Epidemiological characteristics and spatial clustering of Toxoplasma gondii in domestic cats in China
10.3969/j.issn.1002-2694.2024.00.142
- VernacularTitle:中国地区家猫弓形虫流行病学特征及空间聚集性研究
- Author:
Ya-Jing SU
1
;
Xue LIN
;
Chen ZHANG
;
Di XUE
Author Information
1. 宁夏医科大学总医院,医学科学研究院,宁夏临床病原微生物重点实验室,银川 750004
- Keywords:
Toxoplasma gondii;
cat;
epidemiology;
China;
GIS technology
- From:
Chinese Journal of Zoonoses
2024;40(10):913-921
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
We investigated the prevalence and spatial distribution characteristics of T.gondii infection in cats in China,to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and con-trol of T.gondii.We searched PubMed,CNKI,Wanfang Da-tabase,and Baidu Academic Database to retrieve studies on the seroprevalence of T.gondii in domestic cats published by December 31,2023,in China,to investigate the spatial loca-tion and expression of T.gondii infection in China by using Geographical Information Systems(GIS).SPSS 26.0 software was used for statistical analysis.A total of 86 eligible studies published between 1984 and 2023 were included in this study,covering 28 provincial administrative regions and involving 20 722 cats.The ArcGIS classification results indicated that the overall positivity rate of T.gondii in domestic cats was 14.78％(3 080/20 836,95％CI:14.07％-15.03％).No epidemiological study of T.gondii infection in cats has been reported in Tibet,Tianjin,Hainan,Hong Kong,Ma-cao,or Taiwan.The prevalence of T.gondii infection in cats was highest in Shanxi Province(60％,54/90,95％CI:49.82％-70.18％),followed by Hebei Province(57.33％,43/75,95％CI:46.07％-68.59％),Henan Province(45.53％,173/380,95％CI:46.07％-68.59％),and Yunnan Province(43.64％,24/55,95％CI:30.49％-56.79％).The lowest seroprevalence of T.gondii antibody was found in Jiangxi Province(2.47％,2/81,95％CI:-0.90％-5.90％).Furthermore,the seropreva-lence of T.gondii in cats in northern China was 14.12％(2 044/14 491 95％CI:12.34％-15.90％),whereas that in southern China was 16.30％(1 036/6 355 95％CI:15.40％-17.20％).Significant differences were observed between them(x2=16.60,P＜0.05).The temporal distribution results indicated a decrease in the overall seroprevalence of T.gondii in cats in China from 1984 to 2023.Our findings suggested that T.gondii in cats is widespread in China,with a stable epidemic cycle,and the rates of Toxoplasma positivity vary greatly among regions.The increasing prevalence of pet cats in China,and the close rela-tionship between these cats and humans,may pose substantial exposure risks to a large susceptible population.Therefore,the association between cat ownership and T.gondii infection in humans,and how to decrease human environmental contamination through cat exposure to T.gondii and T.gondii oocysts,requires further investigation.
