title: Biological and molecular characterizations of Toxoplasma gondii strains obtained from southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis).
abstract: Toxoplasma gondii was isolated from brain or heart tissue from 15 southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) in cell cultures. These strains were used to infect mice that developed antibodies to T. gondii as detected in the modified direct agglutination test and had T. gondii tissue cysts in their brains at necropsy. Mouse brains containing tissue cysts from 4 of the strains were fed to 4 cats. Two of the cats excreted T. gondii oocysts in their feces that were infectious for mice. Molecular analyses of 13 strains indicated that they were all type II strains, but that they were genetically distinct from one another.
authors.affiliation: Department of the Interior, United States Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin 53711, USA.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Lindsay
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Howe
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Roderick
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Dubey
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Baeten
mesh_terms: D000372:Agglutination Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D001921:Brain / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D002415:Cats; D002417:Cattle; D002460:Cell Line; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010041:Otters / Q000469:parasitology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C047168:SAG1 antigen, Toxoplasma