Biologic and molecular characteristics of Toxoplasma gondii isolates from striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), Canada goose (Branta canadensis), black-winged lory (Eos cyanogenia), and cats (Felis catus).
Toxoplasma gondii isolates can be grouped into 3 genetic lineages. Type I isolates are considered virulent to outbred mice, whereas Type II and III isolates are not. In the present report, viable T. gondii was isolated for the first time from striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), Canada goose (Branta canadensis), and black-winged lory (Eos cyanogenia). For the isolation of T. gondii, tissues were bioassayed in mice, and genotyping was based on the SAG2 locus. Toxoplasma gondii was isolated from 3 of 6 skunks, 1 of 4 Canada geese, and 2 of 2 feral cats (Felis catus) from Mississippi. All donor animals were asymptomatic. Viable T. gondii was also isolated from 5 of 5 lories that had died of acute toxoplasmosis in an aviary in South Carolina. Genotypes of T. gondii isolates were Type III (all skunks, lories, and the goose) and Type II (both cats). All 5 Type III isolates from birds and 2 of the 3 isolates from skunks were mouse virulent.
Dubey
J P
JP
United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Animal and Natural Resources Institute, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland 20705-2350, USA. jdubey@anri.barc.usda.gov
Parnell
P G
PG
Sreekumar
C
C
Vianna
M C B
MC
De Young
R W
RW
Dahl
E
E
Lehmann
T
T
D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D001681:Biological Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D001921:Brain / Q000469:parasitology; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D002415:Cats; D005260:Female; D005777:Geese / Q000469:parasitology*; D005838:Genotype; D008099:Liver / Q000469:parasitology; D008168:Lung / Q000469:parasitology; D012889:Mephitidae / Q000469:parasitology*; D051379:Mice; D008922:Mississippi / Q000453:epidemiology; D009132:Muscles / Q000469:parasitology; D010311:Parrots / Q000469:parasitology*; D015995:Prevalence; D013022:South Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan