title: Isolation, tissue distribution, and molecular characterization of Toxoplasma gondii from free-range chickens from Guatemala.
abstract: The prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in free-ranging chickens is a good indicator of the prevalence of T. gondii oocysts in the soil because chickens feed from the ground. The prevalence of T. gondii in 50 free-range chickens (Gallus domesticus) from Guatemala was determined. Antibodies to T. gondii were assayed by the modified agglutination test (MAT). Antibodies were found in 37 (74%) chickens with titers of 1:5 (11), 1:10 (7), 1:20 (11), 1:40 (1), 1:80 (1), 1:160 (3), 1:1,280 (2), and 1:2,560 (1). Hearts, pectoral muscles, and brains of 19 chickens with MAT titers of 1:20 or more were bioassayed individually in mice. Tissues from the remaining 31 chickens with titers of 1:10 or lower were pooled and fed to 4 T. gondii-free cats (13 chickens with titers of less than 1:5 to 1 cat, 11 chickens with titers of 1:5 to 2 cats, and 7 chickens with titers of 1:10 to 1 cat). Feces of cats were examined for oocysts; they did not shed oocysts. Toxoplasma gondii was isolated from 8 chickens with MAT titers of 1:20 or more (from 1 of 11 chickens with a titer of 1:20 and all 7 chickens with a titer of 1:80 or more) from the heart, brain, and pectoral muscle (3); heart and pectoral muscle (1); and heart alone (4). Genotyping of these 8 isolates with the SAG2 locus indicated that 5 were type III and 3 were type 1. This is the first report of isolation of T. gondii from chickens from Guatemala.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Animal and Natural Resources Institute, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Building 1001, Beltsville, Maryland 20705-2350, USA. jdubey@anri.barc.usda.gov
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Dubey
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mendoza
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lehmann
mesh_terms: D000372:Agglutination Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D001681:Biological Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D001921:Brain / Q000469:parasitology; D002415:Cats; D002645:Chickens / Q000469:parasitology*; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006166:Guatemala / Q000453:epidemiology; D006321:Heart / Q000469:parasitology; D051379:Mice; D010369:Pectoralis Muscles / Q000469:parasitology; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D015995:Prevalence; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D016054:DNA, Protozoan