Species or local environment, what determines the infection of rodents by Toxoplasma gondii?

Toxoplasmosis is largely present in rural areas but its spatial distribution in this environment remains poorly known. In particular, it is unclear if areas of high density of cats, the only hosts excreting Toxoplasma gondii, constitute foci of high prevalence. To improve our understanding of the sp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Parasitology 2014-02, Vol.141 (2), p.259-268
Main Authors: GOTTELAND, CÉCILE, CHAVAL, YANNICK, VILLENA, ISABELLE, GALAN, MAXIME, GEERS, RÉGINE, AUBERT, DOMINIQUE, POULLE, MARIE-LAZARINE, CHARBONNEL, NATHALIE, GILOT-FROMONT, EMMANUELLE
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Antibodies, Protozoan - blood
Demography
Ecology
Environmental risk
Female
France - epidemiology
Health risks
Humans
Life Sciences
Male
Mice
Models, Statistical
Multivariate Analysis
Rats
Risk
Rodent Diseases - epidemiology
Rodent Diseases - parasitology
Rodentia
Rodents
Rural areas
Rural Population
Seroepidemiologic Studies
Spatial distribution
Toxoplasma - genetics
Toxoplasma - immunology
Toxoplasma - isolation & purification
Toxoplasma gondii
Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis, Animal - epidemiology
Toxoplasmosis, Animal - parasitology
Zoonoses
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Summary:Toxoplasmosis is largely present in rural areas but its spatial distribution in this environment remains poorly known. In particular, it is unclear if areas of high density of cats, the only hosts excreting Toxoplasma gondii, constitute foci of high prevalence. To improve our understanding of the spatial distribution of T. gondii in rural areas, we performed a serological survey in rodents from two villages in France. We trapped 710 rodents including commensal rats and meadow or forest voles and mice. The presence of T. gondii was examined using PCR, mice inoculation and modified agglutination test for antibodies (MAT). We conducted multivariate and discriminant analyses to identify biological, ecological or spatial variables that could explain T. gondii serology in rodents. We then used a logistic regression to assess the relative influence of each explanatory variable. Overall seroprevalence was 4·1%. Commensal-rats were more infected (12·5%) than non-commensal species (3·7%). However, the major determinant of the risk of infection was the distance to the nearest farm (OR = 0·75 for 100 m), which explained the risk in all species or non-commensal species only. We contrast the role of species characteristics and that of the local environment, and discuss the risk of environmental contamination for humans.
ISSN:0031-1820
1469-8161
1469-8161
DOI:10.1017/S0031182013001522