Toxoplasma gondii

Stensgaard, A. S., Sengupta, M. E., Chriel, M., Nielsen, S. T. & Petersen, H. H., 2022, Sero-prevalence and risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infection in wild cervids in Denmark, International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife 17, pp. 288-294 : 290-291

3.1. Sero-prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in Danish wild cervids

Of the 428 cervids examined for antibodies against T. gondii , 105 (24.5%, 95% CI: 20.5–28.9) were sero-positive. Only one female red deer had an S/P% value in the doubtful category (41%–49%). This animal was considered negative in the interpretation of the results. The sero-prevalence was highest in roe deer (32.7%, 95% CI = 21.8–45.9), followed by red deer (27.2%, 95% CI = 22.3–33.2) and fallow deer (13.8%, 95% CI = 8.0–23.1). Only one of the 14 sampled sika deer was sero-positive. Therefore, individual sero-prevalence was not estimated for sika deer, and subsequent individual species risk factor-analysis was not performed. Seroprevalence for all cervid species is summarized in Table 1.

Furthermore, at least one sero-positive animal originated from 21/23 hunting estates. The sero-prevalence ranged 9–58% positive cervids per site. Positive animals were found in all four regions ( Fig. 1 ), with the

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*OR: Odds ratio.

highest proportion found in Mid-Jutland (63/207).

Figures

Fig. 1. The geographical distribution of wild cervids included in the study and the number of animals tested positive for antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii in the hunting season 2017–2018 in Denmark (n = 428). Shown by region and proportion of species sampled (roe deer, fallow deer or red deer) in each region. Pie charts indicate proportion of samples from each cervid species. Note Sika deer was only sampled in Mid-Jutland (n = 14), and hence not included in the map. (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the Web version of this article.)