Toxoplasmosis and mammal declines in northern and southern Australia

Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by the pathogen Toxoplasma gondii. Cats (Felis catus) are the primary host, but to complete its life cycle an intermediate host is usually involved, typically a mammal. Our study is the first to investigate the prevalence of T. gondii across Australia and how it is influenced by environmental variables. We found that prevalence varied greatly across Australia, with greater concentrations in southern, eastern and more urban areas.