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Bouchard É, Bonin M, Sharma R, Hernández-Ortiz A, Gouin GG, Simon A, Leighton P, Jenkins E. Use of stable isotopes to reveal trophic relationships and transmission of a food-borne pathogen. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2812. [PMID: 38307906 PMCID: PMC10837197 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53369-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Predators in food webs are valuable sentinel species for zoonotic and multi-host pathogens such as Toxoplasma gondii. This protozoan parasite is ubiquitous in warm-blooded vertebrates, and can have serious adverse effects in immunocompromised hosts and foetuses. In northern ecosystems, T. gondii is disproportionately prevalent in Inuit people and wildlife, in part due to multiple routes of transmission. We combined data on T. gondii infection in foxes from Nunavik (northern Québec, Canada) with stable isotope data tracking trophic relationships between foxes and several of their main prey species. Red (Vulpes vulpes) and Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) carcasses were collected by local trappers from 2015 to 2019. We used magnetic capture PCR to detect DNA of T. gondii in heart and brain tissues, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect antibodies in blood. By linking infection status with diet composition, we showed that infected foxes had a higher probability of consuming aquatic prey and migratory geese, suggesting that these may be important sources of T. gondii transmission in the Arctic. This use of stable isotopes to reveal parasite transmission pathways can be applied more broadly to other foodborne pathogens, and provides evidence to assess and mitigate potential human and animal health risks associated with T. gondii in northern ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Émilie Bouchard
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada.
- Research Group on Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, J2S 2M2, Canada.
- Centre de recherche en santé publique de l'Université de Montréal et du CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Montreal, QC, H2L 2W5, Canada.
| | - Michaël Bonin
- Département de Biologie, Centre d'études nordiques, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Rajnish Sharma
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Adrián Hernández-Ortiz
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Géraldine-G Gouin
- Nunavik Research Centre, Makivvik Corporation, Kuujjuaq, QC, J0M 1C0, Canada
| | - Audrey Simon
- Research Group on Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, J2S 2M2, Canada
| | - Patrick Leighton
- Research Group on Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, J2S 2M2, Canada
- Centre de recherche en santé publique de l'Université de Montréal et du CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Montreal, QC, H2L 2W5, Canada
| | - Emily Jenkins
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
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de Freitas BR, da Rosa G, Roman IJ, Cunha RC, Gressler LT, Cargnelutti JF, Vogel FSF. Molecular detection of Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum and Sarcocystis spp in tissues of Sus scrofa slaughtered in southern Brazil. Rev Bras Parasitol Vet 2023; 32:e004623. [PMID: 37585953 PMCID: PMC10449315 DOI: 10.1590/s1984-29612023048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the presence of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from Toxoplasma gondii, Sarcocystis spp. and Neospora caninum, in tissues of wild boars slaughtered in southern Brazil. A total of 156 samples were collected from different organs of 25 wild boars, and DNA from at least one of the protozoa investigated was detected in 79 samples. To differentiate between infectious agents, restriction fragment length polymorphism was performed using the restriction enzymes DdeI and HpaII. For N. caninum, conventional PCR was performed with specific primers. The DNA of at least one of the studied pathogens was detected in each animal: 26.58% for T. gondii, 68.36% for Sarcocystis spp. and 5.06% for N. caninum. Coinfection between T. gondii and Sarcocystis spp. occurred in 14 animals, between T. gondii and N. caninum in only one male animal, between Sarcocystis spp. and N. caninum in a female, while co-infection with the three agents was equally observed in only one male animal. Considering the high frequency of detection and its zoonotic risk, especially T. gondii, it appears that wild boars can be potential sources of transmission of infectious agents and the adoption of monitoring measures in these populations should be prioritized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bibiana Rodrigues de Freitas
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular Veterinária, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Universidade Federal de Pelotas - UFPel, Campus Capão do Leão, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
| | - Gilneia da Rosa
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Veterinária, Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria - UFSM, Santa Maria, RS, Brasil
| | - Isac Junior Roman
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Veterinária, Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria - UFSM, Santa Maria, RS, Brasil
| | - Rodrigo Casquero Cunha
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular Veterinária, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Universidade Federal de Pelotas - UFPel, Campus Capão do Leão, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
| | - Letícia Trevisan Gressler
- Laboratório de Microbiologia e Imunologia Veterinária, Instituto Federal Farroupilha, Campus Frederico Westphalen, Frederico Westphalen, RS, Brasil
| | - Juliana Felipetto Cargnelutti
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria - UFSM, Santa Maria, RS, Brasil
| | - Fernanda Silveira Flôres Vogel
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Veterinária, Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria - UFSM, Santa Maria, RS, Brasil
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Hamidović A, Etougbétché JR, Tonouhewa ABN, Galal L, Dobigny G, Houémènou G, Da Zoclanclounon H, Amagbégnon R, Laleye A, Fievet N, Piry S, Berthier K, Pena HFJ, Dardé ML, Mercier A. A hotspot of Toxoplasma gondii Africa 1 lineage in Benin: How new genotypes from West Africa contribute to understand the parasite genetic diversity worldwide. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0008980. [PMID: 33571262 PMCID: PMC7904144 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Through international trades, Europe, Africa and South America share a long history of exchanges, potentially of pathogens. We used the worldwide parasite Toxoplasma gondii to test the hypothesis of a historical influence on pathogen genetic diversity in Benin, a West African country with a longstanding sea trade history. In Africa, T. gondii spatial structure is still non-uniformly studied and very few articles have reported strain genetic diversity in fauna and clinical forms of human toxoplasmosis so far, even in African diaspora. Sera from 758 domestic animals (mainly poultry) in two coastal areas (Cotonou and Ouidah) and two inland areas (Parakou and Natitingou) were tested for T. gondii antibodies using a Modified Agglutination Test (MAT). The hearts and brains of 69 seropositive animals were collected for parasite isolation in a mouse bioassay. Forty-five strains were obtained and 39 genotypes could be described via 15-microsatellite genotyping, with a predominance of the autochthonous African lineage Africa 1 (36/39). The remaining genotypes were Africa 4 variant TUB2 (1/39) and two identical isolates (clone) of Type III (2/39). No difference in terms of genotype distribution between inland and coastal sampling sites was found. In particular, contrarily to what has been described in Senegal, no type II (mostly present in Europe) was isolated in poultry from coastal cities. This result seems to refute a possible role of European maritime trade in Benin despite it was one of the most important hubs during the slave trade period. However, the presence of the Africa 1 genotype in Brazil, predominant in Benin, and genetic analyses suggest that the triangular trade was a route for the intercontinental dissemination of genetic strains from Africa to South America. This supports the possibility of contamination in humans and animals with potentially imported virulent strains. The parasite Toxoplasma gondii is a worldwide-distributed pathogen, able to infect all warm-blooded animals. There are important differences in the clinical expression of the infection in direct relation with the parasite genetic profile. In some regions, the geographical structuration of its genetic diversity points towards a crucial role of human activities in some lineages introduction or sorting. Benin is a West African country with a history of extensive transcontinental exchanges. Our genetic study of Toxoplasma in Benin shows a surprisingly homogeneous and autochthonous diversity, which contrasts with previous studies from other West and Central African countries. In Benin, the absence of European Toxoplasma lineages may be explained by the extreme rarity of the house mouse (Mus musculus), a host species that was previously described as highly susceptible to the mouse-virulent African strains. Might Benin be the origin region for the Africa 1 lineage, our results suggest that Guinean Gulf coasts may be a starting point of this lineage towards South America, especially Brazil, during the slave trade. As a whole, the present study provides further insights into the recent evolutionary history of Toxoplasma gondii and its consequences on human and animal health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azra Hamidović
- INSERM, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, IRD, U1094, Tropical Neuroepidemiology, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, GEIST, Limoges, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Jonas Raoul Etougbétché
- UAC, EPAC, Laboratoire de Recherche en Biologie Appliquée, Unité de Recherche sur les Invasions Biologiques, Cotonou, Benin
| | | | - Lokman Galal
- INSERM, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, IRD, U1094, Tropical Neuroepidemiology, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, GEIST, Limoges, France
| | - Gauthier Dobigny
- UAC, EPAC, Laboratoire de Recherche en Biologie Appliquée, Unité de Recherche sur les Invasions Biologiques, Cotonou, Benin
- Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations, IRD, CIRAD, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro, MUSE, Montpellier, France
| | - Gualbert Houémènou
- UAC, EPAC, Laboratoire de Recherche en Biologie Appliquée, Unité de Recherche sur les Invasions Biologiques, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Honoré Da Zoclanclounon
- Laboratoire d’Expérimentation Animale, Unité de Biologie Humaine, Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d’Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Richard Amagbégnon
- Laboratoire de biologie médicale, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de la Mère et de l’Enfant Lagune (CHU-MEL), Cotonou, Bénin
| | - Anatole Laleye
- Laboratoire d’Expérimentation Animale, Unité de Biologie Humaine, Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d’Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Nadine Fievet
- UMR216-MERIT, IRD, Université Paris-5, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France; Centre d’Etude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et à l’Enfance (CERPAGE), Cotonou, Bénin
| | - Sylvain Piry
- Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations, IRD, CIRAD, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro, MUSE, Montpellier, France
| | - Karine Berthier
- Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations, IRD, CIRAD, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro, MUSE, Montpellier, France
| | - Hilda Fátima Jesus Pena
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marie-Laure Dardé
- INSERM, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, IRD, U1094, Tropical Neuroepidemiology, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, GEIST, Limoges, France
- Centre National de Référence Toxoplasmose/Toxoplasma Biological Resource Center, CHU Limoges, Limoges, France
| | - Aurélien Mercier
- INSERM, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, IRD, U1094, Tropical Neuroepidemiology, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, GEIST, Limoges, France
- Centre National de Référence Toxoplasmose/Toxoplasma Biological Resource Center, CHU Limoges, Limoges, France
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Taggart PL, Caraguel CGB, McAllister MM. Fractional seroprevalence rates in common prey species can cause more than half of feral cats to be exposed to Toxoplasma gondii annually. Vet Parasitol 2020; 288:109306. [PMID: 33221602 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2020.109306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 11/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Rodents comprise a major component of cat (Felis catus) diets in many ecosystems, and life cycle diagrams of Toxoplasma gondii typically depict small rodents as quintessential intermediate hosts. Counter-intuitively, small rodents often experience a lower T. gondii seroprevalence than do larger sympatric mammals. This observation has repeatedly caused confusion about the relative importance of small rodents to the ecology of T. gondii. To address this confusion, we modified the Reed-Frost epidemic model to develop a simple binomial equation to model T. gondii transmission from prey to feline predators. This equation takes into account variations in prey seroprevalence and the frequency with which they are consumed by felids. Even when T. gondii seroprevalence in prey is < 1%, computation reveals that the risk of feline exposure to T. gondii can easily exceed 50 % annually. For example, if cats eat an average of 1 mouse per day, a seroprevalence of 0.2 % (1/500) in mice will cause 51.9 % of cats to be exposed to T. gondii annually. Our simple equation demonstrates that both prey seroprevalence and the rate at which prey are consumed are of approximately equal importance to the ecology of T. gondii. When inferring the importance of various prey species to the ecology of T. gondii, researchers must consider the predation and dietary habits of felids from within their study system. Our simple binomial equation could also be used to predict T. gondii exposure rates of humans or other carnivorous animals from various dietary sources or be applied to other predator-prey parasite life cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick L Taggart
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, South Australia, 5371, Australia; Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Orange, NSW, 2800 Australia.
