Seroprevalence, isolation, molecular detection and genetic diversity of Toxoplasma gondii from small ruminants in Egypt

Toxoplasmosis is an infectious zoonotic disease caused by protozoan Toxoplasma gondii. Detection of T. gondii infection with touchy and particular strategies is a key advance to control and prevent toxoplasmosis. Genotyping can explain the virulence, epidemiology and setting up new methodologies for diagnosis and control in human and animals. The point of this study was to assess the seroprevalence of T. gondii in sheep and goat in Egypt and to comprehend the genetic variety of T. gondii isolates circling in Egypt. Blood samples were gathered from 113 ewes and 95 she-goats from three Egyptian governorates (Cairo, Giza and Al-Sharkia). Also blood and tissue samples were gathered from 193 sheep and 51 goats from Cairo and Giza abattoirs. All samples were assayed serologically utilizing ELISA and OnSite Toxo IgG/IgM Rapid test cassettes (OTRT) tests and the tissue samples of the seropositive animals were digested and microscopically examined then bio-assayed in mice as viability test. All the T. gondii isolates undergo molecular identification using PCR and genotyped utilizing nPCR/RFLP analysis of SAG2 gene. The total seropositivity of live sheep and goat was 47.15 and 39.2% utilizing ELISA and OTRT respectively. Concerning abattoirs, seropositivity, positive microscopic examination, mice viability from sheep samples were 47.1%, 37.3% and 44.1% respectively while that of goats were 45.5%, 33.3% and 48.6% respectively. Eighteen T. gondii isolates were affirmed utilizing PCR. Genotyping confirmed 10 isolates (55.5%) as type II, 6 (33.3%) as type III and 2 (11.1%) as atypical genotypes. Type II and III are the genotypes mostly circling among small ruminants in Egypt and this is most significance for the public health in Egypt.

Toxoplasma gondii Type I, predominant genotype isolated from sheep in South of Iran

Aim:

This study was performed to determine the genetic diversity of Toxoplasma gondii in sheep using nested-polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in Southern Iran.

Materials and Methods:

The tissue samples of diaphragm and heart from 125 sheep were collected from the main slaughterhouses of Jahrom district in South of Fars province, Iran, between Aprils and June 2013. The DNA were extracted and analyzed by nested-PCR using specific primers for SAG2 and GRA6 loci. RFLP was used to classify strains into one of the three major lineages of T. gondii.

Results:

T. gondii Type I was predominant in this area. The data obtained from both loci demonstrated that the frequency of each genotype was 72% Type I, 2.4% Type III, 7.2% mixed Type I and II, 16.8% mixed Type I and III, 0.8% mixed Type II and III, and 0.8% mixed Type I, II and III.

Conclusions:

Although the previously published data indicated that Type II is the predominant T. gondii genotype in sheep in the other parts of the world, this study showed that genotype I is the dominant genotype of T. gondii in the southern Iran; however, other genotypes were detected. High diversity of T. gondii genotypes including mix genotypes in lambs is of importance for the public health. These studies depict a new mapping of T. gondii genotypes pattern which could be very helpful in toxoplasmosis control and prevention.