title: Serologic, molecular, and pathologic survey of Toxoplasma gondii infection in free-ranging red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in central Italy.
abstract: We tested 191 sera of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes; 78 females and 113 males) for antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii using an indirect immunofluorescent test. Tissue samples of myocardium, lymph nodes, and brains from antibody-positive animals were tested for T. gondii DNA using specific PCR and processed for histopathology and immunohistochemistry (IHC) to detect T. gondii antigen. Of 192 (53.4%) antibody-positive animals, eight were positive by PCR on myocardium and one on brain. All DNA extracts were genotyped. Histopathology showed lesions characteristic of protozoan encephalitis; IHC did not show T. gondii antigen in examined tissues. The high antibody prevalence found in our study, which is the first in Italy, and the occurrence of polymorphic strains (combination of different type I and III alleles) divergent from typical T. gondii strains, suggests red foxes may be a sentinel of T. gondii in the environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy. rverin@vet.unipi.it
authors.forename: Ranieri
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Verin
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mugnaini
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nardoni
authors.forename: Roberto Amerigo
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Papini
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ariti
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Poli
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mancianti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000469:parasitology; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D005589:Foxes / Q000469:parasitology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance / Q000662:veterinary*; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan
keywords: Genotyping; IFAT; PCR; Toxoplasma gondii; Vulpes vulpes; histopathology; immunohistochemistry; red fox