Comparison of a Commercial Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) with the Modified Agglutination Test (MAT) for the Detection of Antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii in a Cohort of Hunting Dogs.

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease, caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, affecting most warm-blooded animals. Assessing the seroprevalence of T. gondii in different animal species gives a good estimate of the global circulation of the parasite and the risk for human infections. However, the seroprevalence of T. gondii in dogs is not studied as much as other species, despite their close contact with wildlife and humans in rural or urban environments and evidence that dogs can also be a potential source for human contaminations. A commercial enzyme-inked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit to detect anti-T. gondii antibodies in sera of hunting dogs potentially naturally infected, was compared to the modified agglutination test (MAT), used as the reference method. The ELISA presented a sensitivity of 76.5% (CI 95%: 60.0-87.6) and a specificity of 87.7% (CI 95%: 76.7-93.9) and a substantial agreement with the MAT for the detection of canine anti-T. gondii antibodies. Both tests can therefore be used widely for epidemiology studies on T. gondii infections in dogs. With a mean seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in hunting dogs from northern Algeria of 36.8% (CI 95%: 34.9-38.7), this study also highlights the importance of T. gondii seroprevalence studies in companion animals to assess infectious risk for human populations.

Assessment of Trypanosoma evansi prevalence and associated risk factors by immune trypanolysis test in camels from Ghardaïa district, southern Algeria.

Trypanosoma evansi (T. evansi) is a flagellated parasite with worldwide distribution, mainly affecting camels, horses, dogs, buffaloes and wild animals. Trypanosomosis caused by T. evansi, known as surra, is a vector borne disease that affects the health and productivity of camels. The aim of our study was to assess the prevalence of trypanosomosis due to T. evansi in camels by the immune trypanolosis test and to identify associated risk factors. Our cross-sectional study was performed on 161 camels from Ghardaïa district, southern Algeria. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on individual characteristics (age, gender and breed) husbandry management (herd size and activity of animals) and health conditions (history of abortion and clinical symptoms). The immune trypanolysis test revealed an overall seroprevalence of 9.3% (CI 95%, 5.9-14.9). Possible factors associated with T. evansi infection were analysed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression. The results showed that risk factors for camels were history of symptoms (P = 0.002, OR = 21.91, CI95% = 3.48-169.80), racing activities (P = 0.003, OR = 0.01, CI95% = 0.001-0.18) and small herd size (P = 0.013, OR = 8.22, CI95% = 1.64-49.75). In conclusion, this study showed that T. evansi is endemic in camels of Ghardaïa district. To reduce dissemination of the disease to non-endemic areas, it is recommended to minimise risk factors associated with the infection.