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P3-115 A Systematic Meta-Analysis of Toxoplasma gondii Prevalence in Meat Animals in the United States

Wednesday, August 3, 2016
America's Center - St. Louis
Miao Guo, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Abhinav Mishra, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Robert Buchanan, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Jitender Dubey, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD
Dolores Hill, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD
H. Ray Gamble, National Academy of Science Fellowships Office, Washington, DC
Jeffrey Jones, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Abani Pradhan, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Introduction: Toxoplasma gondii is a widely distributed protozoan parasite. It is one of the most important foodborne pathogens worldwide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that T. gondii is one of three pathogens (along with Salmonella and Listeria), which together account for >70% of all deaths due to foodborne illnesses in the United States. Meat animals are reservoirs for T. gondii and act as one of the sources for parasite transmission to humans. Based on limited population-based data, the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization estimated that approximately 22% of human T. gondii infections are meatborne.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic meta-analysis to provide a precise estimation of T. gondii infection prevalence in meat animals produced in the United States.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted to collect eligible studies for T. gondii prevalence in meat animals from four databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, MEDLINE and Web of Science). Prevalence was estimated in six animal categories (confinement raised market pigs, confinement raised sows, non-confinement raised pigs, lamb, goats, and non-confinement raised chickens) by a quality-effects model.

Results: A wide variation in prevalence was observed in each animal category. Animals raised outdoors or that have outdoor access had a higher prevalence as compared with animals raised indoors. T. gondii prevalence in non-confinement raised pigs ranked the highest (31.0%) followed by goats (30.7%), non-confinement raised chickens (24.1%), lambs (22.0%), confinement raised sows (16.7%), and confinement raised market pigs (5.6%).

Significance: The results obtained could not only allow researchers to understand T. gondii prevalence in different animal species, but can also be used as an important input in quantitative microbial risk assessment models to further predict public health burden.

Back to: Poster Session 3 – Antimicrobials, Laboratory and Detection Methods, Microbial Food Spoilage, Modeling and Risk Assessment, Retail and Food Service Safety and Sanitation
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