Epidemiological Study on Toxoplasmosis in Cat, Healthy and Contact Human in Al-Anbar Governorate

Alkubaisi, Salaah Aldeen M. Sadeq; Al-Zubaidy, *, Ibrahim Abdul-Hussein Swear

doi:10.21608/ejhm.2023.279675

Epidemiological Study on Toxoplasmosis in Cat, Healthy and Contact Human in Al-Anbar Governorate

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

10.21608/ejhm.2023.279675

Abstract

Introduction: One of the most typical illnesses in women is toxoplasmosis, and considered a transmissible disease between humans and animals. Cats show a major part in contributing to the spread of toxoplasma, so they stay the final host, which shed their eggs with feces to the environment, which leads to contamination of water and food. Objective: The purpose of the current research is to determine if keeping cats at home contributes to the spread of toxoplasmosis or not, and what is the difference between stray and pet cats in the spread of the disease. Patients and Methods: An epidemiology research on toxoplasmosis was undertaken in Anbar province. A total 120 human blood samples were collected from people attending veterinary clinics in Anbar Governorate and 62 fecal samples of cats, from November 2021 to April 2022. Human’s samples were tested by Latex agglutination, while cat’s samples were tested by direct detection of oocyst.
Results: The result showed that 33 of 120 (27.5%) blood sample of female human were positive by (latex test IgM, IgG) and 87 of 120 (72.5%) were negative. These samples were divided into woman having cat (51.67%) and woman don’t have cat (48.33%). The result of cats showed oocyst (9.67%) positive result fecal samples of cats, using feces flotation method. Conclusion: Toxoplasmosis infection does not only occur in people who own cats, because many infected people did not have direct contact with cats, but may be infection by undercooked meat or by the soil that holds the eggs.

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