First Report of Toxoplasma gondii, Dirofilaria immitis, and Chlamydia felis Infection in Stray and Companion Cats in Northeastern and Eastern China.

Abstract

Feline vector-borne diseases have increasingly become a focus of interest in recent years. Toxoplasma gondii, Dirofilaria immitis, and Chlamydia felis are common pathogens of cats that can affect humans among different countries all over the world. However, information about prevalence of T. gondii and C. felis is available in China, but information about coinfection of T. gondii, D. immitis, and C. felis in cats is limited. Thus, this study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of these pathogens' infection among stray and companion cats in northeastern and eastern China and identify the influence of age, gender, types, and regions on seropositivity. The circulating antigens of D. immitis and specific antibodies to T. gondii and C. felis were examined using kits commercially available. The overall prevalence of T. gondii, D. immitis, and C. felis was 15.43%, 1.93%, and 9.90%, respectively. Coinfection was common, and infection with both T. gondii and C. felis was the most common coinfection (22.32%). Stray cats have significantly higher seroprevalences than companion cats (p < 0.05). Moreover, the infection rates of these pathogens keep increasing year by year. This is the first report of T. gondii, D. immitis, and C. felis infection in cats in northeastern and eastern China. The findings of this study reveal that T. gondii, D. immitis, and C. felis are prevalent in stray and companion cats in northeastern China, which provided baseline data for the effective prevention and control of these parasites' prevalence in these regions and other parts of China.