The Role of Cats in the Transmission of Toxoplasma gondii in Urban and Rural Areas of Gharyan, Libya

Abstract

The zoonotic protozoan parasite is quite widespread around the globe. The human species is part of a group of warm-blooded animals that can serve as a host for the protozoan parasite. The domestic cat is the definitive host of the protozoan parasite. Domestic cats are significant in the transmission of the protozoan parasite due to the very resistant oocysts they discharge in their feces. The objective of this research was to determine how domestic cats transmit Toxoplasma gondii in both rural and urban regions of Gharyan, Libya. Fecal samples from domestic and stray cats in some regions of Gharyan city were obtained using a cross-sectional method. The results of the parasitological tests for detecting T. gondii oocysts in 120 cat fecal samples showed that T. gondii was present in 28 (23.3%) of the samples. This implies that T. gondii transmission may be facilitated by a large number of domestic cats. Secondly, the results revealed that the parasite had a higher prevalence in the rural area (30.0%) than in the urban area (16.7%). Thirdly, the results revealed that the parasite had a higher prevalence in stray cats (27.1%) than in domestic cats (18.0%). The environmental factors that are involved in the transmission of the parasite include the presence of animal life, exposure to soil, and poor waste disposal. This illustrates the role that cats play in the transmission of the T. gondii parasite and the need to control stray cats and maintain a clean environment in the prevention of the transmission of toxoplasmosis in Libya.