Toxoplasma gondii en el porcino en extensivo

Toxoplasmosis, caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, is a worldwide zoonotic disease, which affects most warm-blooded species. The transmission by contaminated pork meat is among the main sources of human toxoplasmosis. We carried out an epidemiological study to determine the seroprevalence, risk factors and spatial distribution of T. gondii in pig farms managed in extensive production systems in southwestern Spain. The individual prevalence of antibodies against T. gondii was 24.1 % (542/2,245) and seropositivity was detected in 86.0 % of the 114 farms analyzed. Toxoplasma gondii infection was significantly more frequent in sows than in fattening pigs and in farms with more than three cats. Our results indicate a widespread but heterogenous distribution of T. gondii in extensively reared pig farms, which may have implications for public health through the consumption of undercooked or not properly cured pork products.