Prevalence and molecular analysis of Toxocara cati in Baghdad Province

Authors

  • Zaid Khalid Alani College of Health Medical Techniques, Al-Bayan University, Baghdad, Iraq
  • May Hameed Kawan College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

Keywords:

Toxocara cati; sequences; molecular; ITS2; zoonotic parasite

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to detect Toxocara cati in cats by microscopic and molecular analysis using PCR, sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis.

Materials and Methods: Randomly selected 200 cat feces samples were taken from various pri­vate veterinarian clinics in Baghdad. To identify eggs of T. cati by the flotation method, DNA from 100 cat feces was extracted, and one pair of ITS2 region-specific primers was used for polymerase chain reaction, followed by sequencing.

Results: Toxocara cati infection rate was found to be 23 out of 100 fecal samples using PCR. Ten DNA product sequence data studies showed 98%–100% similarity to the 5.8S ribosomal RNA gene sequences found in the Gene Bank. The study incidence showed that the overall infection rate by microscopic examination was 23%, with no significant difference between stray cats (27%), and domestic cats (19%). After studying the effect of several epidemiological parameters on the infec­tion rate, it was found that the infection rates of stray and domestic cats were higher in kittens under six months of age, at 46.1% and 27%, respectively, whereas rates were lower for the adult than six months was 11.5% of domestic cats and 14.7% of stray cats. The percentage of stray and domestic male cats that were registered was 35.5%, whereas the female cats registered were 20.6% and 17.5%, respectively.

Conclusion: Cats are significant clinical reservoirs for zoonotic parasites. In Iraq, Baghdad has a high incidence of T. cati detections. Compared to conventional methods, PCR is thought to be a more sensitive, accurate diagnostic procedure that confirms the species’ identity.

Adv. Vet. Anim. Res., 11(2): 392-397, June 2024

http://doi.org/10.5455/javar.2024.k788

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Published

2024-08-29

How to Cite

Alani, Z. K., & Kawan, M. H. (2024). Prevalence and molecular analysis of Toxocara cati in Baghdad Province. Journal of Advanced Veterinary and Animal Research, 11(2), 392–397. Retrieved from https://banglajol.info/index.php/JAVAR/article/view/75719

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Original Articles