There are not any records on the detection of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in tissues of wild birds in the African continent. The aim of the study was to investigate the occurrence of DNA from these protozoan parasites in brain tissue samples collected in years 2014-2015 from 110 wild and domestic birds of 15 orders. Birds came mainly from the province of Limpopo (n=103); the other seven birds came from other five provinces of South Africa. Parasite DNAs were detected by PCR in animal brains. While all samples were negative for N. caninum, T. gondii DNA was detected in three (2.7%) birds: a Red-eyed Dove (Streptopelia semitorquata), a Laughing Dove (S. senegalensis) and a Southern-Yellow-billed Hornbill (Tockus leucomelas), all from Limpopo province. Positive samples were selected for genotyping by a 15 microsatellite markers method in a single multiplex PCR assay. Only the sample from the Red-eyed Dove was successfully genotyped and characterized as type II. This is the first detection of T. gondii in tissue of native African wild birds and the first study focusing on N. caninum in birds from South Africa.
- MeSH
- divoká zvířata parazitologie MeSH
- DNA bakterií MeSH
- nemoci ptáků parazitologie MeSH
- Neospora genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- polymerázová řetězová reakce MeSH
- protilátky protozoální MeSH
- protozoální DNA genetika MeSH
- ptáci parazitologie MeSH
- séroepidemiologické studie MeSH
- Toxoplasma genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- toxoplazmóza zvířat parazitologie MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Jihoafrická republika MeSH
The studies were carried on raccoons from Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic. Tissue samples from raccoon hearts, lungs and brains were used for molecular examination while meat juice was collected for immunological tests. Antibodies against T. gondii were detected in six out of 44 raccoons (13.6%), while T. gondii DNA was found in 18 (40.9%). Antibodies against N. caninum were found in seven raccoons (15.9%) but no parasite DNA was observed in any sample. DNA of T. gondii was observed in raccoons of both sexes (in 42.3% of females and 38.9% of males) from all three countries. The proportion of raccoons that tested positive for DNA of T. gondii was higher in the Czech Republic (47.1%) than in Germany (33.3%), however the difference was non-significant (p = 0.7032). It seems that the raccoons appear to have been exposed to both T. gondii and N. caninum, but only T. gondii infection was confirmed. The role of raccoons as reservoir, and as possibly contributing to spread of these parasites merits further studies.
- MeSH
- ELISA veterinární MeSH
- kokcidióza epidemiologie parazitologie veterinární MeSH
- mývalové parazitologie MeSH
- Neospora genetika imunologie izolace a purifikace MeSH
- protilátky protozoální analýza MeSH
- protozoální DNA analýza MeSH
- průzkumy a dotazníky MeSH
- séroepidemiologické studie MeSH
- Toxoplasma genetika imunologie izolace a purifikace MeSH
- toxoplazmóza zvířat epidemiologie parazitologie MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Česká republika MeSH
- Německo MeSH
- Polsko MeSH
Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum, and Encephalitozoon cuniculi are important infectious agents, with T. gondii and E. cuniculi having zoonotic potential. There are two main clonal lineages (types I and II) of T. gondii in Europe, but little is known about genotypes of T. gondii in wild animals. The aim of our study was molecular detection of these three pathogens in tissues of wild red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes) from the Czech Republic. Using PCR (B1 gene), we detected T. gondii in 10% of the animals that we tested ( n=100); N. caninum and E. cuniculi were not detected. The T. gondii samples were genotyped by single multiplex PCR assay with 15 microsatellite markers. Five samples were successfully genotyped as genotype II, a unique finding for T. gondii isolated from red foxes from the Czech Republic.
- MeSH
- divoká zvířata MeSH
- Encephalitozoon cuniculi genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- encephalitozoonóza epidemiologie mikrobiologie veterinární MeSH
- genotyp MeSH
- kokcidióza epidemiologie parazitologie veterinární MeSH
- lišky parazitologie MeSH
- Neospora genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- Toxoplasma genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- toxoplazmóza zvířat epidemiologie parazitologie MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Česká republika MeSH
Generally, rodents and other small mammals are considered as one of the sources of Toxoplasma gondii or Neospora caninum infection for cats and dogs as the definitive hosts of these two parasites, respectively. The aim of the study was to find out the prevalence of these two parasites in wild small mammals from the Czech Republic and to characterize T. gondii isolates by methods of molecular biology. A total of 621 wild small mammals were caught in the Czech Republic during years 2002-2014. Antibodies to T. gondii were detected by latex agglutination test in six (2.5%) of 240 small mammals (in two A. agrarius and four A. flavicollis). Antibodies to N. caninum were detected by commercially available competitive-inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in one A. flavicolis (0.4%). Three of 427 (0.7%) liver samples were positive for T. gondii by PCR while negative for N. caninum. All embryo samples (n=102) were negative for both T. gondii and N. caninum. The three liver samples positive for T. gondii DNA (two from A. flavicollis and one from A. sylvaticus) were genotyped by 15 microsatellite markers and characterized as type II. To our knowledge, this is the first information about genetic characterization of T. gondii isolates in small mammals from Europe and the first detection of N. caninum antibodies in wild rodents from the Czech Republic.
- MeSH
- divoká zvířata MeSH
- genotyp MeSH
- hlodavci * MeSH
- kokcidióza epidemiologie parazitologie veterinární MeSH
- mikrosatelitní repetice MeSH
- Neospora genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- protozoální DNA izolace a purifikace MeSH
- rejskovití * MeSH
- séroepidemiologické studie MeSH
- Toxoplasma genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- toxoplazmóza zvířat epidemiologie parazitologie MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Česká republika epidemiologie MeSH
- MeSH
- geny rRNA genetika MeSH
- kokcidióza veterinární MeSH
- nemoci psů diagnóza parazitologie MeSH
- Neospora genetika izolace a purifikace klasifikace MeSH
- psi MeSH
- ribozomální DNA genetika MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- psi MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Česká republika MeSH
