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Recent Advances in Toxoplasma gondii Infection and Toxoplasmosis

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A special issue of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease (ISSN 2414-6366). This special issue belongs to the section "Infectious Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2023) | Viewed by 18705

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Dr. Vinícius Longo Ribeiro Vilela

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Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Institute of Paraíba (IFPB), Sousa 58814-000, Brazil
Interests: parasitology; veterinary parasitology; protozoology; helminthology; acarology; zoonosis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Thais Ferreira Feitosa

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Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Instituto Federal da Paraíba (IFPB), Sousa 58807-630, Brazil
Interests: parasitology; protozoosis; infectious diseases; toxoplasmosis; zoonosis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, which affects practically all warm-blooded animals, including humans, domestic animals, and terrestrial and marine wild animals. Susceptible hosts can be infected by T. gondii through the following primary forms: transplacental transmission, ingestion of animal tissues containing infective cysts, and the ingestion of water and food contaminated with cat feces containing sporulated oocysts. Toxoplasma gondii has a complex, facultatively heteroxenous life cycle that involves several stages of development and a range of hosts and environments. In humans, toxoplasmosis is often subclinical in immunocompetent adults; however, in immunosuppressed individuals, it can cause encephalitis and retinochoroiditis. In pregnant women, the parasite can be transmitted to the fetus, causing miscarriage or the development of chorioretinitis, intracranial calcifications and hydrocephalus in the fetus. In animals, T. gondii is responsible for causing miscarriage, fetal mummification, stillbirth and congenital disease, leading to economic losses and increasing production costs. It can also occur subclinically in immunocompetent animals. This characteristic, in addition to making diagnosis difficult, puts human health at risk since it allows the presence of chronically infected animals and facilitates the slaughter of infected animals for human consumption. The consumption of raw or undercooked meat and raw milk is a source of infection for humans. Because of this, it is important to know the spread of this protozoan, which can be identified through seroprevalence surveys. Furthermore, the description of the genetic variability of T. gondii with genotypic characterization studies is also very important for understanding its pathogenicity and virulence. The importance of this genetic knowledge is justified to try to establish a relationship between the genotype and the clinical manifestations, as well as possible associations such as the biological potential of the species, virulence, infectivity, and drug and vaccine resistance. With this Special Issue, we wish to invite our colleagues to submit original manuscripts, research papers, and meta-analyses to build a systematic collection of the available knowledge about T. gondii infection and toxoplasmosis.

Dr. Vinicius Longo Ribeiro Vilela
Dr. Thais Ferreira Feitosa
Guest Editors

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Keywords

coccidia
diagnosis
one health
oocysts
protozoozis
tachyzoites

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 5301 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nanoformulation-Based 1,2,3-Triazole Sulfonamides for Anti-Toxoplasma In Vitro Study

by Fadwa M. Arafa, Heba Said, Doaa Osman, Nadjet Rezki, Mohamed R. Aouad, Mohamed Hagar, Mervat Osman, Bassma H. Elwakil, Mariusz Jaremko and Mona Mohamed Tolba

Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2023, 8(8), 401; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed8080401 - 07 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1213

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is deemed a successful parasite worldwide with a wide range of hosts. Currently, a combination of pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine serves as the first-line treatment; however, these drugs have serious adverse effects. Therefore, it is imperative to focus on new therapies that produce the desired effect with the lowest possible dose. The designation and synthesis of sulfonamide-1,2,3-triazole hybrids (3a–c) were performed to create hybrid frameworks. The newly synthesized compounds were loaded on chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) to form nanoformulations (3a.CNP, 3b.CNP, 3c.CNP) for further in vitro investigation as an anti-Toxoplasma treatment. The current study demonstrated that all examined compounds were active against T. gondii in vitro relative to the control drug, sulfadiazine. 3c.CNP showed the best impact against T. gondii with the lowest IC₅₀ value of 3.64 µg/mL. Using light microscopy, it was found that Vero cells treated with the three nanoformulae showed remarkable morphological improvement, and tachyzoites were rarely seen in the treated cells. Moreover, scanning and transmission electron microscopic studies confirmed the efficacy of the prepared nanoformulae on the parasites. All of them caused parasite ultrastructural damage and altered morphology, suggesting a cytopathic effect and hence confirming their promising anti-Toxoplasma activity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Toxoplasma gondii Infection and Toxoplasmosis)

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8 pages, 1074 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Anti-Toxoplasma gondii and Anti-Neospora caninum Antibodies in Urban Traction Equids in Northeast Brazil: Seroprevalence and Risk Factors

by Paulo Wbiratan Lopes Costa, Clarisse Silva Menezes Oliveira, Roberto Alves Bezerra, Felipe Boniedj Ventura Alvares, Victor Hugo Alves Sousa Formiga, Marianne Rachel Domiciano Dantas Martins, Thais Ferreira Feitosa and Vinícius Longo Ribeiro Vilela

Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2023, 8(4), 234; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed8040234 - 20 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1124

Abstract

The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of anti-T. gondii and anti-N. caninum antibodies in equids that carry out traction work in Northeastern Brazil, and to establish the potential risk factors associated with seropositivity for these agents. Blood samples were collected from 322 traction equids (horses, donkeys and mules) in urban areas of 16 municipalities in the State of Paraíba, Brazil. The samples were sent for serological diagnosis using the Immunofluorescence Antibody Test (IFAT). Epidemiological questionnaires were given to the owners to assess the possible risk factors associated with infections. It was observed that 13.7% (44/322, CI: 10.9–16.5) of the equids tested positive for anti-T. gondii antibodies and 5% (16/322, CI: 2.6–7.4) tested positive for anti-N. caninum antibodies. Conducting traction work for over four years was considered a risk factor associated with T. gondii infection (odds ratio: 6.050; CI: 4.38–8.54, p = 0.025). There were no risk factors associated with N. caninum infection. It was concluded that traction equids have a significant prevalence of anti-T. gondii and anti-N. caninum antibodies in urban areas in the State of Paraíba, with an identified risk factor for seropositivity for anti-T. gondii as conducting traction work for more than four years. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Toxoplasma gondii Infection and Toxoplasmosis)

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8 pages, 694 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Seroepidemiological Survey of Anti-Toxoplasma gondii and Anti-Neospora caninum Antibodies in Domestic Cats (Felis catus) in Rolim de Moura, State of Rondônia, North Brazil

by Ana Luzia Peixoto Silva, Estefany Ferreira Lima, Geraldo Moreira Silva Filho, Larissa Claudino Ferreira, Beatriz de Andrade Campos, Ividy Bison, Arthur Willian de Lima Brasil, Roberta Nunes Parentoni, Thais Ferreira Feitosa and Vinícius Longo Ribeiro Vilela

Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2023, 8(4), 220; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed8040220 - 10 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1270

Abstract

Epidemiological studies on infections by Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in cats in the North Region of Brazil are scarce. We intended to assess the seroprevalence in cats of anti-T. gondii and anti-N. caninum antibodies, as well as the associated risk factors that may lead them to contract these infections in Rolim de Moura, state of Rondônia, North Brazil. For this, blood serum samples of 100 cats from different regions of the city were evaluated. To assess possible factors associated with infections, epidemiological questionnaires were applied to tutors. The Immunofluorescence Antibody Test (IFAT) was performed for anti-T. gondii (cutoff 1:16) and anti-N. caninum (cutoff 1:50) antibodies. After identifying the positive samples, antibody titration was performed. The results showed the prevalence of 26% (26/100) of anti-T. gondii antibodies, with titration varying between 1:16 to 1:8192. There were no factors associated with the prevalence of anti-T. gondii antibodies in the multivariate analysis in this study. There was no occurrence of seropositive cats for anti-N. caninum. It was concluded that there was a high prevalence of anti-T. gondii antibodies in cats in Rolim de Moura, state of Rondônia, North Brazil. However, the evaluated animals did not present anti-N. caninum antibodies. Therefore, knowing that T. gondii has different transmission forms, we emphasize the importance of spreading more information to the population about cat’s relevance in the T. gondii life cycle and how to avoid the parasite transmission and proliferation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Toxoplasma gondii Infection and Toxoplasmosis)

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13 pages, 2892 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Preparation and Preliminary Application of Epitope Peptide-Based Antibody against Toxoplasma gondii GRA3

by Ru Wang, Minmin Wu, Haijian Cai, Ran An, Ying Chen, Jie Wang, Nan Zhou and Jian Du

Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2023, 8(3), 143; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed8030143 - 27 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1685

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii dense granule protein GRA3 has been shown to promote Toxoplasma gondii transmission and proliferation by interacting with the host cell endoplasmic reticulum (ER) through calcium-regulated cyclophilin ligands (CAMLG). Although many studies have focused on the interaction between the host cell endoplasmic reticulum and GRA3, no polyclonal antibodies (PcAbs) against GRA3 have been reported to date. According to the antigenicity prediction and exposure site analysis, three antigen peptide sequences were selected to prepare polyclonal antibodies targeting GRA3. Peptide scans revealed that the major antigenic epitope sequences were ¹²⁵ELYDRTDRPGLK¹³⁶, ²⁰²FFRRRPKDGGAG²¹³, and ⁶⁸NEAGESYSSATSG⁸⁰, respectively. The GRA3 PcAb specifically recognized the GRA3 of T. gondii type Ⅱ ME49. The development of PcAbs against GRA3 is expected to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which GRA3 regulates host cell function and contribute to the development of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for toxoplasmosis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Toxoplasma gondii Infection and Toxoplasmosis)

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15 pages, 2481 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of Geographical Distribution of Emerging Zoonotic Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Women Patients Using Geographical Information System (GIS) in Various Regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Province, Pakistan

by Muhammad Jamil Khan, Murad A. Mubaraki, Sarwat Jahan, Baharullah Khattak, Manzoor Khan, Fozia, Malik Abid Hussain Khokhar and Ijaz Ahmad

Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2022, 7(12), 430; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed7120430 - 11 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2330

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by T. gondii, an obligate intracellular apcomplexan zoonotic parasite that is geographically worldwide in distribution. The parasite infects humans and all warm-blooded animals and is highly prevalent in various geographical regions of the world, including Pakistan. The current study addressee prevalence of Toxoplasma infection in women in various geographical regions, mapping of endemic division and t district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province through geographical information system (GIS) in order to locate endemic regions, monitor seasonal and annual increase in prevalence of infection in women patients. Setting: Tertiary hospitals and basic health care centers located in 7 divisions and 24 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province of Pakistan. During the current study, 3586 women patients from 7 divisions and 24 districts were clinically examined and screened for prevalence of T. gondii infection. Participants were screened for Toxoplasma infection using ICT and latex agglutination test (LAT) as initial screening assay, while iELISA (IgM, IgG) was used as confirmatory assay. Mapping of the studied region was developed by using ArcGIS 10.5. Spatial analyst tools were applied by using Kriging/Co-kriging techniques, followed by IDW (Inverse Distance Weight) techniques. Overall prevalence of T. gondii infection was found in 881 (24.56%) patients. A significant (<0.05) variation was found in prevalence of infection in different divisions and districts of the province. Prevalence of infection was significantly (<0.05) high 129 (30.07%) in Kohat Division, followed by 177 (29.06%), 80 (27.87%), 287 (26.72%), 81 (21.21%), 47 (21.07%), and 80 (13.71%) cases in Hazara Division, D.I Khan Division, Malakand Division, Mardan Division, Bannu Division, and Peshawar Division. Among various districts, a significant variation (<0.05) was found in prevalence of infection. Prevalence of infection was significantly (<0.05) high 49 (44.95%) in district Karak, while low (16 (10.81%) in district Nowshera. No significant (>0.05) seasonal and annual variation was found in prevalence of Toxoplasma infection. LAT, ICT and ELISA assays were evaluated for prevalence of infection, which significantly (<0.05) detected T. gondii antibodies. LAT, ICT and ELISA assays significantly (<0.05) detected infection, while no significant (>0.05) difference was found between positivity of LAT and ICT assays. A significant difference (<0.05) was found in positivity of Toxoplasma-specific (IgM), (IgG) and (IgM, IgG) immunoglobulin by ICT and ELISA assay. The current study provides comprehensive information about geographical distribution, seasonal and annual variation of Toxoplasmosis infection in various regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Infection of T. gondii in women shows an alarming situation of disease transmission from infected animals in the studied region, which is not only a serious and potential threat for adverse pregnancy outcomes, but also cause socioeconomic burden and challenges for various public and animal health organizations in Pakistan and across the country. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Toxoplasma gondii Infection and Toxoplasmosis)

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13 pages, 1001 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Seropositivity of Anti-Toxoplasma gondii Antibodies in Owners and Their Dogs Living on Island and Mainland Seashore Areas of Southern Brazil

by Aaronson Ramathan Freitas, Ruana Renostro Delai, Louise Bach Kmetiuk, Evelyn Cristine da Silva, Rafaella Martini, Ana Pérola Drulla Brandão, Rogério Giuffrida, Ivan Roque de Barros-Filho, Rodrigo Costa da Silva, Hélio Langoni, Fabiano Borges Figueiredo, Cláudia Turra Pimpão, Andrea Pires Dos Santos, Vamilton Alvares Santarém and Alexander Welker Biondo

Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2022, 7(10), 252; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed7100252 - 20 Sep 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1938

