title: Isolation and molecular characterization of Toxoplasma gondii isolated from pigeons and stray cats in Lisbon, Portugal.
abstract: Cats and pigeons are important factors in the epidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii as felids are the only definitive hosts that can excrete environmentally resistant oocysts, and pigeons share the same places of cats and humans constituting a good model and indicator of the ground field contamination. We aimed to study the virulence and genotypes of T. gondii isolated from pigeons and stray cats in Lisbon, Portugal. Fresh samples of brain from 41 pigeons and 164 cats revealing antibodies to T. gondii were inoculated in mice. Three isolates (one isolated from a cat and two isolated from pigeons) were virulent in the mouse model. Sag2-based genotyping of T. gondii was achieved in 70.7% (29/41) of samples isolated from pigeons (26 samples were type II, two were type III, and one strain was type I). From the cat brain samples, 50% (82/164) yielded Sag2 positive results, where 72 belonged to genotype II and 10 were no type III (it was not possible to discriminate between type I and II). Further genotyping was obtained by multiplex PCR of 5 microsatellites (TUB2, TgM-A, W35, B17, B18), allowing the identification of two recombinant strains that had been previously identified as type II by Sag2 amplification (one isolated from cat brain and the other from pigeon brain). This is the first evidence of recombinant strains circulating in Portugal and the first report of T. gondii genotyping from cats in this country. This study also highlights the importance of environmental contamination in the synanthropic cycle constituting a potential source of human infection.
authors.affiliation: National Reference Laboratory of Parasitic and Fungal Infections, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Av. Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal. Electronic address: anabela.vilares@insa.min-saude.pt.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vilares
authors.affiliation: National Reference Laboratory of Parasitic and Fungal Infections, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Av. Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Gargaté
authors.affiliation: National Reference Laboratory of Parasitic and Fungal Infections, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Av. Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: National Reference Laboratory of Parasitic and Fungal Infections, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Av. Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: National Reference Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Infections, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Av. Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Júlio
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Parasitologia, Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV), Pólo de Benfica, Rua General Morais Sarmento, 1500-311 Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Waap
authors.affiliation: National Reference Laboratory of Parasitic and Fungal Infections, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Av. Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Angelo
authors.affiliation: Research Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Av. Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal; Bioinformatics Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Av. Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gomes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D002415:Cats; D010856:Columbidae / Q000469:parasitology*; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D033661:Oocysts; D011174:Portugal / Q000453:epidemiology; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan
keywords: Cats; Genotype; Pigeons; Toxoplasma gondii