Toxoplasma gondii oocyst-driven infection in pigs, chickens and humans in northeastern China

Xiao-Yi Liu,Saeed El-Ashram,Quan Liu,Ze-Dong Wang

doi:10.1186/s12917-019-2121-4

Xiao-Yi Liu, Saeed El-Ashram + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-019-2121-4

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Abstract

BackgroundToxoplasma gondii, an intracellular apicomplexan protozoan parasite, can infect almost all warm-blooded animals. The aim of the present study was to investigate T. gondii oocyst-driven infection in pigs, chickens and humans in Jilin province, northeastern China.ResultsThe serum samples of pigs, chickens and humans were sampled and tested by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) using dense granule antigen GRA7, oocyst-specific protein OWP8, and sporozoite-specific protein CCp5A, respectively. Results showed a prevalence of 16.7% by GRA7-ELISA, and 12.2% by OWP8- and CCp5A-ELISA in pigs; 10.4% by GRA7-ELISA, 13.5% by OWP8-ELISA, and 9.4% by CCp5A-ELISA in chickens; and 14.2% by GRA7-ELISA, 3.6% by OWP8-ELISA, and 3.0% by CCp5A-ELISA in humans. No significant differences were observed between T. gondii seroprevalence in pigs and chickens among the three antigens-based ELISAs (P > 0.05). However, there were significant differences between T. gondii seroprevalence rates in humans (P < 0.05). These findings demonstrated a low prevalence of T. gondii oocyst-driven infection in humans, a medium prevalence in pigs, and a high prevalence in chickens.ConclusionsThe present study demonstrated that different oocyst-driven infection rates in different animal species, which would help to design effective strategies to prevent T. gondii transmission. To our knowledge, this is the first study to differentiate T. gondii infective forms in pigs, chickens and humans in China.

Highlights

Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular apicomplexan protozoan parasite, can infect almost all warmblooded animals
The T. gondii oocysts are highly resistant to freezing or disinfectants, and sporulated oocysts can survive in moist soil for months or even years, and can be mechanically transferred from one host to the other by invertebrates [2]
Cloning and expression of oocyst wall protein 8 (OWP8) and Limulus factor C-Coch-5b2-Lgl1 related protein (CCp5A) The OWP8-encoding gene was cloned into the prokaryotic vector pET30, and expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3)

Summary

Introduction

Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular apicomplexan protozoan parasite, can infect almost all warmblooded animals. The aim of the present study was to investigate T. gondii oocyst-driven infection in pigs, chickens and humans in Jilin province, northeastern China. Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular apicomplexan protozoan parasite, can infect most warm-blooded animals, including humans and birds [1]. The definitive hosts of T. gondii are members of the Felidae family, and the intermediate hosts include almost all warm-blooded animals. The three parasite stages, including the tachyzoites, the bradyzoites in the tissue cysts, and the sporozoites in the oocysts, are able to infect the hosts [3]. An environmental contamination with T. gondii oocysts is considered as a potential source and a risk factor for warm-blooded animals, including humans. Few studies of them have identified the infection sources of T. gondii

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