| | - Charles G B Caraguel
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, South Australia, 5371, Australia
| | - Milton M McAllister
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, South Australia, 5371, Australia
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Galal L, Stragier C, Boumédiène F, Hamidović A, Maugrion O, Dardé ML, Mercier A. Combining spatial analysis and host population genetics to gain insights into the mode of transmission of a pathogen: The example of Toxoplasma gondii in mice. Infect Genet Evol 2020; 78:104142. [PMID: 31841702 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2019.104142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous highly prevalent zoonotic protozoan. Cats are the definitive hosts, while all other warm-blooded animals are intermediate hosts for this parasite. Commensal rodents, being the main prey of cats, are probably the major reservoir for T. gondii in the domestic environment. Rodents can acquire infection after ingestion of oocysts that have sporulated in the environment. However, experimental evidence shows that vertical transmission can be sufficient for the perpetuation of transmission between generations of mice. In natural settings, the relative epidemiological importance of vertical transmission over oral transmission is a matter of debate and raises the question of the possibility of a T. gondii cycle in the absence of cats. In the present study, we took advantage of an extensive survey of commensal rodents in Dakar, Senegal, where the house mouse is the predominant putative reservoir of T. gondii. Mice genotypes and spatial location through GPS referencing of all trapping localizations were investigated in relation to T. gondii infection in eight sites of the city of Dakar and on Goree Island. In each sampling site, the occurrence of over-prevalence zones of T. gondii infection was investigated through Kulldorf's statistic using SaTScan software. Genetic structure and relatedness between mice were investigated within each over-prevalence zone, in order to find clues of transmission between related mice. Within each of the four over-prevalence zones identified across nine sites, infected mice belonged to more than one genetic group. No association between the degree of relatedness and the occurrence of T. gondii infection could be detected. These findings suggest an environmental source of infection for mice associated with localized putative foci of environmental contamination and support an oral route of infection for mice from Dakar rather than a cycle based on vertical transmission. However, further investigations based on a denser sampling in different epidemiological contexts are recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lokman Galal
- INSERM UMR_S 1094, Neuroépidémiologie Tropicale, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Limoges, Limoges 87025, France.
| | - Claire Stragier
- BIOPASS (IRD-CBGP, ISRA, UCAD), Campus de Bel-Air, BP 1386, CP 18524 Dakar, Senegal
| | - Farid Boumédiène
- INSERM UMR_S 1094, Neuroépidémiologie Tropicale, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Limoges, Limoges 87025, France
| | - Azra Hamidović
- INSERM UMR_S 1094, Neuroépidémiologie Tropicale, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Limoges, Limoges 87025, France
| | - Océane Maugrion
- INSERM UMR_S 1094, Neuroépidémiologie Tropicale, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Limoges, Limoges 87025, France
| | - Marie-Laure Dardé
- INSERM UMR_S 1094, Neuroépidémiologie Tropicale, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Limoges, Limoges 87025, France; Centre National de Référence Toxoplasmose/Toxoplasma Biological Resource Center, CHU Limoges, 87042 Limoges, France
| | - Aurélien Mercier
- INSERM UMR_S 1094, Neuroépidémiologie Tropicale, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Limoges, Limoges 87025, France; Centre National de Référence Toxoplasmose/Toxoplasma Biological Resource Center, CHU Limoges, 87042 Limoges, France
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Kolören Z, Cerqueira-Cézar CK, Murata FHA, Kwok OCH, Banfield JE, Brown JD, Su C, Dubey JP. High Seroprevalence but Low Rate of Isolation of Toxoplasma gondii from Wild Elk ( Cervus Canadensis) in Pennsylvania. J Parasitol 2019; 105:890-892. [PMID: 31738124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii infections are prevalent in most warm-blooded animals worldwide. During the 2018 November hunting season in Pennsylvania, fresh (unfixed, not frozen) samples obtained from 99 harvested elk (Cervus canadensis) were tested for T. gondii infection. Antibodies to T. gondii were detected in 69 of 99 (69.7%) elk tested by the modified agglutination test (MAT, 1:25 cut-off). Tongues and hearts from 16 elk with high MAT titers (>1:200) were bioassayed for T. gondii by inoculation in outbred Swiss Webster (SW) and interferon-gamma gene knockout (KO) mice. Viable T. gondii was isolated from tongues of 2 elk with MAT titers of 1:200 and 1:3,200. Toxoplasma gondii from both isolates were successfully propagated in cell culture. Genetic typing on DNA extracted from culture-derived tachyzoites using the PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism with 10 genetic markers (SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1, and Apico) revealed that both isolates belonged to ToxoDB PCR-RFLP genotype #5 that is widely prevalent in wildlife in the United States. Our results suggest that elk may clear T. gondii organisms from their tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Kolören
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland 20705-2350
- Current address: Ordu University, Faculty of Science and Literature, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Ordu, Turkey
| | - C K Cerqueira-Cézar
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland 20705-2350
| | - F H A Murata
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland 20705-2350
| | - O C H Kwok
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland 20705-2350
| | - J E Banfield
- Pennsylvania Game Commission, 2001 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17110-9797
| | - J D Brown
- Pennsylvania Game Commission, 2001 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17110-9797
- Current address: Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, 111 Henning Building, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
| | - C Su
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996
| | - J P Dubey
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland 20705-2350
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Galal L, Sarr A, Cuny T, Brouat C, Coulibaly F, Sembène M, Diagne M, Diallo M, Sow A, Hamidović A, Plault N, Dardé ML, Ajzenberg D, Mercier A. The introduction of new hosts with human trade shapes the extant distribution of Toxoplasma gondii lineages. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007435. [PMID: 31295245 PMCID: PMC6622481 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic protozoan with a worldwide occurrence, but the determinants of the current pattern in the geographical distribution of T. gondii lineages and strains remain poorly understood. To test the influence of human trade on T. gondii populations, we conducted a population genetic study of 72 T. gondii animal isolates from Senegal, a West African country in which the ongoing inland progress of invasive murine hosts (introduced in port cities of Senegal since the 16th century by European sailors) is well described. Isolates were mainly collected on free-range poultry, which are considered as relevant bioindicators of T. gondii strain diversity in the domestic environment. Sampling was conducted in two port cities of Senegal (Dakar and Saint-Louis) and in one inland region (Kedougou). Population genetic analyses using 15 microsatellite markers revealed different patterns between port cities where lineages non-virulent for mice (type II, type III, and Africa 4) were predominant, and Kedougou where the mouse-virulent Africa 1 lineage was the most common. By considering the current spatial pattern in the inland progress of invasive rodents in Senegal, our results suggest that the invasive house mouse Mus musculus domesticus counter-selects the Africa 1 lineage in the invaded areas. The comparison of the microsatellite alleles of type II strains from Senegal to type II strains from other areas in Africa and Western Europe, using discriminant analysis of principal components and Network analysis, point to a mainly Western European origin of the type II lineage in Senegal. Collectively, these findings suggest that human-mediated intercontinental migrations of murine hosts are important vectors of T. gondii strains. Differential susceptibility of endemic and introduced murine hosts to various T. gondii strains probably determines the persistence of these strains in the environment, and therefore their availability for human and animal infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lokman Galal
- INSERM, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, UMR 1094, Tropical Neuroepidemiology, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, GEIST, Limoges, France
| | - Amedine Sarr
- INSERM, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, UMR 1094, Tropical Neuroepidemiology, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, GEIST, Limoges, France
| | - Thomas Cuny
- INSERM, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, UMR 1094, Tropical Neuroepidemiology, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, GEIST, Limoges, France
| | - Carine Brouat
- CBGP, IRD, CIRAD, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ. Montpellier, Cedex, France
| | - Fatoumata Coulibaly
- Laboratory of Parasitology-Mycology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal
- Département de Biologie, Unité de formation et de recherche en Sciences Biologiques, Université Péléforo Gon Coulibaly, Korhogo, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Mbacké Sembène
- Département de Biologie Animale, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD), Dakar, Senegal
| | - Moustapha Diagne
- Département de Biologie Animale, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD), Dakar, Senegal
| | | | - Aliou Sow
- BIOPASS, CBGP-IRD, ISRA, UCAD, Dakar, CP, Senegal
| | - Azra Hamidović
- INSERM, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, UMR 1094, Tropical Neuroepidemiology, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, GEIST, Limoges, France
| | - Nicolas Plault
- INSERM, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, UMR 1094, Tropical Neuroepidemiology, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, GEIST, Limoges, France
| | - Marie-Laure Dardé
- INSERM, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, UMR 1094, Tropical Neuroepidemiology, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, GEIST, Limoges, France
- Centre National de Référence Toxoplasmose/Toxoplasma Biological Resource Center, CHU Limoges, Limoges, France
| | - Daniel Ajzenberg
- INSERM, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, UMR 1094, Tropical Neuroepidemiology, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, GEIST, Limoges, France
| | - Aurélien Mercier
- INSERM, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, UMR 1094, Tropical Neuroepidemiology, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, GEIST, Limoges, France
- Centre National de Référence Toxoplasmose/Toxoplasma Biological Resource Center, CHU Limoges, Limoges, France
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8
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Abstract
Physicians and veterinarians are increasingly expected to collaborate across disciplines; however, in most cases their education and training remain isolated within their respective professions. Medical and veterinary students are rarely provided with opportunities for inter-professional learning during their coursework and clinical training. One Health serves as an ideal framework for developing problem-focused curricula that promote inter-professional teamwork. One Health issues (e.g., zoonotic diseases, water pollution, toxic waste, impact of climate change, and food safety and security) not only engage students across disciplines, but require faculty and senior leadership across various health-related fields to share knowledge and balance perspectives throughout curriculum development and implementation. In this article, we report on one of several interactive, small-group, case-based One Health curricular exercises developed collaboratively by students and faculty in our Schools of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine to ensure that all students, regardless of background or intended specialty, would receive a basic introduction to inter-professional collaboration in the context of a One Health clinical problem of the sort they might encounter in their future practice. Toxoplasmosis ( Toxoplasma gondii infection) was selected as the first case because of the potentially different perspectives that medical and veterinary practitioners may have on advising a pregnant woman with regard to risk factors, prevention, testing, and treatment. Our goal was to develop an evidence-based approach to this clinical case that could be used by both professions to assess environmental and zoonotic risk factors for T. gondii in human pregnancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Wilkes
- School of Medicine, University of California at Davis, 2521 Stockton Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95817 USA.
