AUTHOR=Hassanen Eman A. A. , Makau Dennis N. , Afifi Mohamed , Al-Jabr Omar A. , Abdulrahman Alshahrani Mohammed , Saif Ahmed , Anter Reham G. A. , El-Neshwy Wafaa M. , Ibrahim Doaa , Abou Elez Rasha M. M. 

TITLE=Interplay between cross sectional analysis of risk factors associated with Toxoplasma gondii infection in pregnant women and their domestic cats

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Veterinary Science

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2023.1147614

DOI=10.3389/fvets.2023.1147614

ISSN=2297-1769

ABSTRACT=<p>Toxoplasmosis is a global zoonotic disease caused by <italic>Toxoplasma gondii</italic> (<italic>T. gondii</italic>). The primary aim of this study was to identify hygienic and cat management practices that could affect the occurrence of <italic>T. gondii</italic> in cats and their owners in Sharqia Governorate, Egypt. <italic>T. gondii</italic> infection was evaluated in 80 pregnant women and 29 domestic cats using Real-time PCR. A questionnaire was administered to obtain information regarding the risk factors associated with <italic>T. gondii</italic> infection. Blood samples were collected from enrolled pregnant women, and fecal samples were collected from their pet cats. Firth logistic regression model complemented with random forest (RF) analysis was used to evaluate the association of different hygiene and cat management practices with <italic>T. gondii</italic> infection in pregnant women. <italic>T. gondii</italic> infection was identified in 27.5% of pregnant women and 17% of domestic cats. Drinking raw milk and contacting stray and pet cats were significantly associated with higher odds of <italic>T. gondii</italic> infection. The proportion of <italic>T. gondii</italic>-positive women who ate raw meat (60.0%) was higher than those ate heat-cooked meat (25.3%). Moreover, women who did not wash their hands after contact with cats were 6 times (OR 6.12; CI: 3.03–9.21) more likely to experience <italic>T. gondii</italic> infection than those washed their hands after cat contact. The RF analysis showed that washing hands constitute a serious yet preventable public health concern that requires targeted, community-specific efforts. Cat owners, particularly pregnant women, need to be aware about the risk of <italic>T. gondii</italic> infection, while handling cat and pet's owner should be advised to take necessary hygienic measures to prevent its infection.</p>