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Species or local environment, what determines the infection of rodents by Toxoplasma gondii?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 October 2013

CÉCILE GOTTELAND ,
YANNICK CHAVAL ,
ISABELLE VILLENA ,
MAXIME GALAN ,
RÉGINE GEERS ,
DOMINIQUE AUBERT ,
MARIE-LAZARINE POULLE ,
NATHALIE CHARBONNEL  and
EMMANUELLE GILOT-FROMONT
CÉCILE GOTTELAND*
Affiliation:
Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, EA 3800, UFR de Médecine, SFR Cap Santé FED 4231, 51 rue Cognacq-Jay, F-51096 Reims, France Université Lyon 1, UMR CNRS 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie, 43 Bd du 11 novembre 1918, 69622, Villeurbanne, France
YANNICK CHAVAL
Affiliation:
INRA, UMR CBGP (INRA⁄IRD⁄Cirad⁄Montpellier SupAgro), Campus international de Baillarguet, CS 30016, F-34988 Montferrier-sur-Lez Cedex, France
ISABELLE VILLENA
Affiliation:
Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, EA 3800, UFR de Médecine, SFR Cap Santé FED 4231, 51 rue Cognacq-Jay, F-51096 Reims, France
MAXIME GALAN
Affiliation:
INRA, UMR CBGP (INRA⁄IRD⁄Cirad⁄Montpellier SupAgro), Campus international de Baillarguet, CS 30016, F-34988 Montferrier-sur-Lez Cedex, France
RÉGINE GEERS
Affiliation:
Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, EA 3800, UFR de Médecine, SFR Cap Santé FED 4231, 51 rue Cognacq-Jay, F-51096 Reims, France
DOMINIQUE AUBERT
Affiliation:
Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, EA 3800, UFR de Médecine, SFR Cap Santé FED 4231, 51 rue Cognacq-Jay, F-51096 Reims, France
MARIE-LAZARINE POULLE
Affiliation:
Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, EA 3800, UFR de Médecine, SFR Cap Santé FED 4231, 51 rue Cognacq-Jay, F-51096 Reims, France Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, CERFE, 08240 Boult-aux-bois, France
NATHALIE CHARBONNEL
Affiliation:
INRA, UMR CBGP (INRA⁄IRD⁄Cirad⁄Montpellier SupAgro), Campus international de Baillarguet, CS 30016, F-34988 Montferrier-sur-Lez Cedex, France
EMMANUELLE GILOT-FROMONT
Affiliation:
Université Lyon 1, UMR CNRS 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie, 43 Bd du 11 novembre 1918, 69622, Villeurbanne, France Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup, 1 Avenue Bourgelat, F-69280, Marcy l'Etoile, France
*
*Corresponding author. UMR-CNRS 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Bâtiment Mendel, 1er étage, 43 Bd du 11 novembre 1918, 69622, Villeurbanne, France. E-mail: cecile.gotteland@univ-lyon1.fr
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Summary

Toxoplasmosis is largely present in rural areas but its spatial distribution in this environment remains poorly known. In particular, it is unclear if areas of high density of cats, the only hosts excreting Toxoplasma gondii, constitute foci of high prevalence. To improve our understanding of the spatial distribution of T. gondii in rural areas, we performed a serological survey in rodents from two villages in France. We trapped 710 rodents including commensal rats and meadow or forest voles and mice. The presence of T. gondii was examined using PCR, mice inoculation and modified agglutination test for antibodies (MAT). We conducted multivariate and discriminant analyses to identify biological, ecological or spatial variables that could explain T. gondii serology in rodents. We then used a logistic regression to assess the relative influence of each explanatory variable. Overall seroprevalence was 4·1%. Commensal-rats were more infected (12·5%) than non-commensal species (3·7%). However, the major determinant of the risk of infection was the distance to the nearest farm (OR = 0·75 for 100 m), which explained the risk in all species or non-commensal species only. We contrast the role of species characteristics and that of the local environment, and discuss the risk of environmental contamination for humans.

Keywords

Toxoplasma gondiirodentsecologylandscapelocal scalerural areacommensal species
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 141 , Issue 2 , February 2014 , pp. 259 - 268
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

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