| | - Patricia A Conrad
- School of Veterinary Medicine, 5311 Vet Med 3A, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616 USA
| | - Jenna N Winer
- School of Veterinary Medicine, William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616 USA
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Heddergott M, Steinbach P, Pohl D, Frantz AC. First report on the sero-epidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii infection in German roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). Parasite 2018; 25:52. [PMID: 30251952 PMCID: PMC6154261 DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2018052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
While the roe deer (Capreolus capeolus) is the most important game species in Germany and its venison is popular, there is limited knowledge about the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in this animal population in the country, and in wild ungulates in Germany generally. Between 2013 and 2015, we collected 295 blood samples from roe deer belonging to a central German population. Sera were analysed using a modified agglutination test (MAT, cut-off 1:20), and antibodies were detected in 86 of the 295 samples (29%). Seroprevalence values differed significantly between the different age classes, with antibodies more frequently observed in adults. In contrast, seroprevalence did not differ significantly between the sexes or collection years. Venison is frequently consumed raw or undercooked and may be a potential source of human infection with T. gondii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mike Heddergott
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Musée National d’Histoire Naturelle 2160
Luxembourg Luxembourg
| | - Peter Steinbach
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University of Göttingen, Faculty of Chemistry 37077
Göttingen Germany
| | - Daniel Pohl
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University of Würzburg, Department of Mathematics 97074
Würzburg Germany
| | - Alain C. Frantz
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Musée National d’Histoire Naturelle 2160
Luxembourg Luxembourg
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10
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Hecker YP, Masson FM, Armendano JI, Cora J, Olivares CF, Gual I, Pardini L, Moore DP, Moré G, Cantón GJ. Evaluation of frequency of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii,Neospora caninum and Sarcocystis spp. and transmission routes in sheep from Humid Pampa, Argentina. Acta Parasitol 2018; 63:416-421. [PMID: 29654669 DOI: 10.1515/ap-2018-0048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to describe the frequency of ovine specific antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum and Sarcocystis spp. and to estimate different transmission routes of these infections. One hundred and thirty Texel sheep and their 117 Texel lambs were included in the study. Serum samples were tested for antibodies to T. gondii, N. caninum and Sarcocystis spp. using IFAT. Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence was 10.00% in sheep (IC95%: 4.80-15.20%), being higher in adult sheep (≥12 year) than in younger sheep (OR 1.30; 95% CI, 1.10-1.50). N. caninum and Sarcocystis spp. seroprevalences were 1.54% (IC95%: 0.00-5.70) and 72.09% (IC95%: 67.70-82.70), respectively, with no association between age and seropositivity in sheep (P>0.05). T. gondii seroprevalence in lambs was 4.27% (IC95%: 0.61-7.94). No association between T. gondii serological status in sheep and their lambs was detected (P = 0.07). Two T. gondii and Sarcocystis spp. seropositive lambs were euthanized and T. gondii and Sarcocystis spp. DNA was detected by PCR in their tissues. In conclusion, the increase of T. gondii seropositivity in relationship with sheep age and the lack of association between sheep-lamb serological status, suggest that horizontal infection is the main transmission route in this flock as reported before. Due to the low number of N. caninum-seropositive ewes no assumptions can be done about the impact of this parasite in this flock. According with previous reports, the main transmission route for Sarcocystis spp. in this species in the present study was horizontal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanina P Hecker
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Rosario, Argentina
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Joaquín I Armendano
- Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Balcarce, Argentina
| | - Juan Cora
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Ignacio Gual
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Rosario, Argentina
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lais Pardini
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Rosario, Argentina
- Laboratorio de Inmunoparasitología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, UNLP, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Dadín P Moore
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Rosario, Argentina
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gastón Moré
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Rosario, Argentina
- Laboratorio de Inmunoparasitología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, UNLP, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Germán J Cantón
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Barros M, Cabezón O, Dubey JP, Almería S, Ribas MP, Escobar LE, Ramos B, Medina-Vogel G. Toxoplasma gondii infection in wild mustelids and cats across an urban-rural gradient. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0199085. [PMID: 29924844 PMCID: PMC6010287 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The increase in human population and domestic pets, such as cats, are generating important consequences in terms of habitat loss and pathogen pollution of coastal ecosystems with potential to generate negative impacts in marine biodiversity. Toxoplasma gondii is the etiological agent of zoonotic disease toxoplasmosis, and is associated with cat abundance and anthropogenic disturbance. The presence of T. gondii oocysts in the ocean has negatively affected the health status of the threatened Southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) populations. The present study analyzed seroprevalence and presence of T. gondii DNA in American mink (Neovison vison), Southern river otters (Lontra provocax) and domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus) in four different areas in Southern Chile comprising studies in rivers and lakes in Andean foothills and mountains, marine habitat and island coastal ecosystems. Mean seroprevalence of T. gondii in the study was 64% of 151 total animals sampled: 59% of 73 American mink, 77% of 13 Southern river otters, 68% of 65 domestic cats and in two of two kodkods (Leopardus guigna). Toxoplasma gondii DNA was detected in tissues from one American mink and one Southern river otter. The present study confirms the widespread distribution of T. gondii in Southern Chile, and shows a high exposure of semiaquatic mustelids and domestic cats to the parasite. Cats and anthropogenic disturbance have a role in the maintenance of T. gondii infection in ecosystems of southern Chile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Macarena Barros
- Centro de Investigacion para la Sustentabilidad, Universidad Andres Bello, República, Santiago, Chile
| | - Oscar Cabezón
- UAB, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA, IRTA-UAB), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina I Cirugia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Jitender P. Dubey
- Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Sonia Almería
- UAB, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA, IRTA-UAB), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Departament de Sanitat I d´Anatomia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - María P. Ribas
- UAB, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA, IRTA-UAB), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina I Cirugia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Luis E. Escobar
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech., Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Barbara Ramos
- Centro de Investigacion para la Sustentabilidad, Universidad Andres Bello, República, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gonzalo Medina-Vogel
- Centro de Investigacion para la Sustentabilidad, Universidad Andres Bello, República, Santiago, Chile
- * E-mail:
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13
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Affiliation(s)
- D Buxton
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Moredun Research Institute, Edinburgh
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14
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Affiliation(s)
- E F Torrey
- Stanley Medical Research Institute,Kensington,MD
| | - R H Yolken
- The Stanley Neurovirology Laboratory,Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine,Baltimore,MD
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Wyrosdick HM, Gerhold R, Su C, Mignucci-Giannoni AA, Bonde RK, Chapman A, Rivera-Pérez CI, Martinez J, Miller DL. Investigating seagrass in Toxoplasma gondii transmission in Florida (Trichechus manatus latirostris) and Antillean (T. m. manatus) manatees. Dis Aquat Organ 2017; 127:65-69. [PMID: 29256429 DOI: 10.3354/dao03181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a feline protozoan reported to cause morbidity and mortality in manatees and other marine mammals. Given the herbivorous nature of manatees, ingestion of oocysts from contaminated water or seagrass is presumed to be their primary mode of infection. The objectives of this study were to investigate oocyst contamination of seagrass beds in Puerto Rico and determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii in Antillean (Trichechus manatus manatus) and Florida (T. m. latirostris) manatees. Sera or plasma from Antillean (n = 5) and Florida (n = 351) manatees were tested for T. gondii antibodies using the modified agglutination test. No T. gondii DNA was detected via PCR in seagrass samples (n = 33) collected from Puerto Rico. Seroprevalence was 0%, suggesting a lower prevalence of T. gondii in these manatee populations than previously reported. This was the first study to investigate the potential oocyst contamination of the manatee diet, and similar studies are important for understanding the epidemiology of T. gondii in herbivorous marine mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi M Wyrosdick
- University of Tennessee, Center for Wildlife Health, Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
