A meta-analysis and survey on the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in cats (Felis catus)

Abstract Background Toxoplasma gondii is a common protozoan parasite, infecting felines as its definitive host. The potential risk of zoonotic infection necessitates an assessment of infection rate and risk factor in cats. This study aimed to perform a meta-analysis to evaluate the existing data on the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii by coprological examination and conduct a survey to investigate T. gondii infection in cats from the Aligarh region using the coprological method. Results For the meta-analysis, studies published on the prevalence of T. gondii in cats were identified on various databases and relevant data were extracted from the ten included studies. One hundred and five samples of cat faeces were collected from areas around the Aligarh Muslim University campus and examined using flotation method for T. gondii oocysts. Oocyst number per mL of sample was counted using haemocytometer. The pooled prevalence of Toxoplasma was found to be 0.28 (95% CI 0.11–0.45, p = 7.707 × 10 –06 ). An infection rate of 55.2% was observed in this survey, and the per mL of oocyst count was 11,547 ± 8902.4 and 29,531 ± 29,072 in domestic and semi-domestic cats, respectively ( p = 0.01). Conclusion Older cats of Indian breed with outdoor access, having contact with other cats, consuming raw meat and scavenged food, and without clinical care were at significant risk of infection. Sixty-six (62.85%) pet owners were at high risk of zoonosis. Further, lack of awareness of zoonosis and litter management by pet owners were also significant risk factors. Preventative measures, accessible veterinary care, and awareness programmes must be employed to prevent zoonosis.