Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a worldwide occurring apicomplexan parasite. Due to its high seroprevalence in livestock as well as in game animals, T. gondii is an important food-borne pathogen and can have significant health implications for humans as well as for pets. This article describes the prevalence of T. gondii in free-ranging macropods hunted for consumption. All hunted macropod species (commercial as well as non-commercial hunt) show a positive seroprevalence for T. gondii. This seroprevalence is influenced by various factors, such as sex or habitat. Furthermore, the parasite shows a high level of genetic variability in macropods. Genetically variable strains have already caused outbreaks of toxoplasmosis in the past (Canada and the US). These were attributed to undercooked game meat like venison. Despite this risk, neither Australia nor New Zealand currently have food safety checks against foodborne pathogens. These conditions scan pose a significant health risk to the population. Especially, since cases of toxoplasmosis have already been successfully traced back to insufficiently cooked kangaroo meat in the past.
Highlights
Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite found across the world (Storch and Welsch, 2014; Kochanowsky and Koshy, 2018; Stock, 2020)
If women become infected during pregnancy, T. gondii can be passed transplacentally to their foe tuses resulting in congenital toxoplasmosis (Dubey, 2010c)
Due to its nutritional value as well as the environmental benefits of reducing population numbers, the human and animal consumption of kangaroo meat is gaining popularity (Sinclair et al, 1987; Bhattacharya et al, 2006; Wilson and Edwards, 2019; Classen et al, 2020). This leads to concerns about how rigorously kangaroo meat is checked given the possibility it can be a source of infection with T. gondii for humans and pet animals
Summary
Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite found across the world (Storch and Welsch, 2014; Kochanowsky and Koshy, 2018; Stock, 2020). While the definitive hosts of T. gondii are members of the feline family, all warm-blooded animals (birds and mammals, including humans) function as intermediate hosts (Kochanowsky and Koshy, 2018). T. gondii causes the disease toxoplasmosis, which is often associated with flu-like symptoms including swollen lymph nodes, muscle aches and pain (Kochanowsky and Koshy, 2018). While most infected people are asymptomatic, those who are pregnant or have a compromised immune system can develop significant health issues
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