{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,12]],"date-time":"2025-10-12T01:23:38Z","timestamp":1760232218916,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,21]],"date-time":"2022-10-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1666310400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"FCT\u2014Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P.","award":["PTDC\/CVT-CVT\/0228\/2020","GHTM, UID\/04413\/2020","VALORIZA, UIDB\/05064\/2020","CITAB, UIDB\/04033\/2020","CERNAS, UIDB\/00681\/2020","UIDB\/04750\/2020","LA\/P\/0064\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PTDC\/CVT-CVT\/0228\/2020","GHTM, UID\/04413\/2020","VALORIZA, UIDB\/05064\/2020","CITAB, UIDB\/04033\/2020","CERNAS, UIDB\/00681\/2020","UIDB\/04750\/2020","LA\/P\/0064\/2020"]}]},{"name":"Global Health and Tropical Medicine","award":["PTDC\/CVT-CVT\/0228\/2020","GHTM, UID\/04413\/2020","VALORIZA, UIDB\/05064\/2020","CITAB, UIDB\/04033\/2020","CERNAS, UIDB\/00681\/2020","UIDB\/04750\/2020","LA\/P\/0064\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PTDC\/CVT-CVT\/0228\/2020","GHTM, UID\/04413\/2020","VALORIZA, UIDB\/05064\/2020","CITAB, UIDB\/04033\/2020","CERNAS, UIDB\/00681\/2020","UIDB\/04750\/2020","LA\/P\/0064\/2020"]}]},{"name":"Research Centre for Endogenous Resource Valorization","award":["PTDC\/CVT-CVT\/0228\/2020","GHTM, UID\/04413\/2020","VALORIZA, UIDB\/05064\/2020","CITAB, UIDB\/04033\/2020","CERNAS, UIDB\/00681\/2020","UIDB\/04750\/2020","LA\/P\/0064\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PTDC\/CVT-CVT\/0228\/2020","GHTM, UID\/04413\/2020","VALORIZA, UIDB\/05064\/2020","CITAB, UIDB\/04033\/2020","CERNAS, UIDB\/00681\/2020","UIDB\/04750\/2020","LA\/P\/0064\/2020"]}]},{"name":"Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences","award":["PTDC\/CVT-CVT\/0228\/2020","GHTM, UID\/04413\/2020","VALORIZA, UIDB\/05064\/2020","CITAB, UIDB\/04033\/2020","CERNAS, UIDB\/00681\/2020","UIDB\/04750\/2020","LA\/P\/0064\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PTDC\/CVT-CVT\/0228\/2020","GHTM, UID\/04413\/2020","VALORIZA, UIDB\/05064\/2020","CITAB, UIDB\/04033\/2020","CERNAS, UIDB\/00681\/2020","UIDB\/04750\/2020","LA\/P\/0064\/2020"]}]},{"name":"Centre for Natural Resources, Environment and Society","award":["PTDC\/CVT-CVT\/0228\/2020","GHTM, UID\/04413\/2020","VALORIZA, UIDB\/05064\/2020","CITAB, UIDB\/04033\/2020","CERNAS, UIDB\/00681\/2020","UIDB\/04750\/2020","LA\/P\/0064\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PTDC\/CVT-CVT\/0228\/2020","GHTM, UID\/04413\/2020","VALORIZA, UIDB\/05064\/2020","CITAB, UIDB\/04033\/2020","CERNAS, UIDB\/00681\/2020","UIDB\/04750\/2020","LA\/P\/0064\/2020"]}]},{"name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e Tecnologia (FCT, Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology)","award":["PTDC\/CVT-CVT\/0228\/2020","GHTM, UID\/04413\/2020","VALORIZA, UIDB\/05064\/2020","CITAB, UIDB\/04033\/2020","CERNAS, UIDB\/00681\/2020","UIDB\/04750\/2020","LA\/P\/0064\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PTDC\/CVT-CVT\/0228\/2020","GHTM, UID\/04413\/2020","VALORIZA, UIDB\/05064\/2020","CITAB, UIDB\/04033\/2020","CERNAS, UIDB\/00681\/2020","UIDB\/04750\/2020","LA\/P\/0064\/2020"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>(1) Background: Toxoplasma gondii is a widespread zoonotic agent that greatly impacts Public Health, being responsible for one of the most important parasitic zoonosis worldwide. T. gondii has a heteroxenous life cycle, with cats being the definitive hosts and all warm-blooded animals, including humans, being intermediate hosts. Veterinary practitioners (VP) may be at a higher risk than the general population for T. gondii infection, as they have direct and daily contact with many animal species. The aim of the present study was to ascertain if VP were more likely to be anti-T. gondii IgG seropositive than the general population, as well as to understand if age, accidents with blood-contaminated sharps (cross-blood contamination), gender, working years, and geographic regions play a role as risk factors for T. gondii infection. For this purpose, a case\u2013control study using archived samples was performed. (2) Methods: A total of 350 veterinary practitioners were tested using a commercial semiquantitative enzyme immunoassay for anti-T. gondii IgG. From the general population, 175 anonymous volunteers (matched with cases by region, age, and gender) were studied for anti-T. gondii IgG. (3) Results: There was no statistical difference found between the presence of anti-T. gondii IgG in practitioners (26%; CI = 21.40\u201330.60%) and the general population (33.14%; CI = 26.17\u201340.12%) (p = 0.108). Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that only age (older groups) was found to be associated with a higher prevalence of anti-T. gondii IgG, with significant p values (p &lt; 0.05) for both univariate and multivariate analysis. (4) Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case\u2013control study fully focused on the prevalence of anti-T. gondii IgG in VP in Portugal, showing that there was no significant risk for T. gondii infection in veterinarians exposed daily and repeatedly to different species of animals.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens11101217","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,24]],"date-time":"2022-10-24T08:19:06Z","timestamp":1666599546000},"page":"1217","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii Antibodies and Risk Factor Investigation in Portuguese Veterinarians: A Matched Case\u2013Control Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0872-4954","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Daniela","family":"Almeida","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"ICBAS-School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Porto University, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9742-5643","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"S\u00e9rgio","family":"Santos-Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ICBAS-School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Porto University, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Maria Aires","family":"Pereira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Viseu, Escola Superior Agr\u00e1ria de Viseu, Campus Polit\u00e9cnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal"},{"name":"Global Health and Tropical Medicine (GHTM), Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT), Universidade Nova de Lisboa (UNL), 1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal"},{"name":"CERNAS, Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Viseu, Campus Polit\u00e9cnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Carla","family":"Santos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Viseu, Escola Superior Agr\u00e1ria de Viseu, Campus Polit\u00e9cnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Cristina","family":"Mega","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Viseu, Escola Superior Agr\u00e1ria de Viseu, Campus Polit\u00e9cnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal"},{"name":"CERNAS, Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Viseu, Campus Polit\u00e9cnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5272-7303","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Catarina","family":"Coelho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Viseu, Escola Superior Agr\u00e1ria de Viseu, Campus Polit\u00e9cnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal"},{"name":"CERNAS, Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Viseu, Campus Polit\u00e9cnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Carmen","family":"N\u00f3brega","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Viseu, Escola Superior Agr\u00e1ria de Viseu, Campus Polit\u00e9cnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal"},{"name":"Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Tr\u00e1s-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Fernando","family":"Esteves","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Viseu, Escola Superior Agr\u00e1ria de Viseu, Campus Polit\u00e9cnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal"},{"name":"CERNAS, Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Viseu, Campus Polit\u00e9cnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5767-7835","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rita","family":"Cruz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Viseu, Escola Superior Agr\u00e1ria de Viseu, Campus Polit\u00e9cnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal"},{"name":"Epidemiology Research Unit (EPIUnit), Instituto de Sa\u00fade P\u00fablica da Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Laborat\u00f3rio para a Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o Integrativa e Translacional em Sa\u00fade Populacional (ITR), 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Helena","family":"Vala","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Viseu, Escola Superior Agr\u00e1ria de Viseu, Campus Polit\u00e9cnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal"},{"name":"CERNAS, Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Viseu, Campus Polit\u00e9cnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal"},{"name":"Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Tr\u00e1s-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8769-8103","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jo\u00e3o