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Felines,the only definitive hosts that shed the environmentally-durable oocysts,are the key in the transmission of Toxoplasma gondii to all warm-blooded animals.They seroconvert as late as the third week and begin to shed oocysts as early as 3-8 days after being fed tissue cysts.Early detection of Toxoplasma-infected cats is crucial to evaluate Toxoplasma-contaminated environment and potential risks to public health.Moreover,it is fundamental for Toxoplasma infection control.Interferon-gamma release assay(IGRA)is a blood-based test assessing the presence of IFN-γ released by the T-lymphocytes directed against specific antigens,which is an ideal assay for early detection of Toxoplasma-infected cats.Here,cats were orally infected with the tissue cysts and blood was collected for toxoplasmic antigen stimulation,and the released IFN-γ was measured by ELISA.Results showed that Toxoplasma-infection was detected by IGRA as early as 4 days post-infection(dpi);while serum Toxoplasma IgM and IgG were detected by ELISA at 10 dpi and 14 dpi,respectively.Our findings demonstrated that IGRA-positive and ELISA-negative samples revealed an early Toxoplasma infection in cats,indicating a new strategy for the early diagnosis of Toxoplasma infection by combining IGRA and ELISA.Therefore,IGRA could emerge as a reliable diagnostic tool for the exploration of cat toxoplasmosis prevalence and its potential risks to public health.