Serological Detection of <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> among Free-Grazing Ducks from Central and Western Thailand—A One Health Perspective on Integrated Farming
Toxoplasmosis is one of the most common zoonotic parasitic diseases infecting nearly all warm-blooded animals, including poultry (geese, turkeys, chickens, and ducks). It is caused by <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> (<i>T. gondii</i>), which is an obligate intracellular protozoan be...
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MDPI AG
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/8/2/103 |
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| author | Thi Thuy Nguyen Ketsarin Kamyingkird Rungrot Jam-on Waraphon Phimpraphai Pun Panomwan Adrian B. Hehl Tawin Inpankaew |
| author_facet | Thi Thuy Nguyen Ketsarin Kamyingkird Rungrot Jam-on Waraphon Phimpraphai Pun Panomwan Adrian B. Hehl Tawin Inpankaew |
| author_sort | Thi Thuy Nguyen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Toxoplasmosis is one of the most common zoonotic parasitic diseases infecting nearly all warm-blooded animals, including poultry (geese, turkeys, chickens, and ducks). It is caused by <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> (<i>T. gondii</i>), which is an obligate intracellular protozoan belonging to the Apicomplexa group. In Thailand, duck meat production for domestic consumption and international trade is mainly bred and produced in the central and western parts of the country. Free-grazing ducks in integrated duck–rice production have significant benefits in rice cultivation, accounting for the popularity of this farming system in Thailand. However, ducks are considered particularly susceptible to consuming <i>T. gondii</i> oocysts from water contaminated with cat feces due to the fact of their feeding habits of free-grazing and dabbling. Hence, the prevalence of this zoonotic parasite in a large-scale integrated farming context is particularly challenging with respect to the contamination of the food chain of humans and farm animals. In the present study, we examined the overall prevalence of <i>T. gondii</i> infection in slaughtered free-grazing ducks originating from Central and Western Thailand, setting the stage for an in-depth One Health approach to assess and manage the risks of integrated farming practices. A representative sample size of 161 ducks was calculated using a two-stage sampling method. Specifically, serum samples were collected from 217 slaughtered free-grazing ducks originating in six provinces in Central and Western Thailand. Serum antibodies against <i>T. gondii</i> were detected using an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT). The positive control serum samples were prepared from ducks experimentally immunized with <i>T. gondii</i>. Sixty-eight (31.3%) of the two hundred and seventeen ducks were seropositive with <i>T. gondii</i>. Two groups of fattening ducks and spent layers showed similar seropositivity rates at 29% and 32.3%, with the majority of positive samples being found in the low titer. In addition, a wide distribution of positive serum samples was observed in all six provinces in the present study. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on a serological prevalence snapshot in commercially produced duck populations that have high interaction with farmed environments in Thailand, revealing a high infection pressure in areas of integrated duck–rice farming. Importantly, contaminated duck meat for commercial use, as well as offal and carcasses from slaughterhouses, completes the transmission of <i>T. gondii</i> from the environment into the food chain of humans and domestic animals. Hence, from a One Health perspective, it is important to clarify whether this transmission chain extends further to the wild, i.e., predator–prey cycles that are independent of duck farming or are self-contained. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:02:28Z |
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| spelling | doaj.art-067a56b6d6c74cceb4cd1bf7ec1ce0282023-11-16T23:39:57ZengMDPI AGTropical Medicine and Infectious Disease2414-63662023-02-018210310.3390/tropicalmed8020103Serological Detection of <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> among Free-Grazing Ducks from Central and Western Thailand—A One Health Perspective on Integrated FarmingThi Thuy Nguyen0Ketsarin Kamyingkird1Rungrot Jam-on2Waraphon Phimpraphai3Pun Panomwan4Adrian B. Hehl5Tawin Inpankaew6Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, ThailandDepartment of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, ThailandDepartment of Farm Resources and Production Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Nakhon Pathom 73000, ThailandDepartment of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, ThailandFaculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mahanakorn University of Technology, Bangkok 10530, ThailandLaboratory