Zoonotic Risks of Infection with Toxoplasma gondii and Toxocara cati in Stray and Domestic Cats of Alborz Province

Background: Cities offer good environments that promote the occurrence of zoonotic diseases in stray and domestic cats. Toxoplasma gondii and Toxocara cati are two important parasitic agents of serious concern to the health of the human population. T. gondii is capable of causing acute disease especially among the immunocompromised patients, whereas T. cati leads to toxocariasis that has ocular and neurological symptoms. Both parasites contaminate the environment through feline feces. This study sought to establish the rate of these parasites in stray and domestic cats in the Alborz Province, Iran. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study in the period between August ۲۰۲۴ and July ۲۰۲۵ in the veterinary clinics of Alborz Province. Three hundred and forty-two suspected cats (۲۱۴ stray and ۱۲۸ domestic) with clinical symptoms of parasitic infection were studied. Blood and feces samples were isolated and examined through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. Statistical analysis was done on the data through the Chi-square test at level of p < ۰.۰۵. Results: The DNA of parasites was found in ۳۰.۱ percent of the tested cats. Prevalence of T. gondii infection among stray cats was ۱۶.۸% and domestic cats at ۱۳.۳% with the only presence of T. cati in stray cats (۲۹%). A coinfection between the two parasites was detected in ۵.۶ percent of the stray cats. The difference in prevalence of T. cati in the two groups was very significant (p < ۰.۰۱). Conclusion: These results suggest that stray cats are a significant problem in the transmission of zoonotic parasites and pose a severe risk to the health community. This risk would be minimized by taking population control measures and antiparasitic programs against stray cats.

کلیدواژه ها:

Parasitic infections ، PCR ، Zoonotic risk ، Toxoplasma gondii ، Toxocara cati