Seroprevalence of IToxoplasma gondii/I, INeospora caninum/I and ITrichinella/I spp. in Pigs from Cairo, Egypt

Toxoplasma gondii and Trichinella species are parasites of major public health importance because they cause severe clinical consequences in infected humans. In addition, infections of Neospora caninum in livestock are reported to cause substantial losses to the economy because of adverse effects on animal production and reproduction. In Egypt, the breeding of pigs has particular characteristics regarding the targeted consumers (tourists and Christians), breeding places (Cairo and Giza), and licensed abattoirs (only El-Bassatin in Cairo). Herein, we sought to provide a comprehensive investigation of the major parasites of pigs, including T. gondii, Trichinella species, and N. caninum, a parasite of high priority in ruminants. This study revealed variable seropositive rates against all tested parasites in pigs from Cairo, Egypt. Seropositivity was the highest for T. gondii (45.8%), followed by N. caninum (28.0%), mixed infection by both parasites (18.7%), and Trichinella spp. (1.2%). We also found the location was a predisposing factor for seropositivity for T. gondii, while location and sex were identified as predisposing factors for N. caninum seropositivity in pigs. The provided information in this study presents valuable information on the seroprevalence of T. gondii and Trichinella, and novel information on N. caninum existence among pigs in Cairo, Egypt. Pork production is a niche economy in Egypt, and pigs are typically raised as backyard animals with no sanitary control, potentially exposing them to various pathogens. Commercially available ELISAs were used to detect specific antibodies to the food-borne zoonotic parasites Toxoplasma gondii and Trichinella spp., as well as to Neospora caninum, in serum samples of pigs slaughtered at Egypt’s only licensed pig abattoir, the El-Bassatin abattoir in Cairo. Among the tested sera (n = 332), seroreactivity for T. gondii was 45.8% (95% confidence interval: 40.4–51.3), N. caninum was 28.0% (95% CI: 23.3–33.2), and Trichinella spp. was 1.2% (95% CI: 0.4–3.3). Mixed infection was only detected for T. gondii and N. caninum (18.7%; 95% CI: 14.7–23.4). The seroprevalence of T. gondii was significantly higher (p = 0.0003) in animals collected from southern Cairo (15 May city slum) than in eastern Cairo (Ezbet El Nakhl slum). Seroprevalence for N. caninum was higher in western (Manshiyat Naser slum; p = 0.0003) and southern Cairo (15 May city slum; p = 0.0003) than in that of eastern Cairo (Ezbet El Nakhl slum; p =