of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Parasitology, University of Zurich, 8000 Zurich, SwitzerlandDepartment of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, ThailandToxoplasmosis is one of the most common zoonotic parasitic diseases infecting nearly all warm-blooded animals, including poultry (geese, turkeys, chickens, and ducks). It is caused by <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> (<i>T. gondii</i>), which is an obligate intracellular protozoan belonging to the Apicomplexa group. In Thailand, duck meat production for domestic consumption and international trade is mainly bred and produced in the central and western parts of the country. Free-grazing ducks in integrated duck–rice production have significant benefits in rice cultivation, accounting for the popularity of this farming system in Thailand. However, ducks are considered particularly susceptible to consuming <i>T. gondii</i> oocysts from water contaminated with cat feces due to the fact of their feeding habits of free-grazing and dabbling. Hence, the prevalence of this zoonotic parasite in a large-scale integrated farming context is particularly challenging with respect to the contamination of the food chain of humans and farm animals. In the present study, we examined the overall prevalence of <i>T. gondii</i> infection in slaughtered free-grazing ducks originating from Central and Western Thailand, setting the stage for an in-depth One Health approach to assess and manage the risks of integrated farming practices. A representative sample size of 161 ducks was calculated using a two-stage sampling method. Specifically, serum samples were collected from 217 slaughtered free-grazing ducks originating in six provinces in Central and Western Thailand. Serum antibodies against <i>T. gondii</i> were detected using an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT). The positive control serum samples were prepared from ducks experimentally immunized with <i>T. gondii</i>. Sixty-eight (31.3%) of the two hundred and seventeen ducks were seropositive with <i>T. gondii</i>. Two groups of fattening ducks and spent layers showed similar seropositivity rates at 29% and 32.3%, with the majority of positive samples being found in the low titer. In addition, a wide distribution of positive serum samples was observed in all six provinces in the present study. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on a serological prevalence snapshot in commercially produced duck populations that have high interaction with farmed environments in Thailand, revealing a high infection pressure in areas of integrated duck–rice farming. Importantly, contaminated duck meat for commercial use, as well as offal and carcasses from slaughterhouses, completes the transmission of <i>T. gondii</i> from the environment into the food chain of humans and domestic animals. Hence, from a One Health perspective, it is important to clarify whether this transmission chain extends further to the wild, i.e., predator–prey cycles that are independent of duck farming or are self-contained.https://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/8/2/103<i>T. gondii</i>free-grazing ducksIFATslaughterhouseThailand |
| spellingShingle | Thi Thuy Nguyen Ketsarin Kamyingkird Rungrot Jam-on Waraphon Phimpraphai Pun Panomwan Adrian B. Hehl Tawin Inpankaew Serological Detection of <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> among Free-Grazing Ducks from Central and Western Thailand—A One Health Perspective on Integrated Farming Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease <i>T. gondii</i> free-grazing ducks IFAT slaughterhouse Thailand |
| title | Serological Detection of <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> among Free-Grazing Ducks from Central and Western Thailand—A One Health Perspective on Integrated Farming |
| title_full | Serological Detection of <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> among Free-Grazing Ducks from Central and Western Thailand—A One Health Perspective on Integrated Farming |
| title_fullStr | Serological Detection of <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> among Free-Grazing Ducks from Central and Western Thailand—A One Health Perspective on Integrated Farming |
| title_full_unstemmed | Serological Detection of <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> among Free-Grazing Ducks from Central and Western Thailand—A One Health Perspective on Integrated Farming |
| title_short | Serological Detection of <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> among Free-Grazing Ducks from Central and Western Thailand—A One Health Perspective on Integrated Farming |
| title_sort | serological detection of i toxoplasma gondii i among free grazing ducks from central and western thailand a one health perspective on integrated farming |
| topic | <i>T. gondii</i> free-grazing ducks IFAT slaughterhouse Thailand |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/8/2/103 |
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