Study reveals human population density and climate factors drive spread of Toxoplasma gondii through feline feces ToxoplasmaGondii Parasites Zoonotic Infections ClimateImpact AnthropogenicFactors Felids OocystShedding PublicHealth Cats PLOSONE
By Susha Cheriyedath, M.Sc.Jun 27 2023Reviewed by Benedette Cuffari, M.Sc. In a study recently published in PLOS One, scientists utilize generalized linear mixed models to evaluate the global association of anthropogenic and climate factors on the environmental contamination load of Toxoplasma gondii, a zoonotic parasite transmitted through feline feces.
Due to the large population of domestic cats that are widely found throughout the world, combined with the various transmission pathways available to parasites, T. gondii is a highly ubiquitous parasite. T. gondii is primarily transmitted by felid fecal shedding in the form of environmentally resistant 'oocysts.'
About the study In the present study, researchers determine whether human densities and climatic variables, including temperature and precipitation, could be used as predictors of T. gondii oocyte prevalence at the global scale. Study findings Of the 47 studies in the final meta-analysis, only 10 included wild felids, with the remaining 37 focusing exclusively on domestic cats.
No significant association was observed between oocyte density and either mean annual temperature or precipitation. On average, oocyte prevalence was lower for domestic cats than for their free-roaming counterparts. A significant limitation of the current analysis was that most of the research comprising their raw data was devoid of serological testing. Thus, the researchers could not distinguish between cats that had never been infected by T. gondii and those without a current T. gondii oocyte infection.
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