Evidence for genetic diversity of Toxoplasma gondii in selected intermediate hosts in Serbia.
To contribute to the insight into the worldwide population structure of Toxoplasma gondii, we genetically characterized a total of eight strains isolated from intermediate hosts including humans, sheep and pigeons in Serbia. Although parasite DNA was detected in 28.2% (60/213) of the human samples from 162 patients serologically suspected of active toxoplasmosis, as well as in 5/7 seropositive pigeons and in 2/12 seropositive sheep examined, multilocus PCR-RFLP genotyping, using SAG1, 5'SAG2, 3'SAG2, GRA6, 5'GRA7 and 3'GRA7 as markers, was successful in only four human isolates (of which one was isolated from both the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and blood samples of a single patient), one sheep and three pigeons. Of the eight isolates, five were type II (62.5%), one was type III, one was atypical, and one had a type I allele at GRA6 as the single locus genotyped. Although type II, as elsewhere in Europe, predominated, these results may suggest a higher genetic diversity of T. gondii in Serbia, reflecting local environmental contamination and also the geographical position of the country in South-East Europe.
National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Dr. Subotića 4, P.O. Box 102, 11129 Belgrade, Serbia.
Marija
M
Marković
National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Dr. Subotića 4, P.O. Box 102, 11129 Belgrade, Serbia.
Vladimir
V
Ivović
National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Dr. Subotića 4, P.O. Box 102, 11129 Belgrade, Serbia.
Tijana
T
Stajner
National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Dr. Subotića 4, P.O. Box 102, 11129 Belgrade, Serbia.
Vitomir
V
Djokić
National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Dr. Subotića 4, P.O. Box 102, 11129 Belgrade, Serbia.
Ivana
I
Klun
National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Dr. Subotića 4, P.O. Box 102, 11129 Belgrade, Serbia.
Branko
B
Bobić
National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Dr. Subotića 4, P.O. Box 102, 11129 Belgrade, Serbia.
Aleksandra
A
Nikolić
National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Dr. Subotića 4, P.O. Box 102, 11129 Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: olgicadj@imi.bg.ac.rs.
Olgica
O
Djurković-Djaković
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D010856:Columbidae; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics*; D004199:Disease Vectors; D005333:Fetus; D005819:Genetic Markers; D014644:Genetic Variation; D018503:Genome, Protozoan; D005838:Genotype; D058507:Host Specificity; D006801:Humans; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D055771:Serbia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012756:Sheep; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000635:transmission; D014125:Toxoplasmosis, Congenital / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000635:transmission
D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; C095047:GRA6 protein, Toxoplasma gondii; C112573:GRA7 protein, Toxoplasma gondii; D005819:Genetic Markers; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C047168:SAG1 antigen, Toxoplasma; C067547:surface antigen P22, Toxoplasma
Genotyping; Humans; Intermediate hosts; PCR-RFLP; Pigeons; Serbia; Sheep; South-East Europe; Toxoplasma gondii