High Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in an Urban Caracal (Caracal caracal) Population in South Africa

Laurel E K Serieys; Kenneth Hammond-Aryee; Jacqueline Bishop; Joleen Broadfield; M Justin O'Riain; Paul D van Helden

High Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in an Urban Caracal (Caracal caracal) Population in South Africa

J Wildl Dis. 2019 Oct;55(4):951-953. Epub 2019 Mar 28.

Authors

Laurel E K Serieys^{1

2

3}, Kenneth Hammond-Aryee⁴, Jacqueline Bishop¹, Joleen Broadfield², M Justin O'Riain¹, Paul D van Helden⁴

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, Cape Town, South Africa 7701.
² The Cape Leopard Trust, PO Box 31139, Tokai, Cape Town, South Africa 7966.
³ Department of Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz, Campus Mail Stop, 1153 High Street, Santa Cruz, California 95060, USA.
⁴ Department of Science and Technology-National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research/South African Medical Research Council, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 241, Cape Town, South Africa 8000.

PMID: 30920906

Abstract

We investigated Toxoplasmosis gondii antibody seroprevalence in free-ranging caracals (Caracal caracal) in Cape Town, South Africa, from 2014 to 2017. Seropositivity was 83% (24/29), which is substantially higher than that detected in sympatric feral domestic cat (Felis catus) populations. The impact of this pathogen on local human and wildlife communities may be of concern.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Animals, Wild
Antibodies, Protozoan / blood
Cities
Felidae / blood*
Female
Male
Seroepidemiologic Studies
South Africa / epidemiology
Toxoplasma
Toxoplasmosis, Animal / blood*
Toxoplasmosis, Animal / epidemiology
Zoonoses

Substances

Antibodies, Protozoan