Undercooked lamb and mutton are common sources of Toxoplasma gondii infection for humans. A sequence specific magnetic capture technique in combination with quantitative real-time PCR targeting the 529 bp repeat element of T. gondii was used for estimation of the parasite burdens in various sheep tissues (n = 6) three months after peroral experimental inoculation with 10,000 T. gondii oocysts. Brain was the most frequently affected organ (positive in all 6 sheep) and showed the highest estimated parasite loads (0.5-30,913 parasites/g tissue). Lung samples were positive in three sheep, with load estimates of 36.3 to <1 parasite/g tissue. Heart tissue was positive in three sheep and kidney only in one animal with low parasite loads (<1 parasite/g tissue). Only few skeletal muscle samples in 2 animals showed positive results, with very low parasite burdens, while samples from further internal organs (i.e. liver and spleen) were negative in all animals. This study identified the brain as the most important predilection site and therefore the most appropriate tissue for T. gondii detection.

• MeSH
• anatomické struktury zvířat parazitologie   MeSH
• kvantitativní polymerázová řetězová reakce přístrojové vybavení   metody   MeSH
• magnetismus MeSH
• ovce MeSH
• Toxoplasma genetika   izolace a purifikace   MeSH
• toxoplazmóza zvířat parazitologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

Pigs represent an important source of food in many countries, and undercooked pork containing tissue cysts is one of the most common sources of Toxoplasma gondii infection for humans. A magnetic capture method for the isolation of T. gondii DNA and quantitative real-time PCR targeting the 529 bp TOXO repeat element were used to estimate the parasite burden in different tissues of pigs experimentally infected with T. gondii oocysts, and to determine the predilection sites of T. gondii in this host species. The highest concentration of T. gondii DNA was found in brain tissues, equivalent to [median] 553.7 (range 3857.7-121.9) parasites per gram, followed by lungs, heart and dorsal muscles with median values corresponding to 0.3 (range 61.3-0.02); 2.6 (range 7.34-0.37) and 0.6 (range 2.81-0.31) parasites per gram of tissue, respectively. Skeletal muscles from fore and hindlimb, liver and kidney presented very low infection burdens equivalent to [median] ≤0.2 parasites per gram of tissues, and no parasite DNA could be detected in the spleen. This study contributes to understanding the value of different pig tissues as a source of T. gondii infection for humans and shows that the brain, while not being of major importance as human food source, may represent a first-line selection tissue when performing non-serological surveys (e.g. bioassays, histopathological, immunohistochemical or molecular studies) to detect T. gondii infections in pigs.

• MeSH
• kvantitativní polymerázová řetězová reakce metody   MeSH
• magnetismus metody   MeSH
• mozek parazitologie   patologie   MeSH
• nemoci prasat parazitologie   patologie   MeSH
• prasata MeSH
• Toxoplasma chemie   genetika   izolace a purifikace   fyziologie   MeSH
• toxoplazmóza zvířat parazitologie   patologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic parasite with a world-wide distribution. House mice (Mus musculus) play an important role as a reservoir host in the parasite life cycle. However, their detection in mouse brain is limited because the host potentially harbours only a few tissue cysts. In order to improve the diagnosis, we tested a novel protocol for T. gondii detection in mice and compared this technique to a standard PCR-based protocol using a commercial kit for DNA isolation. Efficacy of magnetic capture for isolation of T. gondii DNA from whole host brains was tested in brain samples of laboratory mice spiked with 1 up to 10(4) tachyzoites. Real-time PCR revealed that even 1-5 tachyzoites can be detected after magnetic capture. Also this method is suitable to quantify parasite numbers in mouse brains with more than 10 tachyzoite equivalents. To assess the two techniques in wild mice, we employed a dataset consisting of 243 individuals. The prevalence of T. gondii detected by magnetic capture and qPCR and by commercial isolation and PCR was 1.2% and 0%, respectively. The magnetic capture and quantitative PCR seems to be a highly sensitive and specific diagnostic method for both laboratory research and wild population surveys.

