title: Genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii isolates and toxoplasmosis seroprevalence in stray cats of İzmir, Turkey.
abstract: Currently, some Toxoplasma gondii genotypes are being associated with serious clinical presentations. A recent report showing the Africa 1 genotype in two local congenital toxoplasmosis cases acquired in Turkey formed the basis of this study because atypical Africa 1 genotype is most frequently detected in animals and patients from sub-Saharan Africa. Since stray cats are considered as the linkage between wild life and urban life in T. gondii transmission, the present study aimed to isolate and characterize T. gondii strains circulating in stray cats of İzmir (Western Turkey). A secondary objective was to determine toxoplasmosis seroprevalence in this cat population. Tissues obtained from 100 deceased stray cats were bioassayed and isolated strains were genotyped using 15 microsatellite markers. In addition, toxoplasmosis seroprevalence was analyzed in 1121 cat sera collected from several large veterinary clinics in İzmir. Among the 22 isolates, 19 were Type II (86.3%), two were Type III (9%) and one was Africa 1 genotype (4.5%). The overall seropositivity rates in cats were 42-48% and 33.4-34.4% according to IFA and ELISA, respectively. Seroprevalence in deceased cats was significantly higher than in healthy cats (P = 0.0033). Finding both the major clonal Type II lineage together with the Type III lineage also found in Middle East, and an atypical genotype, Africa 1 appears consistent with the specific geographic location of Turkey between three continents and raises the possibility of transportation of these strains between continents through trade routes or long distance migratory birds. In addition, the first large study of toxoplasma seroprevalence in a stray cat population was also reported. The relatively high seropositivity rates and the variety of T. gondii genotypes confirm the local stray cat population as a risk factor for human toxoplasmosis in İzmir.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Ege University Faculty of Sciences, Bornova/İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hüseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Can
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Ege University Medical School, Bornova/İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mert
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Döşkaya
authors.affiliation: Centre National de Référence (CNR) Toxoplasmose/Toxoplasma Biological Resource Center (BRC), Centre Hospitalier-Universitaire Dupuytren, Limoges, France and INSERM UMR 1094, Neuroépidémiologie Tropicale, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Limoges, Limoges, France.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ajzenberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Affairs, Municipality of İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: H Gökhan
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Özdemir
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Ege University Medical School, Bornova/İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayşe
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caner
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, Ege University Faculty of Engineering, Bornova/İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sultan Gülce
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: İz
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Ege University Medical School, Bornova/İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aysu Değirmenci
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Döşkaya
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Ege University Faculty of Sciences, Bornova/İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Esra
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Atalay
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Affairs, Municipality of İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Çağdaş
authors.initials: Ç
authors.lastname: Çetinkaya
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Affairs, Municipality of İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Saygun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ürgen
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Ege University Faculty of Sciences, Bornova/İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sabire
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karaçalı
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Ege University Faculty of Sciences, Bornova/İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Cemal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ün
authors.affiliation: Centre National de Référence (CNR) Toxoplasmose/Toxoplasma Biological Resource Center (BRC), Centre Hospitalier-Universitaire Dupuytren, Limoges, France and INSERM UMR 1094, Neuroépidémiologie Tropicale, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Limoges, Limoges, France.
authors.forename: Marie-Laure
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Dardé
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Ege University Medical School, Bornova/İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yüksel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gürüz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D002415:Cats / Q000097:blood / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*