The breeding of domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) for human consumption has a long tradition in China. Infections that can affect the production of meat or even be transmitted from animals to humans are important to monitor, especially for public health reasons as well as for their impact on animal health. Thus, a total of 1,132 domestic rabbit sera from 4 regions in China were collected for serological screening for Encephalitozoon cuniculi and for Toxoplasma gondii by ELISA and modified agglutination test (MAT), respectively. Antibodies to E. cuniculi were detected in 248/1,132 (21.9%) sera tested while antibodies against T. gondii revealed a seroprevalence of 51/1,132 (4.5%). We believe that the present results are of epidemiological implications and public health importance due to the acknowledged susceptibility of humans to E. cuniculi and T. gondii infections. Therefore, routine screening tests of domestic rabbits are proposed considering the zoonotic potential of these parasites.
Animals ; Animals, Domestic/blood/microbiology/parasitology ; Antibodies, Fungal/*blood ; Antibodies, Protozoan/*blood ; China/epidemiology ; Encephalitozoon cuniculi/*immunology/isolation & purification ; Encephalitozoonosis/blood/microbiology/*veterinary ; Female ; Male ; Rabbits/blood/microbiology/parasitology ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Toxoplasma/*immunology/isolation & purification ; Toxoplasmosis, Animal/*blood/parasitology

Toxoplasmosis, caused by Toxoplasma gondii, is a parasitic zoonosis with worldwide distribution. The present study investigated the prevalence of T. gondii in dogs in Zhanjiang city, southern China, using both serological and molecular detection. A total of 364 serum samples and 432 liver tissue samples were collected from the slaughter house between December 2012 and January 2013 and were examined for T. gondii IgG antibody by ELISA and T. gondii DNA by semi-nested PCR based on B1 gene, respectively. The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii IgG antibody was 51.9%, and T. gondii DNA was detected in 37 of 432 (8.6%) liver tissue samples. These positive DNA samples were analyzed by PCR-RFLP at 3'- and 5'-SAG2. Only 8 samples gave the PCR-RFLP data, and they were all classified as type I, which may suggest that the T. gondii isolates from dogs in Zhanjiang city may represent type I or type I variant. This study revealed the high prevalence of T. gondii infection in dogs in Zhanjiang city, southern China. Integrated measures should be taken to prevent and control toxoplasmosis in dogs in this area for public health concern.
Animals ; Antibodies, Protozoan/blood ; China/epidemiology ; Dog Diseases/epidemiology/*parasitology ; Dogs ; Female ; Genotype ; Liver/parasitology ; Male ; Toxoplasma/classification/genetics/immunology/*isolation & purification ; Toxoplasmosis, Animal/blood/epidemiology/*parasitology

Although Toxoplasma gondii infection in primary school children has been investigated in many countries, limited surveys have been available in primary school children in China. In the present study, we report the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in primary school children in Shandong province, China. Sera from 6,000 primary school children were evaluated for T. gondii antibodies with ELISA. The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii infection was 16.0% (961/6,000), of which 14.5% (870/6,000) were positive for anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies, 3.4% (206/6,000) positive for IgM, and 1.9% (115/6,000) were positive for both IgG and IgM. The results of the present investigation indicated a high seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in primary school children in Shandong province, China. Therefore, effective measures should be taken to prevent and control T. gondii infection in primary school children in this province. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of T. gondii seroprevalence in primary school children in Shandong province, China.
Antibodies, Protozoan/blood ; Child ; China/epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Students ; Toxoplasma/genetics/immunology/*isolation & purification ; Toxoplasmosis/blood/*epidemiology/*parasitology

Toxoplasmosis is considered as an important risk factor for bad obstetric history (BOH) and one of the major causes of congenitally acquired infections. The present study aimed to estimate the seropositivity of T. gondii infection and associated risk factors among the attendees of high risk pregnancy and low risk antenatal care clinic of Minia Maternity and Pediatric University Hospital, Minia, Egypt. The study was carried out from April 2013 to April 2014 through 2 phases, the first phase was case-control study, and the second phase was follow-up with intervention. A total of 120 high risk pregnant and 120 normal pregnant females were submitted to clinical examinations, serological screening for anti-Toxoplasma IgM and IgG antibodies by ELISA, and an interview questionnaire. Seropositive cases were subjected to spiramycin course treatment. The results showed that the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in high-risk pregnancy group was 50.8%, which was significantly different from that of normal pregnancy group (P<0.05). Analysis of seropositive women in relation to BOH showed that abortion was the commonest form of the pregnancy wastage (56.5%). The high prevalence of T. gondii seropositive cases was observed in the age group of 21-30 years. Post-delivery adverse outcome was observed in 80.3% of high-risk pregnancy group compared to 20% of normal pregnancy group. There was a statistically significant relationship between seropositivity and living in rural area, low socioeconomic level, and undercooked meat consumption (P<0.05). Serological screening for anti-Toxoplasma antibodies should be routine tests especially among high-risk pregnant women.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Antibodies, Protozoan/*blood ; Case-Control Studies ; Egypt ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Feeding Behavior ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G/blood ; Immunoglobulin M/blood ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/*epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Rural Population ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Toxoplasma/*immunology ; Toxoplasmosis/*epidemiology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo prepare and characterize rabbit polyclonal antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii vacuolar proton pyrophosphatase type I (TgVP1).

