Toxoplasma gondii in protected wildlife in the Tatra National Park (TANAP), Slovakia.

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligatory intracellular protozoan parasite that infects a broad spectrum of warm-blooded vertebrate species. As a part of the food chain, farm animals play a significant role in transmission of T. gondii to humans, while rats and mice serve as a main source of infection for free-living animals. The spread of toxoplasmosis in the human population is due to the interchange of the domestic and sylvatic cycles. During 2009-2011, a survey on toxoplasmosis distribution was conducted in wildlife of the Tatra National Park (TANAP) in Slovakia. A total of 60 animals were examined. The presence of T. gondii was detected by means of molecular methods based on TGR1E gene analyses. The highest prevalence was recorded in birds (40.0%), followed by carnivores (30.8%) and rodents (18.2%). RFLP analyses of SAG2 locus confirmed in birds the genotype II and III, belonging to the avirulent strain; rodents exclusively had genotype I, characterised as a virulent train, and in carnivores all three genotypes were detected. These results present the first survey on the parasite's occurrence in several species of free-living animals in the TANAP area. An epidemiological study confirmed the prevalence of 30.0%, implicitly referring to the level of environmental contamination with T. gondii oocysts.

The important zoonoses in the protected areas of the Tatra National Park (TANAP).

The northern part of Slovakia constitutes an important tourist and recreational area of the country. Protected localities of the Tatra National Park (TANAP) are characterised by specific ecological conditions. The high numbers of animals inhabiting protected areas of the TANAP and their potential encounters with tourists contribute to a risk of transmission of important parasitic zoonoses. The aim of presently reported study was to perform a long-lasting and detailed survey on the occurrence of zoonotic agents (in particular Echinococcus multilocularis and Trichinella spp.) with particular emphasis on the interactions between the environment, the host, and the parasite as well as the adaptation mechanisms in individual ecosystems. Within the pilot part of the study, which started in 2007, in total 397 samples of wild predators representing 10 species belonging to families Canidae, Felidae, Mustelidae and Ursidae were investigated. Helminthological necropsy (modified sedimentation and counting technique) and artificial digestion method were used for the parasites detection. Multiplex PCR approach has been used for species identification of Trichinella isolates obtained from infected animals. E. multilocularis was found in 42.7% of foxes and 1 raccoon dog. Trichinella larvae were present in 16.7% of foxes, 37.9% of martens, 33.3% of polecats, 1 bear and 1 lynx. All animals were infected by T. britovi.