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Müller J, Aguado-Martínez A, Ortega-Mora LM, Moreno-Gonzalo J, Ferre I, Hulverson MA, Choi R, McCloskey MC, Barrett LK, Maly DJ, Ojo KK, Van Voorhis W, Hemphill A. Development of a murine vertical transmission model for Toxoplasma gondii oocyst infection and studies on the efficacy of bumped kinase inhibitor (BKI)-1294 and the naphthoquinone buparvaquone against congenital toxoplasmosis. J Antimicrob Chemother 2017; 72:2334-2341. [PMID: 28486633 PMCID: PMC5890665 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkx134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2017] [Revised: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives Establishment of a mouse model for congenital toxoplasmosis based on oral infection with oocysts from Toxoplasma gondii ME49 and its application for investigating chemotherapeutic options against congenital toxoplasmosis. Methods CD1 mice were mated, orally infected with 5, 25, 100, 500 or 2000 oocysts and monitored for clinical signs and survival of dams and pups until 4 weeks post partum . The parasite burden in infected mice was quantified by real-time PCR in lungs, brains and, in the case of surviving pups, also in eyes. Seroconversion was assessed by ELISA. T. gondii cysts in brain were identified by immunofluorescence. In a second experiment, pregnant CD1 mice challenged with 20 oocysts/mouse were treated with buparvaquone or the calcium-dependent protein kinase 1 inhibitor bumped kinase inhibitor (BKI)-1294 and the outcome of infection was analysed. Results T. gondii DNA was detected in the brain of all infected animals, irrespective of the infection dose. Seroconversion occurred at 3 weeks post-infection. Most pups born to infected dams died within 1 week post partum , but a small fraction survived until the end of the experiment. T. gondii DNA was detected in the brain of all survivors and half of them exhibited ocular infection. Chemotherapy with both compounds led to dramatically increased numbers of surviving pups and reduced cerebral infection. Most efficient were treatments with BKI-1294, with 100% survivors and only 7% brain-positive pups. Conclusions BKI-1294 and buparvaquone exert excellent activities against transplacental transmission in pregnant mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Müller
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Länggass-Strasse 122, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Adriana Aguado-Martínez
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Länggass-Strasse 122, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Luis-Miguel Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Moreno-Gonzalo
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Ferre
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Matthew A. Hulverson
- Center for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ryan Choi
- Center for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Molly C. McCloskey
- Center for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lynn K. Barrett
- Center for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Dustin J. Maly
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kayode K. Ojo
- Center for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Wes Van Voorhis
- Center for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Andrew Hemphill
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Länggass-Strasse 122, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
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de Almeida JC, de Melo RPB, de Morais Pedrosa C, da Silva Santos M, de Barros LD, Garcia JL, Porto WJN, Mota RA. First isolation and RFLP genotyping of Toxoplasma gondii from crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous-Linnaeus, 1766). Acta Trop 2017; 169:26-29. [PMID: 28119049 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2016] [Revised: 01/06/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Wild animals may play an important role in the transmission and maintenance of Toxoplasma gondii in the environment. The purpose of the present study was to isolate and genotype T. gondii from a free-ranging crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous-Linnaeus, 1766). A crab-eating fox in critical health condition was attended in a veterinary hospital in Recife, Pernambuco State, Brazil. The animal died despite emergency treatment. The brain was collected aseptically and destined for mouse bioassay. One isolate of T. gondii was obtained, and Polymerase Chain Reaction - Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was used to assess genetic variability at 11 markers (SAG1, SAG2, altSAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c228, c292, L358, PK1 and APICO). A murine model was used to assess the virulence of the isolate. Using the PCR-RFLP, genotype ToxoDB #13 was identified, which is considered an atypical strain. The isolate was classified as avirulent in the murine model. This is the first study to report T. gondii infection in the crab-eating fox.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonatas Campos de Almeida
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Infectious-Contagious Diseases of Domestic Animals, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - Renata Pimentel Bandeira de Melo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Infectious-Contagious Diseases of Domestic Animals, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - Camila de Morais Pedrosa
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Infectious-Contagious Diseases of Domestic Animals, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | | | - Luiz Daniel de Barros
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Animal Protozoology, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, PR 445 Km 380, 86057-970, Londrina, PR, Brazil
| | - João Luis Garcia
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Animal Protozoology, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, PR 445 Km 380, 86057-970, Londrina, PR, Brazil
| | - Wagnner José Nascimento Porto
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Fazenda São Luís, 57000-000, Viçosa, AL, Brazil
| | - Rinaldo Aparecido Mota
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Infectious-Contagious Diseases of Domestic Animals, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil.
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Wang ZT, Verma SK, Dubey JP, Sibley LD. The aromatic amino acid hydroxylase genes AAH1 and AAH2 in Toxoplasma gondii contribute to transmission in the cat. PLoS Pathog 2017; 13:e1006272. [PMID: 28288194 PMCID: PMC5363998 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2016] [Revised: 03/23/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The Toxoplasma gondii genome contains two aromatic amino acid hydroxylase genes, AAH1 and AAH2 encode proteins that produce L-DOPA, which can serve as a precursor of catecholamine neurotransmitters. It has been suggested that this pathway elevates host dopamine levels thus making infected rodents less fearful of their definitive Felidae hosts. However, L-DOPA is also a structural precursor of melanins, secondary quinones, and dityrosine protein crosslinks, which are produced by many species. For example, dityrosine crosslinks are abundant in the oocyst walls of Eimeria and T. gondii, although their structural role has not been demonstrated, Here, we investigated the biology of AAH knockout parasites in the sexual reproductive cycle within cats. We found that ablation of the AAH genes resulted in reduced infection in the cat, lower oocyst yields, and decreased rates of sporulation. Our findings suggest that the AAH genes play a predominant role during infection in the gut of the definitive feline host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi T. Wang
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Shiv K. Verma
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jitender P. Dubey
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - L. David Sibley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
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Vargas-Villavicencio JA, Besné-Mérida A, Correa D. Vertical transmission and fetal damage in animal models of congenital toxoplasmosis: A systematic review. Vet Parasitol 2016; 223:195-204. [PMID: 27198800 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2016.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2015] [Revised: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In humans, the probability of congenital infection and fetal damage due to Toxoplasma gondii is dependent on the gestation period at which primary infection occurs. Many animal models have been used for vaccine, drug testing, or studies on host or parasite factors that affect transmission or fetal pathology, but few works have directly tested fetal infection and damage rates along gestation. So, the purpose of this work was to perform a systematic review of the literature to determine if there is a model which reflects these changes as they occur in humans. We looked for papers appearing between 1970 and 2014 in major databases like Medline and Scopus, as well as gray literature. From almost 11,000 citations obtained, only 49 papers fulfilled the criteria of having data of all independent variables and at least one dependent datum for control (untreated) groups. Some interesting findings could be extracted. For example, pigs seem resistant and sheep susceptible to congenital infection. Also, oocysts cause more congenitally infected offspring than tissue cysts, bradyzoites or tachyzoites. In spite of these interesting findings, very few results on vertical transmission or fetal damage rates were similar to those described for humans and only for one of the gestation thirds, not all. Moreover, in most designs tissue cysts - with unknown number of bradyzoites - were used, so actual dose could not be established. The meta-analysis could not be performed, mainly because of great heterogeneity in experimental conditions. Nevertheless, results gathered suggest that a model could be designed to represent the increase in vertical transmission and decrease in fetal damage found in humans under natural conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Antonio Vargas-Villavicencio
- Lab. de Inmunología Experimental, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, SSa. Torre de Investigación, Av. Insurgentes Sur 3700-C, Col. Insurgentes Cuicuilco, Ciudad de México 04530, Mexico
| | - Alejandro Besné-Mérida
- Lab. de Inmunología Experimental, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, SSa. Torre de Investigación, Av. Insurgentes Sur 3700-C, Col. Insurgentes Cuicuilco, Ciudad de México 04530, Mexico
| | - Dolores Correa
- Lab. de Inmunología Experimental, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, SSa. Torre de Investigación, Av. Insurgentes Sur 3700-C, Col. Insurgentes Cuicuilco, Ciudad de México 04530, Mexico.