• MeSH
• genetické techniky normy   MeSH
• limita detekce MeSH
• magnetické jevy * MeSH
• myši MeSH
• polymerázová řetězová reakce normy   MeSH
• protozoální DNA analýza   izolace a purifikace   MeSH
• Toxoplasma genetika   MeSH
• toxoplazmóza zvířat diagnóza   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• myši MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• srovnávací studie MeSH

The breeding of domestic rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) for human consumption has a long tradition mainly in European and Asian countries. Infections that can affect the production of meat or even be transmitted from animals to humans are important to monitor, especially for public health reasons as well as for their impact on animals health. This study aimed to collect sera from rabbits bred in different conditions and test the presence of Toxoplasma gondii and Encephalitozoon cuniculi antibodies. Whether infections were active or latent was assessed by determining the occurrence of IgM or IgM together with IgG antibodies which indicated active infection whereas latent infection was characterized by finding IgG antibodies only. An ELISA test was performed with 1883 sera samples collected throughout the Czech and Slovak Republics. The seroprevalence of T. gondii in 902 samples from 6 commercial farms (CF) was very low with only 4 rabbits (0.4%) being positive. In total 99 (10.1%) individuals out of 981 samples from 29 household farms (HF) were positive for T. gondii antibodies. Only 2 (50%) of the T. gondii positive CF rabbits had active infections while the rest were latently infected. The serological results showed that 35 (35.4%) rabbits from the T. gondii positive HF group suffered from active infection. Out of CF samples 185 (20.5%) were positive for E. cuniculi. Antibodies of E. cuniculi were detected in 497 (50.7%) HF rabbits. Active E. cuniculi infections were determined in 85.9% of CF and 56.3% of HF rabbits; respectively. Interestingly, the E. cuniculi positive rabbits were significantly more often positive for anti-T. gondii antibodies in comparison to E. cuniculi negative individuals. Prevalence of T. gondii in CF rabbits was negligible. According to our results meat of HF rabbits still poses a risk of T. gondii infection. Nevertheless, the risk is on its lowest level in 20 years which is apparently caused due to changes in feeding practices. The occurrence of E. cuniculi antibodies was significantly lower in rabbits from commercial farms, apparently because of better hygiene conditions.

• MeSH
• ELISA veterinární   MeSH
• Encephalitozoon cuniculi imunologie   izolace a purifikace   MeSH
• encephalitozoonóza veterinární   MeSH
• králíci imunologie   parazitologie   MeSH
• prevalence MeSH
• protilátky protozoální krev   MeSH
• séroepidemiologické studie MeSH
• Toxoplasma imunologie   izolace a purifikace   MeSH
• toxoplazmóza zvířat epidemiologie   MeSH
• veřejné zdravotnictví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• králíci imunologie   parazitologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH
• Slovenská republika MeSH

Undercooked meat containing tissue cysts is one of the most common sources of Toxoplasma gondii infection in humans. Goats are very susceptible to clinical toxoplasmosis, and especially kids are common food animals, thereby representing a risk for human infection. A sequence-specific magnetic capture method was used for isolation of T. gondii DNA from tissue samples from experimentally infected goat-kids and real-time PCR for the 529 bp repeat element allowed quantification of T. gondii DNA. The contamination level in different types of tissue and in two groups of goats euthanized 30 and 90 dpi was compared. The highest concentration of T. gondii DNA in both groups of goats was found in lung tissue, but only the higher parasite count in lung tissue compared to other organs in group A (euthanized 30 dpi) was statistically significant. T. gondii concentrations were higher in liver and dorsal muscle samples from goats euthanized 90 dpi than in goats euthanized at 30 dpi, while the T. gondii concentration in hearts decreased. This study describes for the first time distribution of T. gondii parasites in post-weaned goat kids. New information about T. gondii predilection sites in goats and about the progression of infection between 30 and 90 dpi was achieved.

