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Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in household and stray cats of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Vol. 55 No. 3 (2019), Paper
Vol. 55 No. 3 (2019)

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in household and stray cats of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Paper
https://doi.org/10.12834/VetIt.221.695.4
Published 2019-10-11
Osama B Mohammed
Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia. Tel.: +966 504140713, e‑mail: obmkkwrc@yahoo.co.uk
Omar I Omar
Joon Trading Company, P. O. Box 325511 Riyadh 11371, Saudi Arabia
Elgailani A Elamin
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Khartoum, P.O. Box 32, Postal Code 13314, Khartoum North, Sudan,
Hamid O Bushara
IDAC Labs, P. O. Box 7133, Al-Karij 11942, Saudi Arabia
Sawsan A Omer
Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, University Centre for Women Students, P. O. Box 22452, Riyadh 11495, Saudi Arabia
Abdulaziz N Alagaili
KSU Mammals Research Chair, Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, P. O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
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Keywords

Cats
Saudi Arabia
Seroprevalence
Toxoplasmosis

How to Cite

Mohammed, O. B., Omar, O. I., Elamin, E. A., Bushara, H. O., Omer, S. A., & Alagaili, A. N. (2019). Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in household and stray cats of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Veterinaria Italiana, 55(3), 241–245. https://doi.org/10.12834/VetIt.221.695.4
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Abstract

This study was undertaken to determine the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in cats in the area of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We examined 200 serum samples collected from stray and household cats for T. gondii antibodies by ELISA. The overall seroprevalence was 26%. Seroprevalence was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in stray cats (39%) compared with household cats (13%). The prevalence in male and female cats was 31.4% and 20.4%, respectively. The seroprevalence increased with age and was higher in cats over 6 years of age (43%) as opposed to cats less than 4 years old (33%). Seropositivity varied according to the breed. The highest was recorded among cats of American breed (38.5%), followed by Persian (27%), Himalayan (21%), Bengali (11.5%), and Siamese (2%). Antibodies were not reported from the Turkish breed. Overall seroprevalence among cats did not vary significantly with season or with the localities within the Riyadh municipality. We also examined 100 faecal samples from stray and household cats by flotation technique, which revealed an overall prevalence of 12% of T. gondii oocycts.

https://doi.org/10.12834/VetIt.221.695.4
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