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Masatani T, Takashima Y, Takasu M, Matsuu A, Amaya T. Prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibody in domestic horses in Japan. Parasitol Int 2015; 65:146-50. [PMID: 26593178 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2015.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2015] [Revised: 11/04/2015] [Accepted: 11/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The present study is the first report that investigated the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in domestic horses in various prefectures of Japan and analyzed risk factors for seropositivity. We performed a latex agglutination test for riding/racing horses from 11 prefectures in Japan (783 samples) and 4 groups of Japanese native horses (254 samples). The total seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii antibody in horses examined in this study was 4.24% (44/1037). As for riding/racing horses, we did not find a statistically different T. gondii seroprevalence between sampling prefectures. In contrast, seroprevalence of T. gondii in older horses (>21 years) was significantly higher than that in younger horses (<5 years and 11-15 years). There was no significant difference in T. gondii seroprevalence between riding/racing horses and Japanese native horses. Logistical regression analysis revealed that age, but not sex and usage, is a significant risk factor of T. gondii infection for domestic horses in Japan. These findings suggest that domesticated horses in Japan can be horizontally infected with T. gondii by ingestion of food or water contaminated with oocysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsunori Masatani
- Transboundary Animal Diseases Research Center, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Korimoto 1-21-24, Kagoshima, Japan.
| | - Yasuhiro Takashima
- Department of Veterinary Parasitological Diseases, Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, Yanagido 1-1, Gifu, Japan
| | - Masaki Takasu
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Theriogenology, Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, Yanagido 1-1, Gifu, Japan
| | - Aya Matsuu
- Transboundary Animal Diseases Research Center, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Korimoto 1-21-24, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Tomohiko Amaya
- Yamatokohgen Animal Medical Clinic, Habikino, Osaka, Japan
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Ramaprasad A, Mourier T, Naeem R, Malas TB, Moussa E, Panigrahi A, Vermont SJ, Otto TD, Wastling J, Pain A. Comprehensive evaluation of Toxoplasma gondii VEG and Neospora caninum LIV genomes with tachyzoite stage transcriptome and proteome defines novel transcript features. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0124473. [PMID: 25875305 PMCID: PMC4395442 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2015] [Accepted: 03/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an important protozoan parasite that infects all warm-blooded animals and causes opportunistic infections in immuno-compromised humans. Its closest relative, Neospora caninum, is an important veterinary pathogen that causes spontaneous abortion in livestock. Comparative genomics of these two closely related coccidians has been of particular interest to identify genes that contribute to varied host cell specificity and disease. Here, we describe a manual evaluation of these genomes based on strand-specific RNA sequencing and shotgun proteomics from the invasive tachyzoite stages of these two parasites. We have corrected predicted structures of over one third of the previously annotated gene models and have annotated untranslated regions (UTRs) in over half of the predicted protein-coding genes. We observe distinctly long UTRs in both the organisms, almost four times longer than other model eukaryotes. We have also identified a putative set of cis-natural antisense transcripts (cis-NATs) and long intergenic non-coding RNAs (lincRNAs). We have significantly improved the annotation quality in these genomes that would serve as a manually curated dataset for Toxoplasma and Neospora research communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhinay Ramaprasad
- Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Tobias Mourier
- Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Raeece Naeem
- Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Tareq B. Malas
- Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Ehab Moussa
- Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Aswini Panigrahi
- Bioscience Core Laboratory (BCL), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Sarah J. Vermont
- Institute of Infection and Global Health and School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas D. Otto
- Parasite Genomics Group, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (WTSI), Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan Wastling
- Institute of Infection and Global Health and School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom
| | - Arnab Pain
- Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- * E-mail:
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Machacova T, Bártová E, Sedlak K, Budikova M, Piccirillo A. Risk factors involved in transmission of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum infection in rabbit farms in Northern Italy. Ann Agric Environ Med 2015; 22:677-679. [PMID: 26706976 DOI: 10.5604/12321966.1185774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE In Italy, rabbits are frequently reared for meat production. The aim of the study was to find the seroprevalence of T. gondii and N. caninum parasites, and risk factors of infection in rabbit farms. MATERIAL AND METHODS Blood samples from 260 apparently healthy breeding rabbits were collected on 13 commercial farms in Northern Italy. Rabbits were divided into categories according to age, number of births, breed, province and size of farm. Samples were tested for antibodies to T. gondii and N. caninum using the indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT); samples with a titre ≥ 50 were considered positive. RESULTS Antibodies to T. gondii and N. caninum were found in 38 (14.6 %) and 3 (1.2 %) rabbits, respectively. A statistically significant difference (p-value ≤ 0.05) was found only in T. gondii prevalence among different rabbit breeds and provinces. CONCLUSION Rabbits from Northern Italy are at risk of T. gondii and N. caninum infection; however, it is lower compared to seroprevalence noted in other animal species or in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tereza Machacova
- Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Bártová
- Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Kamil Sedlak
- Department of Virology and Serology, State Veterinary Institute Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Marie Budikova
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Alessandra Piccirillo
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padua, Legnaro (Padua), Italy
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Shapiro K, Krusor C, Mazzillo FFM, Conrad PA, Largier JL, Mazet JAK, Silver MW. Aquatic polymers can drive pathogen transmission in coastal ecosystems. Proc Biol Sci 2014; 281:20141287. [PMID: 25297861 PMCID: PMC4213613 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.1287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2014] [Accepted: 09/15/2014] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Gelatinous polymers including extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) are fundamental to biophysical processes in aquatic habitats, including mediating aggregation processes and functioning as the matrix of biofilms. Yet insight into the impact of these sticky molecules on the environmental transmission of pathogens in the ocean is limited. We used the zoonotic parasite Toxoplasma gondii as a model to evaluate polymer-mediated mechanisms that promote transmission of terrestrially derived pathogens to marine fauna and humans. We show that transparent exopolymer particles, a particulate form of EPS, enhance T. gondii association with marine aggregates, material consumed by organisms otherwise unable to access micrometre-sized particles. Adhesion to EPS biofilms on macroalgae also captures T. gondii from the water, enabling uptake of pathogens by invertebrates that feed on kelp surfaces. We demonstrate the acquisition, concentration and retention of T. gondii by kelp-grazing snails, which can transmit T. gondii to threatened California sea otters. Results highlight novel mechanisms whereby aquatic polymers facilitate incorporation of pathogens into food webs via association with particle aggregates and biofilms. Identifying the critical role of invisible polymers in transmission of pathogens in the ocean represents a fundamental advance in understanding and mitigating the health impacts of coastal habitat pollution with contaminated runoff.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Shapiro
- One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Colin Krusor
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | | | - Patricia A Conrad
- One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - John L Largier
- Bodega Marine Laboratory and Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Jonna A K Mazet
- One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Mary W Silver
- Department of Ocean Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
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Rendón-Franco E, Xicoténcatl-García L, Rico-Torres CP, Muñoz-García CI, Caso-Aguilar A, Suzán G, Correa D, Caballero-Ortega H. Toxoplasmosis seroprevalence in wild small rodents, potentially preys of ocelots in north-eastern Mexico. Parasite 2014; 21:57. [PMID: 25375977 PMCID: PMC4222289 DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2014058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2014] [Accepted: 10/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in rodents that coexist with ocelots in north-eastern Mexico. Eighty rodents of five genera were captured and their serum samples tested for specific IgG antibodies to T. gondii by in-house indirect ELISA using three different conjugates. Prevalences of 7% (3/44) and 33% (4/12) were found in Sigmodon hispidus and Liomys irroratus, respectively, and were significantly different. All Baiomys taylori and Oligoryzomys fulvescens were negative for the presence of anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies. The samples from Peromyscus spp. could not be analyzed because none of the three conjugates tested recognized their immunoglobulins. Infection was confirmed in one single specimen of L. irroratus by qPCR, which generated an estimate of 146 parasites per mg of muscle tissue. The results strongly support the notion of active T. gondii transmission between rodents and felines in this zone of Mexico and an important role of some rodent species in the sylvatic cycle of T. gondii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilio Rendón-Franco
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Departamento de Producción Agrícola y Animal, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana – Unidad Xochimilco Mexico
| | - Lizbeth Xicoténcatl-García
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Laboratorio de Inmunología Experimental, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Secretaría de Salud México D.F.
04530 Mexico
| | - Claudia Patricia Rico-Torres
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Laboratorio de Inmunología Experimental, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Secretaría de Salud México D.F.
04530 Mexico
| | - Claudia Irais Muñoz-García
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Departamento de Producción Agrícola y Animal, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana – Unidad Xochimilco Mexico
| | - Arturo Caso-Aguilar
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Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville 700 University Blvd., MSC 218 Kingsville TX 78363 USA
| | - Gerardo Suzán
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Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México México
04510 Mexico
| | - Dolores Correa
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Laboratorio de Inmunología Experimental, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Secretaría de Salud México D.F.
04530 Mexico
| | - Heriberto Caballero-Ortega
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Laboratorio de Inmunología Experimental, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Secretaría de Salud México D.F.
