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Environmental Factors Associated with the Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in Wild Boars (Sus scrofa), France

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Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite infecting humans and animals. Wild boars Sus scrofa are a potential source of human infection and an appropriate biological model for analyzing T. gondii dynamics in the environment. Here, we aimed to identify environmental factors explaining the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in French wild boar populations. Considering 938 individuals sampled from 377 ‘communes’, overall seroprevalence was 23% (95% confidence interval: [22–24]). Using a Poisson regression, we found that the number of seropositive wild boars detected per ‘commune’ was positively associated with the presence of European wildcats (Felis silvestris) and moderate winter temperatures.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the agents of the Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage for their help in the field, R. Geers for laboratory analyses, and B. Persyn and S. Ruette for their help in collecting complementary data. The work was financially supported by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupationnal Health Safety.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. INRA, UR346, 63122, Saint-Genes-Champanelle, France

    Marina Beral, Patrick Gasqui, David Abrial & Elsa Jourdain

  2. Direction des Etudes et de la Recherche, Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, Unité Sanitaire de la Faune, 05000, Gap, France

    Sophie Rossi

  3. Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, EA 3800, SFR CAP-SANTE, 51 rue Cognacq-Jay, 51096, Reims, France

    Dominique Aubert & Isabelle Villena

  4. French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupationnal Health Safety (ANSES), Nancy Laboratory for Rabies and Wildlife, Technopole Agricole et Vétérinaire, 54220, Malzéville, France

    Marie-Eve Terrier & Céline Richomme

  5. Centre National d’Etude et de Recherche Appliquées sur les Cervidés-Sangliers, Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, 1 Place Exelmans, 55000, Bar-le-Duc, France

    Francois Klein

  6. Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Bâtiment Mendel, CNRS, UMR5558, Université Lyon 1, 43 Bd du 11 novembre 1918, 69622, Villeurbanne, France

    Emmanuelle Gilot-Fromont

  7. VetAgro-Sup Campus Vétérinaire, 1 Avenue Bourgelat, 69280, Marcy l’Etoile, France

    Emmanuelle Gilot-Fromont

  8. Direction des Etudes et de la Recherche, Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, Unité Sanitaire de la Faune, 38610, Gieres, France

    Jean Hars

Authors
  1. Marina Beral
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  2. Sophie Rossi
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  3. Dominique Aubert
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  4. Patrick Gasqui
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  5. Marie-Eve Terrier
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  6. Francois Klein
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  7. Isabelle Villena
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  8. David Abrial
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  9. Emmanuelle Gilot-Fromont
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  10. Céline Richomme
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  11. Jean Hars
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  12. Elsa Jourdain
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elsa Jourdain.

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Beral, M., Rossi, S., Aubert, D. et al. Environmental Factors Associated with the Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in Wild Boars (Sus scrofa), France. EcoHealth 9, 303–309 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-012-0786-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-012-0786-2

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