ANIMAL TOXOPLASMOSIS: A SEROEPIDEMIOLOGICAL SURVEY ON A GEOGRAPHIC AREA OF TUSCANY REGION

INTRODUCTION: Toxoplasmosis represents the most common parasitic zoonosis worldwide and, despite the European Union has issued a Directive (Dir. 2003/99/EC, implemented in Italy by the DL n. 191, April 4, 2006) including the Toxoplasmosis in the list of zoonosis to be monitored according to the epidemiological situation, the national epidemiological data are so scarce that reliable information to EFSA (European Food Safety Agency) is almost impossible to provide. Most of the currently Italian data are from the Ce.Tox. (National Reference Center for Animal Toxoplasmosis) and, therefore, related to the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in animal species reared in Sicily. In order to improve the knowledge on the distribution of Toxoplasmosis, a seroepidemiological survey was conducted from wild-life and domestic species living in a small mountain geographic area of Tuscany region. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serum samples from 97 cattle, 59 sheep, 24 goats, 56 pigs, 87 wild-boars, and 12 wild ruminants (10 roe deer, 3 red deer, 1 fallow deer), living in the area near to the National Park of “Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona e Campigna”, were obtained through the collaboration with the local Veterinary Public Services and the hunters’ association. Anamnestic informations about the origin of the animals were recorded. All samples collected from domestic and wild-life animals were tested for the detection of anti-Toxoplasma gondii (IgG) antibodies respectively by IFAT (Immunofluorescence Antibody Test) (MegaScreen FLUO Toxoplasma g., Megacor) and by MAT (Microscopic Agglutination Test) (Toxo-Screen DA, Biomérieux). RESULTS: The results of the serological survey according to the animal species are summarized in Table 1; the number of positives are reported on the Map 1.CONCLUSIONS: The map of the positivity shows an important cluster of T. gondii infection extended to the northwest borders of the National Park of “Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona e Campigna”, and including mainly wild boars but also some deer and domestic animals i.e. sheep and pigs. In this area of the Tuscany lives a small population of wild cat (Felix silvestris) and a specimen of Lynx lynx, probably abandoned (ISPRA, 2008, Biologia e conservazione dei felidi in Italia; www.parcoforestecasentinesi.it), that may represent a source of dissemination of the protozoan oocysts across the territory. Although the number of analyzed domestic animals does not represent an appropriate sample size, the prevalence recovered in sheep (37.3%) is consistent and higher than that found in the pig population (14.3%). Concerning pigs, we tested all the adults animals bred in this area: these animals come from factory farms and are raised in this area only 3-4 months for finishing. This could justify the lower seroprevalence than in sheep, which are native animals and graze throughout their life in this territory. Moreover, it is interesting to highlight the high positivity found in deer (33.3%), a selective grazer species, compared to that found in wild boar (29.9%), an omnivorous scavenger species. Our effort to show the distribution of T. gondii in term of geographic area seem to be interesting and suggestive of deeping that we are already planning