Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in pet dogs in Lanzhou, Northwest China

In this survey, antibodies to T. gondii were found in 28 of 259 (10.81%) pet dogs, with MAT titers of 1:20 in 14 dogs, 1:40 in nine, 1:80 in four, and 1:160 or higher in one dog. The prevalence ranged from 6.67% to 16.67% among dogs of different ages, with low rates in young pet dogs, and high rates in older pet dogs. The seroprevalence in dogs >3 years old was higher than that in dogs ≤1 years old, but the difference was not statistically significant (P >0.05). The seroprevalence in male dogs was 12.50% (17 of 136), and in female dogs it was 8.94% (11 of 123), but the difference was not statistically significant (P >0.05).A high prevalence of T. gondii infection was found in pet dogs in Lanzhou, Northwest China, which has implications for public health in this region. In order to reduce the risk of exposure to T. gondii, further measures and essential control strategies should be carried out rationally in this region.Toxoplasma gondii is an important zoonotic intracellular protozoan parasite, which can affect all warm-blooded mammals and birds throughout the world, including humans [1,2]. T. gondii is transmitted by ingestion of tissue cysts from undercooked or raw meat, consumption of food or drink contaminated with oocysts, or ingestion of oocysts from the environment by accident [1]. Nearly one third of the global human population has been infected with T. gondii, however, infection in healthy individuals is usually asymptomatic and only a small percentage of exposed people have obvious clinical symptoms [1,3,4]. Nonetheless, if T. gondii infection occurs in pregnant women it can cause severe disease such as toxoplasmic encephalitis, blindness, abortion, fetal abnormalities or even prenatal death [5]. Infection of immunocompromised patients (e.g. HIV/AIDS patients) with T. gondii can cause acute morbidity and even death [6,7].Pet dogs are often regarded as the faithful friends and intimate companions of humans. Unfortunately, T. gondii oocysts in pet dogs can tr