The global serological prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in felids during the last five decades (1967-2017): a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Felids (domestic and wild cats) are important in the epidemiology of the parasite Toxoplasma gondii because they are the only hosts that can excrete the environmentally resistant oocysts. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the global prevalence of T. gondii in species of the family Felidae. Methods We searched seven databases (PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Proquest and Web of Science) for studies reporting seroprevalence of T. gondii in felids from 1967 to 31 December 2017. A total of 217 published papers, containing 223 datasets were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis, comprised 59,517 domestic and 2733 wild cats from 1967 to 2017. Results The pooled global T. gondii seroprevalence was estimated to be 35% (95% CI: 32-38%) and 59% (95% CI: 56-63%) in domestic cats and wild felids, respectively, using random effects model. The seroprevalence was higher in Australia and Africa where the T. gondii seropositivity in domestic cats was 52% (95% CI: 15-89%) and 51% (95% CI: 20-81%), respectively. The lowest seroprevalence was estimated in Asia 27% (95% CI: 24-30%). The seroprevalence values for T. gondii in wild felids were 74% (95% CI: 62-83%) in Africa, 67% (95% CI: 23-111%) in Asia, 67% (95% CI: 58-75%) in Europe and 66% (95% CI: 41-91%) in South America. Conclusions Our study provides the global prevalence of T. gondii in species of the family Felidae and is a source of information to aid public health workers in developing prevention plans.