Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in sika deer from eastern Hokkaido, Japan.
Brain and serum were collected from 120 and 12 free-ranging sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis), respectively, from six regions in eastern Hokkaido during controlled hunts in the autumn of 2003. Brains were tested for Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii were measured by means of a latex agglutination test. No brain tested positive for either type of DNA, and no antibody to Toxoplasma gondii was detected in serum, suggesting a low prevalence of infection with these organisms in free-ranging sika deer from eastern Hokkaido. Further examination of multiple tissues by PCR and serologic surveys will be necessary to confirm this.
Omata
Yoshitaka
Y
Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Japan. yomata@obihiro.ac.jp
Ishiguro
Naotaka
N
Kano
Rika
R
Masukata
Yuko
Y
Kudo
Akimasa
A
Kamiya
Hikaru
H
Fukui
Haruka
H
Igarashi
Makoto
M
Maeda
Ryuichiro
R
Nishimura
Masakazu
M
Saito
Atsushi
A
D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D001921:Brain / Q000469:parasitology*; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D003670:Deer; D005260:Female; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D007841:Latex Fixation Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D018688:Neospora / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D015995:Prevalence; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D016054:DNA, Protozoan