Ruijing Su1, Nan Jiang1, Yaoyao Lu1, Fuchun Jian1, Haiyan Wang1, Gaiping Zhang1, Longxian Zhang2, Yurong Yang3. 1. College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China. 2. College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China. Electronic address: zhanglx8999@henau.edu.cn. 3. College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China. Electronic address: yangyu7712@sina.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Toxoplasma gondii is widely distributed and can infect many species of warm-blooded animals, including swine. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of T. gondii in swines from the central of China. A total of 2798 samples, including 305 hearts, 2086 diaphragms, and 407 sera were collected from different swine in Henan Province, China. The modified agglutination test was used to detect antibodies against T. gondii in sera from jugular vein blood and heart blood (cut-off: 1:25), diaphragm juice (cut-off: 1:10). T. gondii DNA was screened from the digestive fluids of all diaphragm tissue samples and seropositive hearts, and attempt to isolate viable T. gondii strain by bioassay in mice. RESULTS: A total of 9.94% (278/2798) swine tested positive for T. gondii antibodies. Region, but not gender, was associated with T. gondi seropositivity in swine. T. gondii nucleic acid was not found in the tissue digestive fluids (2090 swines). Three groups of mice showed T. gondii antibodies after having been bioassayed with diaphragm samples (n = 81, which came from 2090 swine). No viable T. gondii strain was isolated from muscle of swine. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first large-scale survey T. gondi infection in swine from the central of China. Overall, the prevalence of viable T. gondii in swine was low. Nevertheless, T. gondii infection is present in swine from the central of China. Consumers may acquire T. gondii infection from ingestion of raw or undercooked pork.
BACKGROUND:Toxoplasma gondii is widely distributed and can infect many species of warm-blooded animals, including swine. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of T. gondii in swines from the central of China. A total of 2798 samples, including 305 hearts, 2086 diaphragms, and 407 sera were collected from different swine in Henan Province, China. The modified agglutination test was used to detect antibodies against T. gondii in sera from jugular vein blood and heart blood (cut-off: 1:25), diaphragm juice (cut-off: 1:10). T. gondii DNA was screened from the digestive fluids of all diaphragm tissue samples and seropositive hearts, and attempt to isolate viable T. gondii strain by bioassay in mice. RESULTS: A total of 9.94% (278/2798) swine tested positive for T. gondii antibodies. Region, but not gender, was associated with T. gondi seropositivity in swine. T. gondii nucleic acid was not found in the tissue digestive fluids (2090 swines). Three groups of mice showed T. gondii antibodies after having been bioassayed with diaphragm samples (n = 81, which came from 2090 swine). No viable T. gondii strain was isolated from muscle of swine. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first large-scale survey T. gondi infection in swine from the central of China. Overall, the prevalence of viable T. gondii in swine was low. Nevertheless, T. gondii infection is present in swine from the central of China. Consumers may acquire T. gondii infection from ingestion of raw or undercooked pork.