Long-Term Determinants of the Seroprevalence of <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> in a Wild Ungulate Community
<i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> is an obligate intracellular protozoan which infects warm-blooded vertebrates, including humans, worldwide. In the present study, the epidemiology of <i>T. gondii</i> was studied in the wild ungulate host community (wild boar, red deer, and fallow dee...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-12-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/12/2349 |
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| author | Patricia Barroso Ignacio García-Bocanegra Pelayo Acevedo Pablo Palencia Francisco Carro Saúl Jiménez-Ruiz Sonia Almería Jitender P. Dubey David Cano-Terriza Joaquín Vicente |
| author_facet | Patricia Barroso Ignacio García-Bocanegra Pelayo Acevedo Pablo Palencia Francisco Carro Saúl Jiménez-Ruiz Sonia Almería Jitender P. Dubey David Cano-Terriza Joaquín Vicente |
| author_sort | Patricia Barroso |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> is an obligate intracellular protozoan which infects warm-blooded vertebrates, including humans, worldwide. In the present study, the epidemiology of <i>T. gondii</i> was studied in the wild ungulate host community (wild boar, red deer, and fallow deer) of Doñana National Park (DNP, south-western Spain) for 13 years (2005–2018). We assessed several variables which potentially operate in the medium and long-term (environmental features, population, and stochastic factors). Overall, the wild ungulate host community of DNP had high seroprevalence values of <i>T. gondii</i> (STG; % ± confidence interval (CI) 95%; wild boar (<i>Sus scrofa</i>) 39 ± 3.3, <i>n</i> = 698; red deer (<i>Cervus elaphus</i>) 30.7 ± 4.4, <i>n</i> = 423; fallow deer (<i>Dama dama</i>) 29.7 ± 4.2, <i>n</i> = 452). The complex interplay of hosts and ecological/epidemiological niches, together with the optimal climatic conditions for the survival of oocysts that converge in this area may favor the spread of the parasite in its host community. The temporal evolution of STG oscillated considerably, mostly in deer species. The relationships shown by statistical models indicated that several factors determined species patterns. Concomitance of effects among species, indicated that relevant drivers of risk operated at the community level. Our focus, addressing factors operating at broad temporal scale, allows showing their impacts on the epidemiology of <i>T. gondii</i> and its trends. This approach is key to understanding the epidemiology and ecology to <i>T. gondii</i> infection in wild host communities in a context where the decline in seroprevalence leads to loss of immunity in humans. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:13:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c29e5ec81ffd477296a04d86b9ab0f24 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:13:03Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-c29e5ec81ffd477296a04d86b9ab0f242023-11-21T00:02:55ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152020-12-011012234910.3390/ani10122349Long-Term Determinants of the Seroprevalence of <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> in a Wild Ungulate CommunityPatricia Barroso0Ignacio García-Bocanegra1Pelayo Acevedo2Pablo Palencia3Francisco Carro4Saúl Jiménez-Ruiz5Sonia Almería6Jitender P. Dubey7David Cano-Terriza8Joaquín Vicente9Grupo Sanidad y Biotecnología (SaBio), Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, 13071 Ciudad Real, SpainGrupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Universidad de Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, SpainGrupo Sanidad y Biotecnología (SaBio), Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, 13071 Ciudad Real, SpainGrupo Sanidad y Biotecnología (SaBio), Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, 13071 Ciudad Real, SpainEstación Biológica Doñana, CSIC, 41092 Sevilla, SpainGrupo Sanidad y Biotecnología (SaBio), Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, 13071 Ciudad Real, SpainDivision of Virulence Assessment, Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment (OARSA), Center for Food Safety and Nutrition (CFSAN), Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708, USAAnimal Parasitic Disease Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Building 1001, BARC-East, Beltsville, MD 20705-2350, USAGrupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Universidad de Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, SpainGrupo Sanidad y Biotecnología (SaBio), Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain<i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> is an obligate intracellular protozoan which infects warm-blooded vertebrates, including humans, worldwide. In the present study, the epidemiology of <i>T. gondii</i> was studied in the wild ungulate host community (wild boar, red deer, and fallow deer) of Doñana National Park (DNP, south-western Spain) for 13 years (2005–2018). We assessed several variables which potentially operate in the medium and long-term (environmental features, population, and stochastic factors). Overall, the wild ungulate host community of DNP had high seroprevalence values of <i>T. gondii</i> (STG; % ± confidence interval (CI) 95%; wild boar (<i>Sus scrofa</i>) 39 ± 3.3, <i>n</i> = 698; red deer (<i>Cervus elaphus</i>) 30.7 ± 4.4, <i>n</i> = 423; fallow deer (<i>Dama dama</i>) 29.7 ± 4.2, <i>n</i> = 452). The complex interplay of hosts and ecological/epidemiological niches, together with the optimal climatic conditions for the survival of oocysts that converge in this area may favor the spread of the parasite in its host community. The temporal evolution of STG oscillated considerably, mostly in deer species. The relationships shown by statistical models indicated that several factors determined species patterns. Concomitance of effects among species, indicated that relevant drivers of risk operated at the community level. Our focus, addressing factors operating at broad temporal scale, allows showing their impacts on the epidemiology of <i>T. gondii</i> and its trends. This approach is key to understanding the epidemiology and ecology to <i>T. gondii</i> infection in wild host communities in a context where the decline in seroprevalence leads to loss of immunity in humans.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/12/2349parasitelong-term studyprotozoanshared infectionszoonoseswildlife-livestock interface |
| spellingShingle | Patricia Barroso Ignacio García-Bocanegra Pelayo Acevedo Pablo Palencia Francisco Carro Saúl Jiménez-Ruiz Sonia Almería Jitender P. Dubey David Cano-Terriza Joaquín Vicente Long-Term Determinants of the Seroprevalence of <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> in a Wild Ungulate Community Animals parasite long-term study protozoan shared infections zoonoses wildlife-livestock interface |
| title | Long-Term Determinants of the Seroprevalence of <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> in a Wild Ungulate Community |
| title_full | Long-Term Determinants of the Seroprevalence of <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> in a Wild Ungulate Community |
| title_fullStr | Long-Term Determinants of the Seroprevalence of <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> in a Wild Ungulate Community |
| title_full_unstemmed | Long-Term Determinants of the Seroprevalence of <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> in a Wild Ungulate Community |
| title_short | Long-Term Determinants of the Seroprevalence of <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> in a Wild Ungulate Community |
| title_sort | long term determinants of the seroprevalence of i toxoplasma gondii i in a wild ungulate community |
| topic | parasite long-term study protozoan shared infections zoonoses wildlife-livestock interface |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/12/2349 |
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