METHODS AND RESULTSTwo synthesized peptides TgVP1-1 and TgVP1-2 as the haptens were conjugated with KLH to immunize rabbits. Indirect ELISA showed that the titers of rabbit anti-TgVP1-1 polyclonal antibody and rabbit anti-TgVP1-2 polyclonal antibody reached 1:128 000. Western blotting results revealed that both purified polyclonal antibodies could specifically bind to a purified 85 kD T. gondii protein predicted as TgVP1. The protein detected by these two polyclonal antibodies was distributed in the cytoplasm of T. gondii tachyzoite, and this distribution pattern was consistent with that of acidocalcisome.

CONCLUSIONThe peptide-based method of antibody generation is efficient and the obtained TgVP1 polyclonal antibodies possess a high specificity to facilitate further study of T. gondii acidocalcisome and the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis.

Animals ; Antibodies ; immunology ; Blotting, Western ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Protozoan Proteins ; immunology ; Pyrophosphatases ; immunology ; Rabbits ; Toxoplasma ; enzymology

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or kala-azar mainly affects children in endemic areas. This study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of VL using direct agglutination test (DAT) in children living in rural districts of Alborz Province located 30 km from Tehran capital city of Iran. Multi-stage cluster random sampling was applied. Blood samples were randomly collected from 1,007 children under 10 years of age in the clusters. A total of 37 (3.7%) of the studied population showed anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies with titers of > or =1:800. There was a significant association between positive sera and various parts of the rural areas of Alborz Province (P<0.002). Two children with anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies titers of > or =1:3,200 indicated kala-azar clinical features and treated with anti-leishmaniasis drugs in pediatric hospital. The findings of this study indicated that Leishmania infection is prevalent in rural areas of Alborz Province. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the awareness and alertness among physicians and public health managers, particularly in high-risk rural areas of the province in Iran.
Antibodies, Protozoan/blood ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Health Policy ; Humans ; Iran/epidemiology ; Leishmania infantum/immunology/isolation & purification/physiology ; Leishmaniasis, Visceral/blood/*epidemiology/parasitology ; Male ; *Rural Health ; Seroepidemiologic Studies

The relationship between anti-Plasmodium vivax circumsporozoite protein (CSP) antibody levels and the prevalence of malaria in epidemic areas of South Korea was evaluated. Blood samples were collected from inhabitants of Gimpo-si (city), Paju-si, and Yeoncheon-gun (county) in Gyeonggi-do (province), as well as Cheorwon-gun in Gangwon-do from November to December 2004. Microscopic examinations were used to identify malaria parasites. ELISA was used to quantitate anti-circumsporozoite protein (CSP) antibodies against P. vivax. A total of 1,774 blood samples were collected. The overall CSP-ELISA-positive rate was 7.7% (n=139). The annual parasite incidences (APIs) in these areas gradually decreased from 2004 to 2005 (1.09 and 0.80, respectively). The positive rate in Gimpo (10.4%, 44/425) was the highest identified by CSP-ELISA. The highest API was found in Yeoncheon, followed by Cheorwon, Paju, and Gimpo in both years. The positive rates of CSP-ELISA were closely related to the APIs in the study areas. These results suggest that seroepidemiological studies based on CSP may be helpful in estimating the malaria prevalence in certain areas. In addition, this assay can be used to establish and evaluate malaria control and eradication programs in affected areas.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Antibodies, Protozoan/*blood ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Malaria, Vivax/*blood/*epidemiology/parasitology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Plasmodium vivax/*immunology/physiology ; Prevalence ; Protozoan Proteins/immunology ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Young Adult

