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Table 1 Farm-level, room-level and individual-level variables considered as T. gondii seropositivity risk factors in pigs from confined farrow-to-finish farms. Out of risk factors for which exposure is not rare (>5 farms), presence of Danish entry facility, farm size, dairy production, feed distribution mechanism, and age of animals have a statistically significant influence on T. gondii seroprevalence in pigs. These factors entered logistic mixed regression model

From: Factors associated with Toxoplasma gondii infection in confined farrow-to-finish pig herds in western France: an exploratory study in 60 herds

Risk factor

n

Animals - positive/total (%)

P-value

Farm level

60 farms

  

 Use of specialized boots

  

0.94

  No

20

95/1198 (7.9 %)

 

  Yes

40

156/2397 (6.5 %)

 

 Use of specialized clothes

  

0.18

  No

20

92/1193 (7.7 %)

 

  Yes

40

159/2402 (6.6 %)

 

 Empty period (days) of farrowing rooms

0.89

 Empty period (days) of rooms for >3 months old animals

0.30

 Danish entry

  

<0.001

  No

43

172/2487 (6.9 %)

 

  Yes

17

77/1048 (7.3 %)

 

 Number of sows per farm

  

<0.001

 Presence of dairy cattle

  

<0.001

  No

54

207/3236 (6.4 %)

 

  Yes

6

44/359 (12.3 %)

 

 Presence of beef cattle

  

0.03a

  No

56

242/3356 (7.2 %)

 

  Yes

4

9/239 (3.8 %)

 

 Presence of sheep

  

0.005a

  No

58

234/3475 (6.7 %)

 

  Yes

2

17/120 (14.2 %)

 

 Presence of goats

  

0.21a

  No

59

249/3535 (7.0 %)

 

  Yes

1

2/60 (3.3 %)

 

 Presence of poultry

  

0.01a

  No

57

246/3415 (7.2 %)

 

  Yes

3

5/180 (2.8 %)

 

Room level

234 rooms

  

 Floor type

  

0.97

  Slatted floor

225

242/3457 (7.0 %)

 

  Straw

1

1/15 (6.7 %)

 

  Slatted and concrete floor

8

8/123 (6.5 %)

 

 Feed distribution

  

0.09

  Automatic system

79

73/1219 (5.9 %)

 

  Manual distribution

155

178/2376 (7.5 %)

 

Individual level

3595 pigs

  

 Age

  

0.002

  <1 month

545

29/545 (5.3 %)

 

  1–2 months

438

36/438 (8.2 %)

 

  2–3 months

790

76/790 (9.6 %)

 

  >3 months

1822

110/1822 (6.0 %)

 
  1. aVariables with a low exposure level (less than 5 farms or rooms) were excluded from the multivariate analysis