Toxoplasma gondii

Kjaer, Lene Jung, Jensen, Laura Mark, Chri, Marian, el, Ren, Bødker, e & Petersen, Heidi Huus, 2021, The raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) as a reservoir of zoonotic diseases in Denmark, International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife 16, pp. 175-182 : 177

2.2.4. Toxoplasma gondii

Antibodies against T. gondii were examined in meat juice from the heart using a commercial indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ID Screen® Toxoplasmosis Indirect Multi-species ELISA kit, ID.vet, France). The heart was placed in a plastic funnel (CC Plast A/S, Hillerød, Denmark) at room temperature as described by Nielsen et al. (1998). Meat juice was collected in a 10 ml tube during thawing and placed at – 20 ◦ C until further analysis. The collected meat juice was subsequently examined for IgG antibodies, following the instructions of the manufacturer (ID Screen® Toxoplasmosis Indirect Multi-species ELISA kit, ID. vet, France). The samples and the controls provided in the kit were analysed in duplicate. The optical density (OD) was read at 450 nm. Results were evaluated following the instructions of the manufacturer for carnivores by calculating the S/P% (sample/positive percentage) = (mean OD of sample – mean OD of negative control)/(mean OD of positive control – mean OD of negative control) × 100. Samples with S/P% ≤40% were considered negative, 40–70% doubtful, and ≥70% positive. Raccoon dogs that tested positive with the ELISA were considered seropositive; others were considered seronegative.