Seroprevalence and spatial analysis of Toxoplasma gondii in free-ranging wild mammals from Botucatu, SP

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is the etiologic agent of toxoplasmosis, a zoonosis of great importance worldwide. The study of T. gondii in wild animals allows us to elucidate several aspects of this parasite, including its impacts on animal and public health. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence and spatial distribution of free-ranging wild mammals exposed to T. gondii from the central region of São Paulo state. Serum samples of 526 animals will be used, which were collected previously during other studies. Exposure to the parasite will be assessed by the presence of anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies using the Modified Agglutination Test (MAT). The prevalence of seropositive animals will be compared between different species by statistical tests. The distribution and spatial concentration of seropositive and seronegative animals will be evaluated by Kernel density analysis and cluster analysis. From the results, it will be possible to quantify the level of exposure to T. gondi in the animal population investigated, as well as its spatial distribution in the studied region.(AU)