG antibodies. Statistical analysis will be performed to determine the prevalence and cumulative incidence. These measures will be calculated for both total dogs and those from each of the five regions.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ALISSON VINÍCIUS GIMENES OLBERA; FELIPE FORNAZARI; SELENE DANIELA BABBONI; RODOLFO SANTOS ROSSI; ANAIÁ PAIXÃO SEVÁ; GIULIA SOARES LATOSINSKI; MARIANA AIMEE RAMOS XAVIER DA SILVA; JOSE RAFAEL MODOLO; HELIO LANGONI. Cumulative incidence and spatial distribution of dogs exposed to Toxoplasma gondii. Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinária, v. 29, n. 2, p. -, 2020. Web of Science Citations: 0.