title: Serosurvey for Toxoplasma gondii in arctic foxes and possible sources of infection in the high Arctic of Svalbard.
abstract: Samples (blood or tissue fluid) from 594 arctic foxes (Alopex lagopus), 390 Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus), 361 sibling voles (Microtus rossiaemeridionalis), 17 walruses (Odobenus rosmarus), 149 barnacle geese (Branta leucopsis), 58 kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla), and 27 glaucous gulls (Larus hyperboreus) from Svalbard and nearby waters were assayed for antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii using a direct agglutination test. The proportion of seropositive animals was 43% in arctic foxes, 7% in barnacle geese, and 6% (1 of 17) in walruses. There were no seropositive Svalbard reindeer, sibling voles, glaucous gulls, or kittiwakes. The prevalence in the arctic fox was relatively high compared to previous reports from canid populations. There are no wild felids in Svalbard and domestic cats are prohibited, and the absence of antibodies against T. gondii among the herbivorous Svalbard reindeer and voles indicates that transmission of the parasite by oocysts is not likely to be an important mechanism in the Svalbard ecosystem. Our results suggest that migratory birds, such as the barnacle goose, may be the most important vectors bringing the parasite to Svalbard. In addition to transmission through infected prey and carrion, the age-seroprevalence profile in the fox population suggests that their infection levels are enhanced by vertical transmission.
authors.affiliation: Norwegian School of Veterinary Science (NVH), Section of Arctic Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 6204, N-9292 Tromsø, Norway. kristin.prestrud@veths.no
authors.forename: Kristin Wear
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Prestrud
authors.forename: Kjetil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Asbakk
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fuglei
authors.forename: Torill
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mørk
authors.forename: Audun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stien
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ropstad
authors.forename: Morten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tryland
authors.forename: Geir Wing
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Gabrielsen
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lydersen
authors.forename: Kit M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kovacs
authors.forename: Maarten J J E
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Loonen
authors.forename: Kjetil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sagerup
authors.forename: Antti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oksanen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001110:Arctic Regions; D003411:Arvicolinae / Q000469:parasitology; D001717:Birds / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D005589:Foxes / Q000469:parasitology*; D008297:Male; D012053:Reindeer / Q000469:parasitology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013538:Svalbard / Q000453:epidemiology; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D014856:Walruses / Q000469:parasitology