title: Detection and genotyping of Toxoplasma gondii strains isolated from birds in the southwest of Iran.
abstract: 1. The aim of this work was to determine the frequency of occurrence of Toxoplasma gondii and genetically analyse isolates from a number of avian hosts in the southwest of Iran (Khuzestan province). The frequency of T. gondii was determined in free-range chickens (Gallus domesticus), sparrows (Passer domesticus), pigeons (Columba livia) and starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). 2. Isolates obtained from Toxoplasma-infected birds were subjected to molecular typing by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) with sequence analysis of the GRA6 gene. 3. The results showed that 41 (16·5%) of 241 samples of avian tissue were infected with T. gondii. Sparrows were most frequently infected (17 out of 64). 4. Analysis of the GRA6 gene by PCR-RFLP and DNA sequencing revealed Type II and III T. gondii were the predominant lineage, accounting for 19·5% and 80·5% of the isolates, respectively. 5. It was concluded that the use of this PCR test facilitated the diagnosis of T. gondii in avian hosts and the GRA6 PCR-RFLP method clearly differentiated between the three different T. gondii lineages. This study showed a higher prevalence of type III compared with type II T. gondii in infected avian hosts in southwestern Iran.
authors: Department of Medical Parasitology, Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. khademvatan@yahoo.com
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Khademvatan
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Saki
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Yousefi
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Abdizadeh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D001717:Birds / Q000469:parasitology*; D002645:Chickens / Q000469:parasitology; D010856:Columbidae / Q000469:parasitology; D005838:Genotype; D007492:Iran; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D046370:Sparrows / Q000469:parasitology; D046749:Starlings / Q000469:parasitology; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; C095047:GRA6 protein, Toxoplasma gondii; D015800:Protozoan Proteins