title: Toxoplasma gondii in domestic and wild animals from forest fragments of the municipality of Natal, northeastern Brazil.
abstract: Toxoplasmosis stands out as a global disease that has felines as definitive hosts. In the municipality of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil, two parks are notable for their ecological and social importance. This study aimed to investigate the presence of Toxoplasma gondii in short hair cats, bats and small non-volant mammals in these two ecological reserves. Altogether, biological samples were obtained from 154 mammals, 92 wild animals from both areas and 62 domestic cats of the Parque da Cidade. In total, 22 (53.7%) non-volant wild mammals, 11 (21.5%) bats and 28 (52.8%) cats were positive for IgG anti-T. gondii antibodies using the Modified Agglutination Test (≥ 25). It was possible to detect the presence of T. gondii DNA, by means of a molecular amplification of a B1 gene fragment (155bp), in 92 tissue samples from wild animals, including Didelphis albiventris, Monodelphis domestica, Artibeus lituratus, Carollia perspicillata and Glossophaga soricina. Of the 62 cats examined by the same molecular method, T. gondii DNA could be detected in 4 cats. In this study, it was observed the circulation of T. gondii in wild species and domestic cats, demonstrating the involvement of wild and domestic animals in the cycle of T. gondii.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gislene Fátima da Silva Rocha
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Fournier
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcos Gomes
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Arlei
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marcili
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Diego Garcia
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Ramirez
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Igor Cunha Lima
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Acosta
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juliana Isabel Giuli da Silva
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Aline Diniz
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Cabral
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Júlia Tereza Ribeiro de
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Hilda Fátima de Jesus
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Pena
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ricardo Augusto
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Solange Maria
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Gennari
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic / Q000469:parasitology*; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000469:parasitology*; D001938:Brazil; D002415:Cats / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D065928:Forests; D008297:Male; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000302:isolation & purification*