The prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in mice living in Danish indoor sow herds

Stine Thorsø Nielsen, Isabella Linde Westergaard, Grith Kirkhoff Guldbech, Henrik Vedel Nielsen, Maria Vang Johansen*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)
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Abstract

Background: Toxoplasma gondii is found worldwide, and consumption of undercooked meat is considered a significant risk factor for human infections. In Denmark, little is known about the distribution of T. gondii, but a recent study revealed a seroprevalence of 34% in Danish indoor sows. The present cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the role of mice for the transmission of T. gondii in Danish indoor sow herds. Results: In total, 56 sow herds were visited, 137 mice were caught by snap traps from 32 farms, and 52 cat faecal samples were collected from 22 farms. Eight percent of the mice were positive for T. gondii DNA, representing 11% of the farms. Significant associations were found between the presence of T. gondii-positive mice and both open feed systems (P= 0.041) and extra rodent control on the farm (P= 0.024). All cat faecal samples were deemed negative for T. gondii by light microscopy examination and real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. Conclusion: Mice captured inside Danish sow herds were found to be infected with T. gondii and may thus contribute to the transmission of T. gondii to sows, which may explain the high seroprevalence found in Danish pigs.

Original languageEnglish
Article number48
JournalActa Veterinaria Scandinavica
Volume61
Issue number1
Number of pages5
ISSN0044-605X
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2019

Keywords

  • Indoor sow herds
  • Mus musculus
  • Sus scrofa domesticus
  • Toxoplasma gondii
  • Transmission

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