Occurrence of Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii DNA in brain tissue from hoary foxes (Pseudalopex vetulus) in Brazil.
The hoary fox (Pseudalopex vetulus) is a wild canid native to Brazil and is commonly found in the semiarid northeastern area living in contact with cattle. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the presence of Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii DNA in hoary foxes, in the state of Paraíba, Brazil. Brain tissue samples were collected from 49 hoary foxes. From the samples, DNA extraction and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were performed using specific primers for N. caninum and T. gondii. The prevalences found were 14.3% (7/49) for T. gondii and 12.2% (6/49) for N. caninum. The molecular identities of the amplified products were confirmed by means of the sequencing reaction. This study demonstrated the presence of N. caninum and T. gondii DNA in free-ranging hoary foxes in Brazil for the first time, thus confirming that this species is an intermediate host.
Laboratory of Infectious-Contagious Diseases of Domestic Animals, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, Dois Irmãos, 52171-900 Recife, PE, Brazil.
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Nascimento
Center for Rural Health and Technology, Academic Unit of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Av. Universitaria, 58700-970 Patos, PB, Brazil.
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Silva
Laboratory of Infectious-Contagious Diseases of Domestic Animals, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, Dois Irmãos, 52171-900 Recife, PE, Brazil.
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Kim
Center for Rural Health and Technology, Academic Unit of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Av. Universitaria, 58700-970 Patos, PB, Brazil.
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Gomes
Laboratory of Animal Virology, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, Dois Irmãos, 52171-900 Recife, PE, Brazil.
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Gomes
Laboratory of Animal Virology, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, Dois Irmãos, 52171-900 Recife, PE, Brazil.
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Maia
Laboratory of Animal Protozoology, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Campus Universitário, 86057-970 Londrina, PR, Brazil.
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Almeida
Laboratory of Infectious-Contagious Diseases of Domestic Animals, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, Dois Irmãos, 52171-900 Recife, PE, Brazil. Electronic address: rinaldo.mota@hotmail.com.
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Mota
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000469:parasitology*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002417:Cattle; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004199:Disease Vectors; D005589:Foxes / Q000469:parasitology*; D018688:Neospora / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology*
D016054:DNA, Protozoan
Intermediate host; Neospora caninum; Protozoans; Toxoplasma gondii; Wild canid