Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37773155›Full record

ArticleBMC veterinary research2023

Toxoplasma gondii in small mammals in Romania: the influence of host, season and sampling location.

Zsuzsa Kalmár, Attila D Sándor, Anamaria Balea, Silvia-Diana Borşan, Ioana Adriana Matei, Angela Monica Ionică, Călin Mircea Gherman, Andrei Daniel Mihalca, Anamaria Cozma-Petruț, Viorica Mircean and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC veterinary research, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Evidence ofPathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025
    Article
  2. Prevalence andPathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025
    Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Exposure of Urban European Hedgehogs (Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2024
    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

11 authors.

Zsuzsa Kalmár *University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj- Napoca, RO-400372, Romania.
Attila D Sándor *University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj- Napoca, RO-400372, Romania. attila.sandor@usamvcluj.ro.
Anamaria Balea *University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj- Napoca, RO-400372, Romania.
Silvia-Diana BorşanUniversity of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj- Napoca, RO-400372, Romania.
Ioana Adriana MateiUniversity of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj- Napoca, RO-400372, Romania.
Angela Monica IonicăUniversity of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj- Napoca, RO-400372, Romania.
Călin Mircea GhermanUniversity of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj- Napoca, RO-400372, Romania.
Andrei Daniel MihalcaUniversity of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj- Napoca, RO-400372, Romania.
Anamaria Cozma-Petruț"Iuliu Hațieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Viorica MirceanUniversity of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj- Napoca, RO-400372, Romania.
Adriana GyörkeUniversity of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj- Napoca, RO-400372, Romania.

Funding

Consiliul National al Cercetarii Stiintifice IDEI PCCE 7/2010Nemzeti Kutatási, Fejlesztési és Innovaciós Alap TKP2020-NKA-01Nemzeti Kutatási Fejlesztési és Innovációs Hivatal K-132794Unitatea Executiva pentru Finantarea Invatamantului Superior, a Cercetarii, Dezvoltarii si Inovarii PNII PC 51-013/2007Unitatea Executiva pentru Finantarea Invatamantului Superior, a Cercetarii, Dezvoltarii si Inovarii TE49/2022
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundToxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that infects a large spectrum of warm-blooded animals, including humans. Small rodents and insectivores play an important role in the epidemiology of T. gondii and may serve as a source of infection for both, domestic and wild definitive felid hosts. Factors influencing the occurrence of T. gondii in wild small mammals are unknown, despite the fact that many intermediate host species are identified. We have used small mammals (Rodentia and Lipotyphla) captured over two years in various habitats, both in urbanised and in natural landscapes. We assessed the importance of land-use, season and host ecology on T. gondii infection.

resultsWe examined 471 individuals belonging to 20 small mammal species, collected at 63 locations spread over wide altitude, habitat and land-use ranges from Romania. Heart tissue samples were individually analysed by PCR targeting the 529 bp repetitive DNA fragment of T. gondii. The overall prevalence of infection was 7.3%, with nine species of rodents and two species of shrews being found to carry T. gondii DNA. Five species showed high frequency of infection, with the highest prevalence found in Myodes glareolus (35.5%), followed by Spermophilus citellus (33.3%), Sorex minutus (23.1%), S. araneus (21.7%) and Micromys minutus (11.1%). Adults seemed more often infected than young, however when controlling for season, the difference was not significant, as in spring both adults and young showed higher infection rates, but more adults were sampled. Contrary to our expectations, urban/rural areas (with their implicit high density of domestic feline presence) had no effect on infection prevalence. In addition, neither habitat, nor land-use at sampling sites was important as only geographical location and host species were contributing factors to the infection risk.

conclusionsHigh prevalence of T. gondii infection showed a highly localised, patchy occurrence, with long living and higher mobility host species being the most common carriers, especially during autumn.

Indexed as

Cat DiseasesRodent DiseasesToxoplasmaToxoplasmosis, AnimalAnimalsCatsDNA, ProtozoanHumansRomaniaSciuridaeSeasonsShrewsDNA, ProtozoanEpidemiologyFelinaeprotozoaRodentsSynanthropic rodents

Identifiers

PMID37773155
PMCPMC10540334

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.