• MeSH
• játra parazitologie   MeSH
• kosterní svaly parazitologie   MeSH
• kozy MeSH
• kvantitativní polymerázová řetězová reakce metody   veterinární   MeSH
• magnetismus MeSH
• mozek parazitologie   MeSH
• nemoci koz diagnóza   parazitologie   MeSH
• plíce parazitologie   MeSH
• slezina parazitologie   MeSH
• srdce parazitologie   MeSH
• Toxoplasma izolace a purifikace   MeSH
• toxoplazmóza zvířat diagnóza   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

Enterocytozoon bieneusi known as a causative agent of opportunistic infections instigating diarrhoea in AIDS patients was identified also in a number of immunocompetent patients and in a wide range of animals, including cattle. In the present study we tested if the Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV), the most common pathogen underlying immunosuppressive Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD), can enhance the occurrence of opportunistic infections with E. bieneusi in cattle. Six dairy farms were investigated using ELISA to detect antibodies against or antigens arising from BVDV in collected sera. A total of 240 individual faecal samples from four age groups were examined for the presence of E. bieneusi by nested PCR. Sequence analysis of six E. bieneusi positive samples revealed the presence of the genotype I of E. bieneusi, previously described in cattle. The hypothesis expecting higher prevalence of E. bieneusi in BVDV positive cattle herds was not confirmed in this study; however this is the first description about E. bieneusi in cattle in the Czech Republic.

• MeSH
• bovinní diarea komplikace   mikrobiologie   virologie   MeSH
• ELISA veterinární   MeSH
• Enterocytozoon * genetika   MeSH
• feces mikrobiologie   MeSH
• genotyp MeSH
• mikrosporidióza epidemiologie   etiologie   mikrobiologie   veterinární   virologie   MeSH
• nemoci skotu epidemiologie   mikrobiologie   MeSH
• polymerázová řetězová reakce veterinární   MeSH
• prevalence MeSH
• sekvenční analýza DNA veterinární   MeSH
• skot parazitologie   virologie   MeSH
• věkové faktory MeSH
• viry bovinní diarey * MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• skot parazitologie   virologie   MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH

Dogs are competent reservoir hosts of several hemopathogens including zoonotic agents and can serve as readily available source of nutrition for many blood-feeding arthropods. Three hemopathogens had been detected for the first time in Jordan. The PCR prevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Hepatozoon canis, and piroplasmid DNA were 39.5%, 28.9%, and 7.9% (n=38) respectively. Sequencing of amplicons of PCR with universal primers targeting the 18S rRNA gene of piroplasmids shows the highest similarity to equine piroplasmids species Theileria equi from two dogs and Babesia caballi from a single dog. Ticks of two genera Rhipicephalus and Haemaphysalis, were detected in this study (n=268). The brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus was the most abundant species (95.1%, n=255), followed by Haemaphysalis erinacei (3%, n=8) and Haemaphysalis parva (1.9%, n=5). The two Haemaphysalis species were detected for the first time from dogs in Jordan. Regarding its high prevalence, we expect R. sanguineus being a possible vector of detected pathogens.

• MeSH
• Anaplasma phagocytophilum genetika   izolace a purifikace   MeSH
• Babesia genetika   izolace a purifikace   MeSH
• Coccidia genetika   izolace a purifikace   MeSH
• infestace ektoparazity parazitologie   veterinární   MeSH
• Ixodidae klasifikace   růst a vývoj   MeSH
• krev mikrobiologie   parazitologie   MeSH
• molekulární sekvence - údaje MeSH
• nemoci přenášené klíšťaty mikrobiologie   parazitologie   veterinární   MeSH
• nemoci psů mikrobiologie   parazitologie   MeSH
• polymerázová řetězová reakce MeSH
• psi MeSH
• sekvenční analýza DNA MeSH
• Theileria genetika   izolace a purifikace   MeSH
• zdroje nemoci MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• psi MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Jordánsko MeSH