Abstract

Although toxoplasmosis has been considered among the most neglected zoonoses worldwide, no study has focused on the frequency and associated risk factors of owners and their dogs living on an island and mainland seashore areas. Accordingly, anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgG antibodies were screened by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) in owners and dogs from three oceanic islands and two nearby mainland harbor areas, with associated risk factors for toxoplasmosis assessed by univariable and multivariable logistic regression models. Overall, anti-T. gondii seropositivity was observed in 59/328 (18.0%) owners and 66/283 (23.3%) dogs, with no statistical difference between owners (p = 0.360) and dogs (p = 0.655) from islands and mainland areas. Consumption of local water springs (p = 0.016; OR = 2.11) was an associated risk factor for T. gondii seropositivity, and owners with the habit of spring water intake were twice more likely seropositive (p = 0.014; OR = 2.14). Presence of anti-T. gondii antibodies in dogs was associated with seropositive owners (p = 0.008; OR = 2.81), household consumption of beef meat (p = 0.042; OR = 1.7) and chicken (p = 0.026; OR = 2.9). Despite being lower than the worldwide prevalence, toxoplasmosis seropositivity in owners and their dogs in southern Brazil was influenced by the positive owner, water source, and meat consumption, and not by inhabiting islands or seashore mainland areas, presence of dogs, cats, or both. In addition, drinking water quality should always be considered a critical risk factor for toxoplasmosis on islands. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Toxoplasma gondii Infection and Toxoplasmosis)

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Review

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10 pages, 291 KiB

Open AccessReview

Toxoplasmosis Infection during Pregnancy

by Myla Deganich, Crystal Boudreaux and Imaan Benmerzouga

Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2023, 8(1), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed8010003 - 21 Dec 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5023

Abstract

This literature review aims to give an overview of the current knowledge concerning how a toxoplasmosis infection affects the mother and her fetus. A thorough search of PubMed and a complimentary search of Google Scholar databases were used to identify relevant studies for this review. Although a Toxoplasma gondii infection is preventable, this infection is contracted by consuming contaminated food and water and by exposure to environmental sources of infection such as contaminated soil. Maternal-to-fetal transmission of this infection can result in devastating ophthalmic and neurological consequences for the fetus. Although a toxoplasmosis infection can result in long-term effects on the fetus, chronic disease is also associated with mental illness in mothers. Effective treatment can reduce the risk of congenital toxoplasmosis and the long-term consequences of infection in the fetus. Without appropriate screening and education programs, this infection will remain largely undiagnosed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Toxoplasma gondii Infection and Toxoplasmosis)

Other

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14 pages, 824 KiB

Open AccessBrief Report

One Health Approach in Serosurvey of Toxoplasma gondii in Former Black Slave (Quilombola) Communities in Southern Brazil and Among Their Dogs

by Giovanni Kalempa Panazzolo, Louise Bach Kmetiuk, Orlei José Domingues, João Henrique Farinhas, Fernando Rodrigo Doline, Danilo Alves de França, Nássarah Jabur Lot Rodrigues, Leandro Meneguelli Biondo, Rogério Giuffrida, Helio Langoni, Vamilton Alvares Santarém, Alexander Welker Biondo and Giovani Marino Fávero

Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2023, 8(7), 377; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed8070377 - 24 Jul 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1306

Abstract

Brazilian quilombos are rural semi-isolated remnant communities of former black slaves and their descendants who traditionally maintained themselves through archaic subsistence livestock and agriculture practices and historically lacked specific public health policies. Although such individuals and their dogs may be exposed to zoonotic pathogens such as Toxoplasma gondii, no study to date has assessed these human-animal populations together. Populations in four different Brazilian quilombos in southern Brazil were evaluated. Overall, 93/208 people (44.7%) and 63/100 dogs (63.0%) were seropositive for IgG anti-T. gondii antibodies by indirect immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT), 4/208 (1.9%) human samples seropositive for IgM anti-T. gondii antibodies, with a human-dog seropositivity ratio for IgG of 0.71. Quilombola individuals ingesting game meat were 2.43-fold more likely (95% CI: 1.05–5.9) to be seropositive. No risk factors were associated with seropositivity among dogs, thus suggesting that their exposure to T. gondii was random. Surprisingly, our research group had previously found an inverted human-dog ratio for T. gondii seropositivity of 2.54 in the urban area of a nearby major city. Because consumption of raw/undercooked game meat by quilombola individuals may have contributed to higher exposure, higher overall seroprevalence among dogs may have also indicated interaction with wildlife. Although these dogs may hunt wildlife without their owners’ awareness, the higher dog seropositivity may also be related to feeding from discarded food in the community or backyard livestock animals and drinking surface water contaminated with oocysts. Thus, wildlife cannot be singled out as the reason, and future studies should consider sampling water, soil, wildlife, and livestock tissues, to fully establish the source of infection in dogs herein. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Toxoplasma gondii Infection and Toxoplasmosis)

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