Toxoplasma gondii in the faeces of wild felids from the Atlantic Forest, Brazil
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
;
117: e210302, 2022. tab, graf
Artículo
en Inglés
|
LILACS-Express
| LILACS
| ID: biblio-1386341
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND Toxoplasma gondii is a apicomplexan parasite of virtually all warm-blooded species. All true cats (Felidae) can act as definitive hosts for this parasite by shedding resistant oocysts into the environment. However, the patterns of oocysts shedding are only partially understood in domestic cats and largely unknown in wild felids. OBJECTIVES We carried out molecular analysis of 82 faecal samples from wild felids collected in the Serra dos Órgãos National Park (Parnaso), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. METHODS We screened samples for T. gondii DNA using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) targeting the 529bp DNA fragment. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive samples were genotyped using 15 microsatellite markers. RESULTS Only one faecal sample from a Puma yagouaroundi was PCR-positive [cycle threshold (Ct) = 26.88]. This sample was contaminated by a T. gondii strain of BrIII lineage, a common lineage in domestic animals from Brazil. MAIN CONCLUSIONS This first report of T. gondii in faeces of wild South American felids in their natural environment indicates infrequent oocyst shedding and suggests a role of acquired immunity in limiting re-excretion as in domestic cats. The presence of a domestic strain of T. gondii in a faecal sample from a wild felid at very low concentrations (not detected by microscopy) is consistent with the hypothesis of host-parasite co-adaptations limiting the circulation of T. gondii strains between domestic and wild environments.
Texto completo:
Disponible
Índice:
LILACS (Américas)
País/Región como asunto:
America del Sur
/
Brasil
Idioma:
Inglés
Revista:
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
Asunto de la revista:
Medicina Tropical
/
Parasitología
Año:
2022
Tipo del documento:
Artículo
País de afiliación:
Brasil
/
Francia
Institución/País de afiliación:
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz/BR
/
Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade/BR
/
Universidade Federal Fluminense/BR
/
University of Limoges/FR
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