04530 Mexico
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Gebremedhin EZ, Abdurahaman M, Hadush T, Tessema TS. Seroprevalence and risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infection in sheep and goats slaughtered for human consumption in Central Ethiopia. BMC Res Notes 2014; 7:696. [PMID: 25287190 PMCID: PMC4196015 DOI: 10.1186/1756-0500-7-696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2013] [Accepted: 10/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Toxoplasmosis is one of the most common parasitic zoonoses worldwide. Humans get infections with T. gondii after ingesting raw or undercooked meat or oocysts via contaminated soil, food or water; or congenitally by transplacental transmission of tachyzoites. The objectives of the present study were to estimate the seroprevalence and assess risk factors for T. gondii infection in sheep and goats slaughtered for human consumption in Central Ethiopia. METHODS A cross-sectional study was carried out from September, 2011 to November, 2012 in randomly selected small ruminants (n = 628). Direct Agglutination Test (DAT) was used to detect IgG antibodies specific to T. gondii. A titer of 1: 40 or 1: 4000 or both was considered indicative of T. gondii exposure. Logistic regression was used to assess potential risk factors. RESULTS An overall seroprevalence of 17.68% (111/628) (95% confidence interval [CI]:14.77-20.89) was detected. Twenty percent (61/305) seroprevalence (95% CI: 15.6-624.94) in sheep was found with a reciprocal end titers of 60 in fourteen, 180 in three, 540 in two, 1620 in five, 6000 in nine, 18000 in six, 54000 in eleven and 162000 in eleven. Similarly, seroprevalence of 15.48% (50/323) (95% CI:11.71-19.89) in goats was found with a reciprocal end titers of 60 in eighteen, 180 in five, 540 in three, 1620 in seven, 6000 in four, 18,000 in four, 54,000 in five and 162,000 in four. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of T. gondii infection was significantly higher in adult sheep (adjusted Odd ratio (aOR) = 2.02, 95% CI: 1.10-3.70; P = 0.023) than in young sheep and in sheep sampled during the dry season (aOR = 4.19, 95% CI: 1.55-11.33, P = 0.005) than those sampled during wet season. CONCLUSIONS The seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in small ruminants slaughtered for human consumption in Central Ethiopia is high. Age and season are significant predictors of seropositivity in sheep. The study highlighted the importance of meat of small ruminants as a potential source of infection for humans. Prevention of the spread of the disease through farm biosecurity measures is essential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Endrias Zewdu Gebremedhin
- />Department of Veterinary Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences Ambo University, P.O.Box 19, Ambo, Ethiopia
| | - Mukarim Abdurahaman
- />College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Jimma University, P.O.Box 307, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Tsehaye Hadush
- />College of Veterinary Medicine, Samera University, P.O.Box 132, Samera, Ethiopia
| | - Tesfaye Sisay Tessema
- />Institute of Biotechnology, College of Natural and computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Verant ML, d'Ozouville N, Parker PG, Shapiro K, VanWormer E, Deem SL. Attempted detection of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts in environmental waters using a simple approach to evaluate the potential for waterborne transmission in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. Ecohealth 2014; 11:207-214. [PMID: 24306552 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-013-0888-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2013] [Revised: 10/02/2013] [Accepted: 10/09/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis is a health concern for wildlife and humans, particularly in island ecosystems. In the Galápagos Islands, exposure to Toxoplasma gondii has been found in marine avifauna on islands with and without domestic cats. To evaluate potential waterborne transmission of T. gondii, we attempted to use filtration and epifluorescent microscopy to detect autofluorescent T. gondii oocysts in fresh and estuarine surface water samples. T. gondii oocyst-like structures were microscopically visualized but were not confirmed by polymerase chain reaction and sequence analyses. Further research is needed to refine environmental pathogen screening techniques and to evaluate disease risk of waterborne zoonoses such as T. gondii for wildlife and humans, particularly in the Galápagos and other naive island ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle L Verant
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Veterinary Medicine, 2015 Linden Dr, Madison, WI, 53706, USA,
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VanWormer E, Miller MA, Conrad PA, Grigg ME, Rejmanek D, Carpenter TE, Mazet JAK. Using molecular epidemiology to track Toxoplasma gondii from terrestrial carnivores to marine hosts: implications for public health and conservation. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2014; 8:e2852. [PMID: 24874796 PMCID: PMC4038486 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2013] [Accepted: 03/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Environmental transmission of the zoonotic parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which is shed only by felids, poses risks to human and animal health in temperate and tropical ecosystems. Atypical T. gondii genotypes have been linked to severe disease in people and the threatened population of California sea otters. To investigate land-to-sea parasite transmission, we screened 373 carnivores (feral domestic cats, mountain lions, bobcats, foxes, and coyotes) for T. gondii infection and examined the distribution of genotypes in 85 infected animals sampled near the sea otter range. Methodology/Principal Findings Nested PCR-RFLP analyses and direct DNA sequencing at six independent polymorphic genetic loci (B1, SAG1, SAG3, GRA6, L358, and Apico) were used to characterize T. gondii strains in infected animals. Strains consistent with Type X, a novel genotype previously identified in over 70% of infected sea otters and four terrestrial wild carnivores along the California coast, were detected in all sampled species, including domestic cats. However, odds of Type X infection were 14 times higher (95% CI: 1.3–148.6) for wild felids than feral domestic cats. Type X infection was also linked to undeveloped lands (OR = 22, 95% CI: 2.3–250.7). A spatial cluster of terrestrial Type II infection (P = 0.04) was identified in developed lands bordering an area of increased risk for sea otter Type II infection. Two spatial clusters of animals infected with strains consistent with Type X (P≤0.01) were detected in less developed landscapes. Conclusions Differences in T. gondii genotype prevalence among domestic and wild felids, as well as the spatial distribution of genotypes, suggest co-existing domestic and wild T. gondii transmission cycles that likely overlap at the interface of developed and undeveloped lands. Anthropogenic development driving contact between these cycles may increase atypical T. gondii genotypes in domestic cats and facilitate transmission of potentially more pathogenic genotypes to humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. Toxoplasma gondii, a global parasite shed by domestic and wild felids, can cause severe disease in people and animals. In coastal California, USA, many sea otters have died due to T. gondii. Because T. gondii is shed by felids on land, otter infection suggests that this extremely hardy parasite is transported in freshwater runoff to aquatic environments, where animals and humans can become exposed. Molecular characterization of T. gondii strains infecting terrestrial and marine hosts can provide clues about parasite transmission cycles and sources of otter infection. By testing 373 and characterizing T. gondii infection in 85 terrestrial carnivores (domestic cats and wild carnivores) sharing the California coast, we found that Type X, the type previously identified in over 70% of infected sea otters tested, was more common in wild felids than domestic cats. However, discovery of Type X in domestic cats in this region suggests that they may play an important role in marine infection, as their populations are larger than those of wild felids. Differences in types of T. gondii among carnivores and in urban and agricultural vs. undeveloped areas suggest that there are separate, but overlapping domestic and wild cycles of T. gondii transmission in coastal California.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth VanWormer
- Wildlife Health Center, One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Melissa A. Miller
- Wildlife Health Center, One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
- Marine Wildlife Veterinary Care and Research Center, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Patricia A. Conrad
- Wildlife Health Center, One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Michael E. Grigg
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Daniel Rejmanek
- Wildlife Health Center, One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | | | - Jonna A. K. Mazet
- Wildlife Health Center, One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
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Mazzillo FFM, Shapiro K, Silver MW. A new pathogen transmission mechanism in the ocean: the case of sea otter exposure to the land-parasite Toxoplasma gondii. PLoS One 2013; 8:e82477. [PMID: 24386100 PMCID: PMC3867372 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0082477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2013] [Accepted: 10/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a land-derived parasite that infects humans and marine mammals. Infections are a significant cause of mortality for endangered southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis), but the transmission mechanism is poorly understood. Otter exposure to T. gondii has been linked to the consumption of marine turban snails in kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) forests. It is unknown how turban snails acquire oocysts, as snails scrape food particles attached to surfaces, whereas T. gondii oocysts enter kelp beds as suspended particles via runoff. We hypothesized that waterborne T. gondii oocysts attach to kelp surfaces when encountering exopolymer substances (EPS) forming the sticky matrix of biofilms on kelp, and thus become available to snails. Results of a dietary composition analysis of field-collected snails and of kelp biofilm indicate that snails graze the dense kelp-biofilm assemblage composed of pennate diatoms and bacteria inserted within the EPS gel-like matrix. To test whether oocysts attach to kelp blades via EPS, we designed a laboratory experiment simulating the kelp forest canopy in tanks spiked with T. gondii surrogate microspheres and controlled for EPS and transparent exopolymer particles (TEP - the particulate form of EPS). On average, 19% and 31% of surrogates were detected attached to kelp surfaces covered with EPS in unfiltered and filtered seawater treatments, respectively. The presence of TEP in the seawater did not increase surrogate attachment. These findings support a novel transport mechanism of T. gondii oocysts: as oocysts enter the kelp forest canopy, a portion adheres to the sticky kelp biofilms. Snails grazing this biofilm encounter oocysts as 'bycatch' and thereby deliver the parasite to sea otters that prey upon snails. This novel mechanism can have health implications beyond T. gondii and otters, as a similar route of pathogen transmission may be implicated with other waterborne pathogens to marine wildlife and humans consuming biofilm-feeding invertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda F. M. Mazzillo
- Department of Ocean Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Karen Shapiro
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Mary W. Silver
- Department of Ocean Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
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Millán J, Chirife AD, Kalema-Zikusoka G, Cabezón O, Muro J, Marco I, Cliquet F, León-Vizcaíno L, Wasniewski M, Almería S, Mugisha L. Serosurvey of dogs for human, livestock, and wildlife pathogens, Uganda. Emerg Infect Dis 2013; 19:680-2. [PMID: 23750507 PMCID: PMC3647413 DOI: 10.3201/eid1904.121143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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Vanwormer E, Conrad PA, Miller MA, Melli AC, Carpenter TE, Mazet JAK. Toxoplasma gondii, source to sea: higher contribution of domestic felids to terrestrial parasite loading despite lower infection prevalence. Ecohealth 2013; 10:277-289. [PMID: 24048652 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-013-0859-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2013] [Revised: 07/11/2013] [Accepted: 07/15/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Environmental transmission of Toxoplasma gondii, a global zoonotic parasite, adversely impacts human and animal health. Toxoplasma is a significant cause of mortality in threatened Southern sea otters, which serve as sentinels for disease threats to people and animals in coastal environments. As wild and domestic felids are the only recognized hosts capable of shedding Toxoplasma oocysts into the environment, otter infection suggests land-to-sea pathogen transmission. To assess relative contributions to terrestrial parasite loading, we evaluated infection and shedding among managed and unmanaged feral domestic cats, mountain lions, and bobcats in coastal California, USA. Infection prevalence differed among sympatric felids, with a significantly lower prevalence for managed feral cats (17%) than mountain lions, bobcats, or unmanaged feral cats subsisting on wild prey (73-81%). A geographic hotspot of infection in felids was identified near Monterey Bay, bordering a high-risk site for otter infection. Increased odds of oocyst shedding were detected in bobcats and unmanaged feral cats. Due to their large populations, pet and feral domestic cats likely contribute more oocysts to lands bordering the sea otter range than native wild felids. Continued coastal development may influence felid numbers and distribution, increase terrestrial pathogens in freshwater runoff, and alter disease dynamics at the human-animal-environment interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Vanwormer
- Wildlife Health Center, One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA, 95616, USA,
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32
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Kia EB, Delattre P, Giraudoux P, Quéré JP, Fichet-Calvet E, Ashford RW. Natural infection of the water voleArvicola terrestriswithToxoplasma gondii, on the Jura plateau, eastern France. Annals of Tropical Medicine & Parasitology 2013; 98:655-7. [PMID: 15324474 DOI: 10.1179/000349804225021442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- E B Kia
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK.
