Introduction:

Domestic pigs are considered as one of the main intermediate hosts in the zoonotic transmission of Toxoplasma gondii in many countries. To date, seroepidemiological information on T. gondii in domestic pigs in Cuba is very scarce and there are no reports of T. gondii genotypes circulating in this country.

Objective:

To estimate the seroprevalence of T. gondii and associated risk factors, as well as to provide the genetic characterization of the T. gondii strains circulating in domestic pigs in Villa Clara, Cuba.

Methods:

Anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgG antibodies were detected in 870 pigs (420 from breeding farms and 450 from fattening farms) using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The Multilocus PCR-RFLP and Multilocus Sequence Typing methods allowed the genetic characterization of T. gondii DNA samples detected by conventional PCR of the 529-bp marker in heart and diaphragm samples from ELISA positive fattening pigs.

Results:

The individual seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii: global, in breeding farms and slaughtered fattening pigs was 17.9% (156/870), 13.3% (56/420) and 22.2% (100/450) respectively. The risk factors associated with higher T. gondii seropositivity in breeding farms were altitude and age. Molecular analysis revealed four different genetic profiles that suggest the circulation of non-clonal T. gondii genotypes in domestic pigs in Cuba.

Conclusions:

The results obtained indicate a high exposure of the domestic pig to T. gondii as well as a high genetic diversity of T. gondii in the study region. These findings are relevant for animal and public health in Cuba.

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