Prevalence of toxoplasmosis in domestic cats in the town of Pujili, Ecuador

Abstract

Feline toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease relevant to cats, caused by the intracellular protozoan Toxoplasma gondii. Contact with infected cat feces or eating contaminated raw meat are the main ways this zoonosis spreads, and it can infect a wide range of hosts, including humans. Therefore, the objective of this research was to establish the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in domestic cats in the Pujilí canton, Cotopaxi province, to determine the association between sex and infection, and to visualize the geographic distribution of the disease in this locality during the year 2025. Ninety-two cats were tested in the following neighborhoods: La Victoria, Bellavista, Centro, Guápulo, Chimbacalle, Jesús del Gran Poder, Vicente León, 3 de Mayo, El Portal, Rosita Paredes, Sinchaguasín, and Nuevo Pujilí. The ID Screen® Toxoplasmosis Indirect Multi-species serological method, a modified ELISA test, was used to detect anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in serum. The prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii was 40.22% overall, highest in 3 de Mayo (6.52%), La Victoria (5.43%), and Bellavista (5.43%), with zero cases in the Nuevo Pujilí neighborhood. Positive cases were reported in 18.47% of males and 21.75% of females, suggesting that gender does not influence exposure to the parasite. The findings show that Toxoplasma gondii is highly prevalent among household cats in the canton of Pujilí.