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33
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VanWormer E, Fritz H, Shapiro K, Mazet JAK, Conrad PA. Molecules to modeling: Toxoplasma gondii oocysts at the human-animal-environment interface. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2013; 36:217-31. [PMID: 23218130 PMCID: PMC3779781 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2012.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2012] [Revised: 10/17/2012] [Accepted: 10/22/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Environmental transmission of extremely resistant Toxoplasma gondii oocysts has resulted in infection of diverse species around the world, leading to severe disease and deaths in human and animal populations. This review explores T. gondii oocyst shedding, survival, and transmission, emphasizing the importance of linking laboratory and landscape from molecular characterization of oocysts to watershed-level models of oocyst loading and transport in terrestrial and aquatic systems. Building on discipline-specific studies, a One Health approach incorporating tools and perspectives from diverse fields and stakeholders has contributed to an advanced understanding of T. gondii and is addressing transmission at the rapidly changing human-animal-environment interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth VanWormer
- One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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34
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Worth AR, Lymbery AJ, Thompson RCA. Adaptive host manipulation by Toxoplasma gondii: fact or fiction? Trends Parasitol 2013; 29:150-5. [PMID: 23415732 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2013.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2012] [Revised: 01/18/2013] [Accepted: 01/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
It is widely accepted that behavioural changes induced by Toxoplasma gondii are an adaptation of the parasite to enhance transmission to its cat definitive host. In our opinion, this explanation requires a rethink. We argue that the experimental evidence that observed behavioural changes will enhance transmission to cats is not convincing. We also argue that cats and sexual reproduction may not be essential for transmission and maintenance of this parasite. Thus, the selection pressure to infect a cat may not be sufficiently strong for the evolution of adaptive host manipulation to have occurred in order to enhance predation by cats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda R Worth
- School of Veterinary and Biomedical Science, Murdoch University, South Street, Murdoch 6150, Australia.
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Toxoplasmosis: BVA says risk from cats should not be overplayed. Vet Rec 2012; 171:262. [PMID: 22983520 DOI: 10.1136/vr.e6145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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36
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Jiang W, Sullivan AM, Su C, Zhao X. An agent-based model for the transmission dynamics of Toxoplasma gondii. J Theor Biol 2011; 293:15-26. [PMID: 22004993 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2011.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2011] [Revised: 07/28/2011] [Accepted: 10/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a unicellular protozoan that infects up to one-third of the world's human population. Numerous studies revealed that a latent infection of T. gondii can cause life-threatening encephalitis in immunocompromised people and also has significant effects on the behavior of healthy people and animals. However, the overall transmission of T. gondii has not been well understood although many factors affecting this process have been found out by different biologists separately. Here we synthesize what is currently known about the natural history of T. gondii by developing a prototype agent-based model to mimic the transmission process of T. gondii in a farm system. The present model takes into account the complete life cycle of T. gondii, which includes the transitions of the parasite from cats to environment through feces, from contaminated environment to mice through oocysts, from mice to cats through tissue cysts, from environment to cats through oocysts as well as the vertical transmission among mice. Although the current model does not explicitly include humans and other end-receivers, the effect of the transition to end-receivers is estimated by a developed infection risk index. The current model can also be extended to include human activities and thus be used to investigate the influences of human management on disease control. Simulation results reveal that most cats are infected through preying on infected mice while mice are infected through vertical transmission more often than through infection with oocysts, which clearly suggests the important role of mice during the transmission of T. gondii. Furthermore, our simulation results show that decreasing the number of mice on a farm can lead to the eradication of the disease and thus can lower the infection risk of other intermediate hosts on the farm. In addition, with the assumption that the relation between virulence and transmission satisfies a normal function, we show that intermediate virulent lineages (type II) can sustain the disease most efficiently, which can qualitatively agree with the fact that the evolution of the parasite favors intermediate virulence. The effects of other related factors on transmission, including the latent period and imprudent behavior of mice, and prevention strategies are also studied based on the present model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Jiang
- Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-2030, United States
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37
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Sánchez-Ortiz IA, Leite MA. [Zoonosis transmission risk factors according to population habits inIlha Solteira city, Brazil]. Rev Salud Publica (Bogota) 2011; 13:504-513. [PMID: 22031002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2010] [Accepted: 06/05/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Determining conditions regarding possible zoonosis transmission risk based on Ilha Solteira-São Paulo citizens' habits aimed at establishing concrete recommendations for the corresponding local authorities to reduce some risk factors. METHODS 100 focalized interviews were held on Ilha Solteira's urban perimeter during April 2008. The people interviewed were adults who lived or worked in houses in the study area. RESULTS This research found a significant number of cat and/or dog owners who allowed their pets to stay in internal areas of their houses. They did not define a specific place for animals to defecate and/or urinate or did not arrange appropriate final disposal of such waste. CONCLUSION Local authorities must make greater efforts at educating Ilha Solteira pets' owners and providing them with information and encouraging greater citizen commitment and awareness to improve habits related to caring for pets/animal sand reducing zoonosis transmission risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iván A Sánchez-Ortiz
- Departamento de Recursos Hidrobiológicos, Facultad de Ciencias Pecuarias, Universidad de Nariño, Pasto, Colombia.
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38
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Opsteegh M, Haveman R, Langelaar M, van Knapen F, van der Giessen J. [Toxoplasmosis in cats can be avoided]. Tijdschr Diergeneeskd 2011; 136:437-439. [PMID: 21702188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
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39
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Haneveld JK. [New Techniques makes showing Toxoplasma in meat a possibility]. Tijdschr Diergeneeskd 2011; 136:350-351. [PMID: 21614852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
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40
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Affiliation(s)
- E A Innes
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Edinburgh, UK.
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41
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Overgaauw P, Langelaar M. [Symposium zoonoses: toxoplasmosis]. Tijdschr Diergeneeskd 2009; 134:1002-1003. [PMID: 20069985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Paul Overgaauw
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Divisie Veterinaire Volksgezondheid, Universiteit Utrecht.
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42
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Haridy FM, Shoukry NM, Hassan AA, Morsy TA. ELISA-seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in draught horses in Greater Cairo, Egypt. J Egypt Soc Parasitol 2009; 39:821-826. [PMID: 20120748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is one of the important zoonotic parasites of worldwide. In this paper the seroprevalence of T. gondii in draught horses (3-15 years) including 90 males and 10 females in the first half of the year 2009 was studied. The result showed that the overall ELISA-T. gondii antibodies were 25% of the horses in Greater Cairo, 50% (females) and 22.2% (males).
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Affiliation(s)
- Fouad M Haridy
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Cairo, Egypt
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43
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Buffolano W. Congenital toxoplasmosis: the state of the art. Parassitologia 2008; 50:37-43. [PMID: 18693555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
A century after the first description the best preventative strategy against CT is still matter of debate. Over Europe, where prenatal and newborn screening are overspread, effectiveness/cost ratio remains undemonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Buffolano
- The Special Unit for Perinatal Infection, Federico II University, Naples Medical School, Italy.
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44
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Murphy RG, Williams RH, Hughes JM, Hide G, Ford NJ, Oldbury DJ. The urban house mouse (Mus domesticus) as a reservoir of infection for the human parasite Toxoplasma gondii: an unrecognised public health issue? Int J Environ Health Res 2008; 18:177-185. [PMID: 18569146 DOI: 10.1080/09603120701540856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite capable of infecting almost all warm-blooded animals. The cat is the definitive host and becomes infected by consuming contaminated meat or infected prey. Humans can act as intermediate hosts and in healthy individuals the infection is mild and self-limiting. In pregnant women it can cause spontaneous abortions and foetal abnormalities and is capable of inducing serious illness in immuno-compromised patients. In infested dwellings, mice could act as intermediate hosts and play a role in the persistence/propagation of the disease. A total of 200 mice were trapped alive in 27 infested properties in Manchester, UK, and screened for Toxoplasma infection; 59% tested positive. Evidence of vertical transmission from infected dams to foetus was found, possibly maintaining the infection in urban areas. These findings have important implications when considering approaches to rodent control.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Gai Murphy
- Built and Human Research Institute, University of Salford, Manchester,UK.