This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence and to identify risk factors associated with Neospora spp. infection in horses in Jordan. Management related data were collected from each farm and individual horses. Sera from 227 horses from 5 of 6 climatic regions in Jordan were analyzed for the presence of antibodies to Neospora spp. by ELISA kit. The study was performed during spring of 2010. The association between seropositivity and risk factors was analyzed. A total of 7 (3%) of 227 sera had antibodies for Neospora spp. There was a significant regional difference (P=0.018) between the 5 climatic regions. Positive cases were located in Amman and Irbid, while the other regions (Zarqa, Jordan Valley, and Wadi Mousa) had zero prevalence. The use of anthelmintics at least once a year resulted in a significant reduction of the seroprevalence to Neospora spp. (1.6% vs 9.8%). However, this might be a phenomenon by chance and a better hygiene since owners can invest in anthelmintics. Other risk factors such as age, gender, breed, usage, body condition score, grazing, presence of other animals mixed with the horses in the same property, and a history of previous diseases were not significantly associated with the seroprevalence to Neospora spp. infection. This is the first study to report on the presence of Neospora seropositive horses in Jordan. Further studies are warranted to better understand the role of certain risk factors in the transmission of Neospora spp. among horse population and to determine which Neospora spp. are responsible for the infection.
Animals ; Antibodies, Protozoan/*blood ; Asymptomatic Diseases/epidemiology ; Coccidiosis/blood/epidemiology/*veterinary ; Female ; Horse Diseases/blood/*epidemiology/parasitology ; Horses ; Jordan/epidemiology ; Male ; Neospora/*immunology/physiology ; Seroepidemiologic Studies

The aim of this cross sectional case control study was to examine the serofrequency and serointensity of Toxoplasma gondii (Tg) IgG, IgM, and DNA among patients with schizophrenia. A total of 101 patients with schizophrenia and 55 healthy controls from Sungai Buloh Hospital, Selangor, Malaysia and University Malaya Medical Center (UMMC) were included in this study. The diagnosis of schizophrenia was made based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). The presence of Tg infection was examined using both indirect (ELISA) and direct (quantitative real-time PCR) detection methods by measuring Tg IgG and IgM and DNA, respectively. The serofrequency of Tg IgG antibodies (51.5%, 52/101) and DNA (32.67%, 33/101) among patients with schizophrenia was significantly higher than IgG (18.2%, 10/55) and DNA (3.64%, 2/55) of the controls (IgG, P=0.000, OD=4.8, CI=2.2-10.5; DNA, P=0.000, OD=12.9, CI=2.17-10.51). However, the Tg IgM antibody between patients with schizophrenia and controls was not significant (P>0.005). There was no significant difference (P>0.005) in both serointensity of Tg IgG and DNA between patients with schizophrenia and controls. These findings have further demonstrated the strong association between the active Tg infection and schizophrenia.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antibodies, Protozoan/*blood ; Case-Control Studies ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; DNA, Protozoan/*blood ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G/blood ; Immunoglobulin M/blood ; Malaysia ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Schizophrenia/*complications ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Toxoplasma/classification/genetics/immunology/*isolation & purification ; Toxoplasmosis/*epidemiology/immunology/*parasitology ; Young Adult

The aim of this cross sectional case control study was to examine the serofrequency and serointensity of Toxoplasma gondii (Tg) IgG, IgM, and DNA among patients with schizophrenia. A total of 101 patients with schizophrenia and 55 healthy controls from Sungai Buloh Hospital, Selangor, Malaysia and University Malaya Medical Center (UMMC) were included in this study. The diagnosis of schizophrenia was made based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). The presence of Tg infection was examined using both indirect (ELISA) and direct (quantitative real-time PCR) detection methods by measuring Tg IgG and IgM and DNA, respectively. The serofrequency of Tg IgG antibodies (51.5%, 52/101) and DNA (32.67%, 33/101) among patients with schizophrenia was significantly higher than IgG (18.2%, 10/55) and DNA (3.64%, 2/55) of the controls (IgG, P=0.000, OD=4.8, CI=2.2-10.5; DNA, P=0.000, OD=12.9, CI=2.17-10.51). However, the Tg IgM antibody between patients with schizophrenia and controls was not significant (P>0.005). There was no significant difference (P>0.005) in both serointensity of Tg IgG and DNA between patients with schizophrenia and controls. These findings have further demonstrated the strong association between the active Tg infection and schizophrenia.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antibodies, Protozoan/*blood ; Case-Control Studies ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; DNA, Protozoan/*blood ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G/blood ; Immunoglobulin M/blood ; Malaysia ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Schizophrenia/*complications ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Toxoplasma/classification/genetics/immunology/*isolation & purification ; Toxoplasmosis/*epidemiology/immunology/*parasitology ; Young Adult