R.","family":"Mesquita","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ICBAS-School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Porto University, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Epidemiology Research Unit (EPIUnit), Instituto de Sa\u00fade P\u00fablica da Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Laborat\u00f3rio para a Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o Integrativa e Translacional em Sa\u00fade Populacional (ITR), 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,21]]},"reference":[{"doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hill, D.E., Dubey, J., Abbott, R.C., van Riper, C., and Enright, E.A. (2014). Toxoplasmosis, Circular.","key":"ref_1","DOI":"10.3133\/cir1389"},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"5495","article-title":"Public health risks associated with food-borne parasites","volume":"16","author":"Koutsoumanis","year":"2018","journal-title":"EFSA J."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1217","DOI":"10.1016\/S0020-7519(00)00124-7","article-title":"Toxoplasma gondii: From animals to humans","volume":"30","author":"Tenter","year":"2000","journal-title":"Int. J. Parasitol."},{"unstructured":"Dubey, J.P. (2010). Toxoplasmosis of Animals and Humans\u20142nd Edition\u2014J. P. Dubey\u2014Rou, CRC Press.","key":"ref_4"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e00049","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fawpar.2019.e00049","article-title":"Environmental transmission of Toxoplasma gondii: Oocysts in water, soil and food","volume":"15","author":"Shapiro","year":"2019","journal-title":"Food Waterborne Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"588","DOI":"10.1186\/s13071-020-04445-z","article-title":"The life-cycle of Toxoplasma gondii reviewed using animations","volume":"13","author":"Attias","year":"2020","journal-title":"Parasites Vectors"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1168","DOI":"10.1038\/s41467-022-28730-w","article-title":"In vitro maturation of Toxoplasma gondii bradyzoites in human myotubes and their metabolomic characterization","volume":"13","author":"Christiansen","year":"2022","journal-title":"Nat. Commun."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"253","DOI":"10.1007\/s00436-010-1899-6","article-title":"Toxoplasma gondii: Determinants of tachyzoite to bradyzoite conversion","volume":"107","author":"Skariah","year":"2010","journal-title":"Parasitol. Res."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3848","DOI":"10.4103\/jfmpc.jfmpc_753_20","article-title":"Seroprevalence of toxoplasma gondii infection: An umbrella review of updated systematic reviews and meta-analyses","volume":"9","author":"Rahmanian","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Fam. Med. Prim. Care"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"895","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijpara.2009.02.004","article-title":"Toxoplasmosis: A history of clinical observations","volume":"39","author":"Weiss","year":"2009","journal-title":"Int. J. Parasitol."},{"doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Peyron, F., L\u2019ollivier, C., Mandelbrot, L., Wallon, M., Piarroux, R., Kieffer, F., Hadjadj, E., Paris, L., and Garcia -Meric, P. (2019). Maternal and Congenital Toxoplasmosis: Diagnosis and Treatment Recommendations of a French Multidisciplinary Working Group. Pathogens, 8.","key":"ref_11","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens8010024"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"878","DOI":"10.1086\/605433","article-title":"Risk factors for Toxoplasma gondii infection in the United States","volume":"49","author":"Jones","year":"2009","journal-title":"Clin. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"341","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-030-41486-3_37","article-title":"Incidence and Risk Factors of Toxoplasma gondii in Workers that Occupationally Handle Animals: A Systematic Review","volume":"277","author":"Fernandes","year":"2020","journal-title":"Stud. Syst. Decis. Control."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"847","DOI":"10.1645\/GE-2453.1","article-title":"Seroepidemiology of infection with toxoplasma gondii in workers occupationally exposed to water, sewage, and soil in Durango, Mexico","volume":"96","author":"Liesenfeld","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"235","DOI":"10.1186\/1756-3305-4-235","article-title":"Toxoplasma gondii infection in workers occupationally exposed to unwashed raw fruits and vegetables: A case control seroprevalence study","volume":"4","author":"Liesenfeld","year":"2011","journal-title":"Parasites Vectors"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"477","DOI":"10.2478\/jvetres-2018-0069","article-title":"Study on Toxoplasma gondii, Leptospira spp., Coxiella burnetii, and Echinococcus granulosus infection in veterinarians from Poland","volume":"62","author":"Sroka","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Vet. Res."