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45
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Pfaff AW, Candolfi E. New insights in toxoplasmosis immunology during pregnancy. Perspective for vaccine prevention. Parassitologia 2008; 50:55-58. [PMID: 18693558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is one of the few pathogens that can cross the placenta. Frequency and severity of transmission vary with gestational age. While acquired toxoplasmosis is already well explored, the control of maternal-foetal transmission of the parasite remains almost unknown. This is partly due to inherent inadequacies of animal models. This review summarises the studies which have been undertaken and shows that the mouse is a valuable model despite obvious differences to the human case. The paramount role of the cellular immune response during primary infection has been consistently shown. Surprisingly, IFN-g has a dual role in this process. While its beneficial effects in the control of toxoplasmosis are well known, it also seems to have transmission-enhancing effects within the placenta and can also directly harm the developing foetus. This shows the importance of designing vaccines which protects both mother and foetus. Therefore, it is useful to study the mechanisms of natural resistance against transmission during a secondary infection. In this setting, the process is more complicated, involving cellular, but also humoral components of the immune system. In summary, even if the whole process is far from being elucidated, important insights have been gained so far which will help us to undertake rational vaccine research.
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MESH Headings
- Adult
- Animals
- Female
- Humans
- Immunity, Cellular
- Immunity, Innate
- Infant, Newborn
- Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical/prevention & control
- Maternal-Fetal Exchange/immunology
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Mice, Inbred CBA
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/blood
- Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/parasitology
- Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/prevention & control
- Prenatal Care
- Protozoan Vaccines
- Toxoplasma/immunology
- Toxoplasmosis, Animal/prevention & control
- Toxoplasmosis, Animal/transmission
- Toxoplasmosis, Congenital/prevention & control
- Toxoplasmosis, Congenital/transmission
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Affiliation(s)
- A W Pfaff
- Institut de Parasitologie et de Pathologie Tropicale, EA 3950, Université Louis Pasteur, 3 rue Koeberlé, 67000 Strasbourg, France
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Miller M, Conrad P, James ER, Packham A, Toy-Choutka S, Murray MJ, Jessup D, Grigg M. Transplacental toxoplasmosis in a wild southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis). Vet Parasitol 2008; 153:12-8. [PMID: 18304737 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2008.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2007] [Revised: 12/29/2007] [Accepted: 01/08/2008] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In September 2004, a neonatal sea otter pup was found alive on the beach in northern Monterey Bay, CA. Efforts to locate the mother were unsuccessful. Due to a poor prognosis for successful rehabilitation, the pup was euthanized. Postmortem examination revealed emaciation, systemic lymphadenopathy and a malformation of the left cerebral temporal lobe. On histopathology, free tachyzoites and tissue cysts compatible with Toxoplasma gondii were observed in the brain, heart, thymus, liver, lymph nodes and peri-umbilical adipose. The presence of T. gondii within host tissues was associated with lymphoplasmacytic inflammation and tissue necrosis. Immunofluorescent antibody tests using postmortem serum were positive for anti-T. gondii IgM and IgG (at 1:320 and 1:1280 serum dilution, respectively), but were negative for IgG directed against Sarcocystis neurona and Neospora caninum (<1:40 each). Brain immunohistochemistry revealed positive staining for tachyzoites and tissue cysts using antiserum raised to T. gondii, but not S. neurona or N. caninum. T. gondii parasite DNA was obtained from extracts of brain and muscle by PCR amplification using the diagnostic B1 locus. Restriction enzyme digestion followed by gel electrophoresis and DNA sequencing confirmed the presence of Type X T. gondii, the strain identified in the majority of southern sea otter infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Miller
- California Department of Fish and Game-Office of Spill Prevention and Response, Marine Wildlife Veterinary Care and Research Center, 1451 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, United States.
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47
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Bobić B, Nikolić A, Klun I, Vujanić M, Djurković-Djaković O. Undercooked meat consumption remains the major risk factor for Toxoplasma infection in Serbia. Parassitologia 2007; 49:227-230. [PMID: 18689232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii infection prevalence and infection risk factors were analyzed in a series of 765 women of generative age from throughout Serbia tested at the Institute for Medical Research Toxoplasmosis Laboratory between 2001 and 2005. The infection risk factors were additionally analyzed in a group of 53 women with acute infection (cases) compared to a group of seronegative women matched for age and education level (controls). The overall prevalence of infection was 33%. Infection risk factors in the whole series were undercooked meat consumption (RR = 1.77, 95% CI = 1.16-2.7, P = 0.008) and exposure to soil (RR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.17-2.29, P = 0.004), particularly in less educated women. Moreover, undercooked meat consumption was the single predictor of infection in women with acute infection, with an 11-fold increased risk of infection in women who acknowledged consumption of undercooked meat (RR = 11.21, 95% CI = 3.10-40.53, P = 0.000). These data prompted us to analyze the significance of consumption of particular meat types as sources of infection. Of all the meat types mostly consumed in Serbia, only consumption of beef (RR = 1.006, 95% CI = 1.001-1.011, P = 0.027) was shown to influence Toxoplasma infection rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Bobić
- Belgrade University Institute for Medical Research, Toxoplasmosis Research Laboratory, Belgrade, Serbia.
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48
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Hide G, Gerwash O, Morley EK, Williams RH, Hughes JM, Thomasson D, Elmahaishi MS, Elmahaishi KH, Terry RS, Smith JE. Does vertical transmission contribute to the prevalence of toxoplasmosis? Parassitologia 2007; 49:223-226. [PMID: 18689231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous parasite with a widespread distribution both in terms of geographical and host range. Although the definitive host is the cat, it is also a major health hazard to domestic animals and humans. Three routes of transmission are recognised (infection from the cat, carnivory and congenital transmission). We aimed to assess the relative importance of congenital transmission, using sheep as a model system, due to the lack of carnivory. We report, using PCR as a diagnostic tool, that congenital transmission occurs with high frequency (69%). If transmission from oocysts was important in sheep, we would expect sheep reared under the same environmental conditions (i.e. a single farm) to have a random distribution of Toxoplasma infection. Using breeding records in conjunction with PCR, some families were found to have high Toxoplasma prevalence and abortion while others were free of Toxoplasma infection and abortion (P < 0.01). This supports the notion that Toxoplasma may be transmitted vertically. In humans, we conducted a similar study and showed that Toxoplasma was transmitted from mother to baby in 19.8% of cases. Vertical transmission in Toxoplasma may be more important than previously thought and this knowledge should be considered in any eradication strategies.
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MESH Headings
- Abortion, Veterinary/epidemiology
- Abortion, Veterinary/etiology
- Abortion, Veterinary/parasitology
- Abortion, Veterinary/prevention & control
- Animal Feed/parasitology
- Animals
- Cats
- DNA, Protozoan/blood
- Female
- Fetal Blood/parasitology
- Humans
- Infant, Newborn
- Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical
- Parasitemia/epidemiology
- Parasitemia/parasitology
- Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/epidemiology
- Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/parasitology
- Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/veterinary
- Prevalence
- Sheep
- Sheep Diseases/congenital
- Sheep Diseases/epidemiology
- Sheep Diseases/prevention & control
- Sheep Diseases/transmission
- Species Specificity
- Toxoplasma/isolation & purification
- Toxoplasmosis, Animal/congenital
- Toxoplasmosis, Animal/epidemiology
- Toxoplasmosis, Animal/prevention & control
- Toxoplasmosis, Animal/transmission
- Toxoplasmosis, Congenital/blood
- Toxoplasmosis, Congenital/epidemiology
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Affiliation(s)
- G Hide
- Centre for Parasitology and Infectious Diseases, Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, University of Salford, Salford, M5 4WT, UK.
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49
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Buxton D, Maley SW, Wright SE, Rodger S, Bartley P, Innes EA. Ovine toxoplasmosis: transmission, clinical outcome and control. Parassitologia 2007; 49:219-221. [PMID: 18689230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a significant cause of abortion in sheep. Infection is picked up from the environment and if initiated during pregnancy may cause fetal mortality. Infected sheep remain persistently infected with tissue cysts in brain and muscle (meat), and are also immune and would not be expected to abort again. The live tachyzoite vaccine (Toxovax) protects against abortion and this allows the suggestion that it may also reduce or prevent tissue cyst development in muscle. If this were so it raises the question of whether the vaccine could be used to make meat safer for human consumption.
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MESH Headings
- Abortion, Veterinary/epidemiology
- Abortion, Veterinary/etiology
- Abortion, Veterinary/parasitology
- Abortion, Veterinary/prevention & control
- Animal Feed/parasitology
- Animals
- Antiprotozoal Agents/therapeutic use
- Cats
- Decoquinate/therapeutic use
- Female
- Food Contamination
- Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical
- Parasitemia/epidemiology
- Parasitemia/parasitology
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/epidemiology
- Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/parasitology
- Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/veterinary
- Protozoan Vaccines
- Sheep
- Sheep Diseases/congenital
- Sheep Diseases/epidemiology
- Sheep Diseases/prevention & control
- Sheep Diseases/transmission
- Swine/parasitology
- Toxoplasmosis, Animal/congenital
- Toxoplasmosis, Animal/epidemiology
- Toxoplasmosis, Animal/prevention & control
- Toxoplasmosis, Animal/transmission
- Treatment Outcome
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Affiliation(s)
- D Buxton
- Moredun Research Institute, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
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50
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Abstract
Ovine toxoplasmosis, caused by the intracellular protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii, was first described in 1954 and while the incidence of ovine infection is difficult to define, it has been reported that in the UK it is responsible for between 1 and 2% of neonatal losses per annum. Recent reports have suggested that sheep persistently infected with T. gondii may pass infection to the fetus in subsequent pregnancies more readily than previously thought. These data show a high proportion of both successful and failed pregnancies in sheep to be positive by PCR for T. gondii with a tendency for samples from certain genetic lines of Charollais sheep more likely to be positive than samples from other lines, suggesting that some sheep have a particular genetic susceptibility to T. gondii.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Buxton
- Moredun Research Institute, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.
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