Imperial College London
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Dr Ellie Sherrard-Smith

Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health

Advanced Research Fellow
 
 
 
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Contact

 

+44 (0)20 7594 3229e.sherrard-smith

 
 
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Location

 

G27Praed StreetSt Mary's Campus

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Summary

 

Publications

Citation

BibTex format

@article{Chadwick:2013:10.1186/1756-3305-6-75,
author = {Chadwick, EA and Cable, J and Chinchen, A and Francis, J and Guy, E and Kean, EF and Paul, SC and Perkins, SE and Sherrard-Smith, E and Wilkinson, C and Forman, DW},
doi = {10.1186/1756-3305-6-75},
journal = {Parasites & Vectors},
title = {Seroprevalence of toxoplasma gondii in the Eurasian otter (lutra lutra) in England and Wales},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1756-3305-6-75},
volume = {6},
year = {2013}
}
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RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)

TY  - JOUR
AB  - BackgroundToxoplasma gondii is found on all continents and can infect all endothermic vertebrates. Toxoplasmosis is a globally important zoonosis with potentially devastating health impacts both for humans and a range of domestic and wild species. The World Health Organisation have repeatedly recommended the collection of accurate epidemiological data for T. gondii, yet despite recognised links between infection of wildlife, domestic animals and humans, seroprevalence in wild species is rarely monitored. Here, serological investigation using the Gold Standard Sabin-Feldman Dye Test was used to test for T. gondii in Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) found dead, mainly as road-kill, in England and Wales. This is the first spatially widespread study of T. gondii in UK wildlife, and the first extensive survey of T. gondii in Eurasian otters, a sentinel species of fresh waters.FindingsInfection was both common (39.5% prevalence, n = 271) and widespread, with significantly more infection in the east than the west of the UK. There was an increase in seroprevalence with age, but no sex bias.ConclusionsThe relatively high prevalence of T. gondii in a predominantly piscivorous freshwater mammal suggests widespread faecal contamination of freshwater ecosystems with oocysts. Continued surveillance of the Eurasian otter for T. gondii is valuable because of conservation concerns due to the otter’s ‘near threatened’ status on the IUCN Red List and because of the host’s role as a sentinel for freshwater health.
AU  - Chadwick,EA
AU  - Cable,J
AU  - Chinchen,A
AU  - Francis,J
AU  - Guy,E
AU  - Kean,EF
AU  - Paul,SC
AU  - Perkins,SE
AU  - Sherrard-Smith,E
AU  - Wilkinson,C
AU  - Forman,DW
DO  - 10.1186/1756-3305-6-75
PY  - 2013///
SN  - 1756-3305
TI  - Seroprevalence of toxoplasma gondii in the Eurasian otter (lutra lutra) in England and Wales
T2  - Parasites & Vectors
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1756-3305-6-75
UR  - http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000317686400001&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
UR  - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/70967
VL  - 6
ER  -
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