Toxoplasma gondii (Eucoccidia: Sarcoystidae) dissemination pattern in rats after oral infection with oocysts of an avirulent strain.
Differences in Toxoplasma gondii dissemination in white rats (Sprague Dowley) and mice (Wistar) after oral oocyst inoculation are described. Groups of five animals (both hosts) were infected per os with oocysts of the TCR-2 avirulent strain and the dissemination pattern was compared in brain tissue or by serology. Early dissemination was similar in both species. One hr after infection the parasite was present in blood and peritoneal exudate as well as in heart, lung, liver, spleen, lymph nodes and brain. However, after five days there were important differences between both hosts and after 30 days, the parasite was detected only in rat heart and brain, while in mice it persisted in fluids and all organs.
Guerrero
O M
OM
Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica.
Chinchilla
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M
D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000472:pathogenicity*