title: Serosurvey of Toxoplasma gondii in North Atlantic marine mammals by the use of agglutination test employing whole tachyzoites and dithiothreitol.
abstract: Serum samples from North Atlantic populations of harp seal, Phoca groenlandica (n = 316), ringed seal, Phoca hispida (n = 48), hooded seal, Cystophora cristata (n = 78), and minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata (n = 202), were tested for Toxoplasma gondii-specific IgG. The modified agglutination test (MAT) was slightly modified to be more user-friendly by replacing the 0.2 M 2-mercaptoethanol with 10 mM dithiothreitol. No positive samples were found at 1:40 dilution.
authors.affiliation: Norwegian College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Arctic Veterinary Medicine, Tromsø, Norway. Antti.Oksanen@veths.no
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oksanen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tryland
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Johnsen
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Dubey
mesh_terms: D000372:Agglutination Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D001110:Arctic Regions; D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D004229:Dithiothreitol / Q000737:chemistry; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008623:Mercaptoethanol; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D046048:Seals, Earless / Q000469:parasitology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013439:Sulfhydryl Reagents / Q000737:chemistry; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D014907:Whales / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D013439:Sulfhydryl Reagents; D008623:Mercaptoethanol; D004229:Dithiothreitol