Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32429990›Full record

ArticleParasites & vectors2020

Toxoplasma gondii in the Eurasian kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) in northern Italy.

Tiziano Iemmi, Alice Vismarra, Carlo Mangia, Rolando Zanin, Marco Genchi, Paolo Lanfranchi, Laura Helen Kramer, Nicoletta Formenti, Nicola Ferrari

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Parasites & vectors, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
2.3field-weighted citation impact, top 13% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 20 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Exposure of Eurasian blackbird (International journal for parasitology. Parasites and wildlife · 2025
    Article
  2. Role of wild birds in the circulation ofFrontiers in veterinary science · 2025
    Article
  3. UnderstandingFrontiers in veterinary science · 2025
    Article
  4. Prevalence and genetic characterization ofJournal of parasitic diseases : official organ of the Indian Society for Parasitology · 2023
    Article
  5. The Dangerous Side of Being a Predator:Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023
    Article
  6. Prevalence of Antibodies toPathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021
    Article
  7. Molecular Survey onMicroorganisms · 2021
    Article
  8. Epidemiologic significance ofParasitology · 2021
    Review
  9. A decreasing trend inExperimental and therapeutic medicine · 2020
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Tiziano IemmiDepartment of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
Alice VismarraDepartment of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
Carlo MangiaDepartment of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
Rolando ZaninURCA (Unione Regionale Cacciatori dell'Appennino), Parma, Italy.
Marco GenchiDepartment of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
Paolo LanfranchiDepartment of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
Laura Helen KramerDepartment of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. kramerlh@unipr.it.
Nicoletta FormentiIstituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", via Bianchi 7/9, 25124, Brescia, Italy.
Nicola FerrariDepartment of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
University of Parma · ITUniversity of Milan · ITAgenzia Regionale Parchi · ITIstituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini" · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIdentifying factors that sustain parasite transmission is important for understanding their spread and emergence, including how changes in biodiversity may affect parasite prevalence and spread. Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite infecting humans and animals. Birds can acquire T. gondii infection through ingestion either of oocysts from the ground or of tissue cysts present in infected prey and are therefore suitable indicators of the presence of T. gondii in the natural environment.

methodsThe aim of the study included the evaluation of T. gondii seroprevalence in clinically healthy Eurasian kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) using a modified agglutination test. Birds were captured in a small area of Parma (northern Italy) for two consecutive years (2016-2017), sex and age determined and serological study carried out. Food sources for the birds were also evaluated, in particular rodent and grasshopper population estimates in the study area. The biomass of rodents and grasshoppers per hectare was estimated in order to directly compare food availability. Statistical analyses were performed in order to evaluate factors influencing the probability of kestrels being T. gondii-seropositive using R 3.4.4 fitting linear mixed-effect models with the 'glmer' function of the package lme4, 'lsmean' in package lsmean for pair-wise post-hoc comparisons using differences of least square means (DLSM) and the 'betareg' function of the package betareg for beta regression.

resultsSeroprevalence for T. gondii was 33.3% (49/147) in 2016, while in 2017 seroprevalence decreased to 14.3% (13/91). An increase in the probability of kestrels being T. gondii-seropositive was associated with a higher rodent biomass in the environment, suggesting a positive feedback of the biotic factors driving infection risk.

conclusionsThese results underline the need for multidisciplinary studies aimed at better understanding pathogen-host relationships and for predictions in disease ecology.

Indexed as

Agglutination TestsAnimalsAntibodies, ProtozoanBird DiseasesFalconiformesFemaleItalyMaleOocystsSeroepidemiologic StudiesToxoplasmaToxoplasmosis, AnimalAntibodies, ProtozoanBiodiversityDiet influenceKestrelsToxoplasma gondiiWildlife

Identifiers

PMID32429990
PMCPMC7236205
OpenAlexW3027451518

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.