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"207","DOI":"10.1111\/zph.12550","article-title":"Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence in veterinarians in Finland: Older age, living in the countryside, tasting beef during cooking and not doing small animal practice associated with seropositivity","volume":"66","author":"Siponen","year":"2019","journal-title":"Zoonoses Public Health"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101739","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cimid.2021.101739","article-title":"Seroprevalence and risk factor investigation for the exposure of Toxoplasma gondii among veterinary personnel in Punjab, India","volume":"80","author":"Thakur","year":"2022","journal-title":"Comp. Immunol. Microbiol. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"176","DOI":"10.1186\/1743-422X-10-176","article-title":"Presence of antibodies against genogroup VI norovirus in humans","volume":"10","author":"Mesquita","year":"2013","journal-title":"Virol. J."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"981","DOI":"10.20506\/rst.36.3.2730","article-title":"Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in South Asian countries","volume":"36","author":"Khan","year":"2017","journal-title":"Rev. Sci. Tech. Off. Int. Epiz."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"184","DOI":"10.1556\/EUJMI-D-14-00024","article-title":"Lack of association between Toxoplasma gondii infection and occupational exposure to animals","volume":"4","author":"Liesenfeld","year":"2014","journal-title":"Eur. J. Microbiol. Immunol."},{"doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Shuhaiber, S., Koren, G., Boskovic, R., Einarson, T.R., Soldin, O.P., and Einarson, A. (2003). Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection among veterinary staff in Ontario, Canada (2002): Implications for teratogenic risk. BMC Infect. Dis., 3.","key":"ref_22","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2334-3-8"},{"key":"ref_23","first-page":"143","article-title":"Seroepidemiology of toxoplasmosis among people having close contact with animals","volume":"6","author":"Sharma","year":"2015","journal-title":"Front. Immunol."},{"doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lassen, B., Janson, M., Viltrop, A., Neare, K., H\u00fctt, P., Golovljova, I., Tummeleht, L., and Jokelainen, P. (2016). Serological Evidence of Exposure to Globally Relevant Zoonotic Parasites in the Estonian Population. PLoS ONE, 11.","key":"ref_24","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0164142"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102402","DOI":"10.1016\/j.parint.2021.102402","article-title":"Seroprevalence and risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infection among veterinary personnel and abattoir workers in Central India","volume":"84","author":"Deshmukh","year":"2021","journal-title":"Parasitol. Int."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"962","DOI":"10.1016\/j.sjbs.2020.11.007","article-title":"Toxoplasmosis: Stages of the protozoan life cycle and risk assessment in humans and animals for an enhanced awareness and an improved socio-economic status","volume":"28","year":"2021","journal-title":"Saudi J. Biol. Sci."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"553","DOI":"10.1111\/zph.12184","article-title":"Prevalence of IgG Antibodies to T oxoplasma gondii in Veterinary and Undergraduate Students at V irginia Tech, B lacksburg, V irginia","volume":"62","author":"Rosypal","year":"2015","journal-title":"Zoonoses Public Health"},{"unstructured":"OIE (2019). Toxoplasmosis. OIE Terrestrial Manual, World Organization for Animal Health.","key":"ref_28"}],"container-title":["Pathogens"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-0817\/11\/10\/1217\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T00:58:54Z","timestamp":1760144334000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-0817\/11\/10\/1217"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,21]]},"references-count":28,"journal-issue":{"issue":"10","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,10]]}},"alternative-id":["pathogens11101217"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/pathogens11101217","relation":{},"ISSN":["2076-0817"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"2076-0817"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,21]]}}}