Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in small mammals from the Ardennes region, France.
Serum samples from 218 small mammals trapped in forest and grassland in the Ardennes region (North-eastern France) were tested for antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii. Using the modified agglutination test, positive results were found in 4/92 Apodemus sp., 3/64 Clethrionomys glareolus, 0/26 Microtus agrestis, 0/4 Micromys minutus, 3/5 Sorex sp., 2/9 Arvicola terrestris, and 7/18 Talpa europaea. Toxoplasma gondii was not isolated from the heart of seropositive individuals after bioassay in mice. Seroprevalence was significantly higher in large fossorial mammals living in grassland than in small forest mammals, probably related to ecological factors.
Afonso
Eve
E
Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, 43 boulevard du 11 novembre 1918, Villeurbanne F-69622, France. afonso@biomserv.univ-lyon1.fr
Poulle
Marie-Lazarine
ML
Lemoine
Mélissa
M
Villena
Isabelle
I
Aubert
Dominique
D
Gilot-Fromont
Emmanuelle
E
D000372:Agglutination Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D008322:Mammals / Q000469:parasitology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013045:Species Specificity; D014122:Toxoplasma; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology*