Article section
Comparative Study of Toxoplasmosis in Cats and Human Handlers in Wasit Province, Iraq Using Microscopic and Serological Methods
Abstract
The aim of this study was to identify and diagnose oocysts of Toxoplasma gondii in cats feces, based on microscopic examination were oval in shape and in blood of handlers by using serological diagnosis (indirect IgG ELISA). The period of study was extended from 1st March, 2024 to 28th Feb., 2025, a total of (70 cats' fecal samples and 92 handlers blood samples) were collected from both sexes, with different ages. Fecal samples were collected from veterinary clinic, while blood samples were collected from medical laboratories in some areas of province of Wasit, Iraq. The microscopic examination revealed Toxoplasma infection rate 1.42 % by direct wet and flotation with sheather's sugar solution. On the other hand the percentage of infection by Toxoplasma gondii based on the serological diagnosis was recorded to be 17.39 %, the higher infection rate 19.44 % was recorded in the age group <50 years and the high infection rates were recorded 19.51 % in males. While seroprevalences were 9.61 % and 27.5 % in Al-Kut and Al-Nomaniyah areas, respectively, and all groups showed significant differences at (P 0.01). The results showed that the high prevalence in cats could increase the likelihood of the transmission of feces of cats to handlers. Also it is very important to adopt new methods for prevention of cats from toxoplasmosis infection as well as, the promotion and education to the risk of toxoplasmosis for cats.
Keywords:
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Feline Diseases Microscopy Toxoplasma Gondii
Article information
Journal
Journal of Medical Science, Biology, and Chemistry
Volume (Issue)
2(1), (2025)
Pages
165-169
Published
Copyright
Copyright (c) 2025 Haider H. Alsaedi, Sajjad Mohsin Irayyif, Ghassan J. K. Al-Abedi (Author)
Open access

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
References
Abdel-Raouff, M., & Elbasheir, M. M. (2014). Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondiii nfection among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Khartoum and Omdurman Maternity Hospitals, Sudan. Journal of Coastal Life Medicine, 2(6), 496-499.
Afonso, E., Thulliez, P., & Gilot-Fromont, E. (2010). Local meteorological conditions, dynamics of seroconversion to Toxoplasma gondii in cats (Felis catus) and oocyst burden in a rural environment. Epidemiology & Infection, 138(8), 1105-1113.
Al-farwachi, M., Al-badrani, B., & Al-khafaji, W. (2012). Serodiagnosis of ovine neosporosis in Mosul city, Iraq. Eurasian Journal of Veterinary Sciences, 28(4), 190-193.
Al-Majali, A. M., Jawasreh, K. I., Talafha, H. A., & Talafha, A. Q. (2008). Neosporosis in sheep and different breeds of goats from Southern Jordan: Prevalence and risk factors analysis. American Journal of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, 3(2), 47-52.
Asthana, S. P., Macpherson, C. N., Weiss, S. H., Stephens, R., Denny, T. N., Sharma, R. N., & Dubey, J. P. (2006). Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in pregnant women and cats in Grenada, West Indies. Journal of Parasitology, 92(3), 644-645.
Chiang, T. Y., Kuo, M. C., Chen, C. H., Yang, J. Y., Kao, C. F., Ji, D. D., & Fang, C. T. (2014). Risk factors for acute Toxoplasma gondii diseases in Taiwan: a population-based case-control study. PLoS One, 9(3), e90880.
Dabritz, H. A., & Conrad, P. A. (2010). Cats and Toxoplasma: implications for public health. Zoonoses and public health, 57(1), 34-52.
Doni, N. Y., Simsek, Z., Gurses, G., Zeyrek, F. Y., & Demir, C. (2015). Prevalence and associated risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii in female farmworkers of southeastern Turkey. The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, 9(01), 087-093.
Dubey, J. P., Schares, G., & Ortega-Mora, L. (2007). Epidemiology and control of neosporosis and Neospora caninum. Clinical microbiology reviews, 20(2), 323-367.
Faria, E. B., Gennari, S. M., Pena, H. F., Athayde, A. C. R., Silva, M. L. C., & Azevedo, S. S. (2007). Prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii and anti-Neospora caninum antibodies in goats slaughtered in the public slaughterhouse of Patos city, Paraíba State, Northeast region of Brazil. Veterinary Parasitology, 149(1-2), 126-129.
Field, A. (2024). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics. Sage publications limited.
Firouz, Z. E., Kaboosi, H., Nasiri, A. F., Tabatabaie, S. S., Golhasani-Keshtan, F., & Zaboli, F. (2014). A comparative serological study of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women by CLIA and ELISA methods in Chalus City Iran. Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal, 16(4), e15115.
Frenkel, J. K., Dubey, J. P., & Miller, N. L. (1970). Toxoplasma gondii in cats: fecal stages identified as coccidian oocysts. Science, 167(3919), 893-896.
Griffin, L., & Williams, K. A. (1983). Serological and parasitological survey of blood donors in Kenya for toxoplasmosis. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 77(6), 763-766.
Jung, B. Y., Lee, S. H., & Kwak, D. (2014). Evidence of Neospora caninum exposure among native Korean goats (Capra hircus coreanae). Veterinarni Medicina, 59(12), 637-640.
Kim, Y. H., Lee, J., Kim, Y. E., Ahn, S., Kim, T. S., Hong, S. J., ... & Nam, H. W. (2017). Seroprevalence of Toxoplasmosis Detected by RDT in Residents near the DMZ (demilitarized zone) of Cheorwon-gun, Gangwon-do, Korea. The Korean journal of parasitology, 55(4), 385.
Mallah, M. O. (2012). Immunological and Molecular Study of Neospora caninum among Dogs and Cattle in Al-Muthana Province, Iraq (PhD Thesis). College of Veterinary Medicine. University of Al-Qadisyia-Iraq.
Mohammad, M., Ahmed, S., & Hussain, A. (2012). Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii between couples in Ramadi city using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). International Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences, 5(6), 295-299. https://doi.org/10.5897/IJMMS11.101
Petersen, E., Borobio, M. V., Guy, E., Liesenfeld, O., Meroni, V., Naessens, A., ... & Thulliez, P. (2005). European multicenter study of the LIAISON automated diagnostic system for determination of Toxoplasma gondii-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM and the IgG avidity index. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 43(4), 1570-1574.
Razooqi, M. A., Gharban, H. A. J., & Al-Kaabi, M. A. F. (2022). Molecular and seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in goats’ blood and milk in Iraq. Archives of Razi Institute, 77(5), 1749.
Robert-Gangneux, F., & Dardé, M. L. (2012). Epidemiology of and diagnostic strategies for toxoplasmosis. Clinical microbiology reviews, 25(2), 264-296.
Singh, S. (2003). Mother-to-child transmission and diagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii infection during pregnancy. Indian journal of medical microbiology, 21(2), 69-76.
Skariah, S., McIntyre, M. K., & Mordue, D. G. (2010). Toxoplasma gondii: determinants of tachyzoite to bradyzoite conversion. Parasitology research, 107, 253-260.
SMITH, D. D. (1981). The sarcocystidae: sarcocystis, frenkelia, toxoplasma, besnoitia, hammondia, and cystoisospora 1. The Journal of Protozoology, 28(2), 262-266.
Splendore, A. (1908). A new protozoan parasite of rabbits with a disease that resembles in many ways the human kala-azar. Preliminary note. [Un nuovo protozoa parassita deconigli d’une malattia che ricorda in molti punti il kala-azar dell’uoma. Nota preliminare]. Rev. Soc. Sci. Sao Paulo, 3, 109-112.
Thurmond, M., & Hietala, S. (1995). Strategies to Control Neospora caninum infection in Cattle. The Bovine Practitioner, 11, 60-63.
Weiss, L. M., & Kami, K. (2015). Toxoplasma gondii The Model Apicomplexan - Perspectives and Methods (2dn ed., pp. 161-192). Elsevier B.V.
YadYad M. J., Jomehzadeh, N., Sameri, M. J. & Noorshahi, N. (2014). Seroprevalence of Anti-Toxoplasma gondii Antibodies among pregnant woman in south khuzestan, Iran. Jundishapur Journal of Microbiology, 7(5), e9998.
Yaneza, A., & Kumari, P. (1994). Prevalence of Toxoplasma antibodies in blood donors in Al-Hassa. Annals of Saudi Medicine, 14(3), 230-232.