title: Detection of Toxoplasma gondii DNA in Brazilian oysters (Crassostrea rhizophorae).
abstract: The aim of this study was to detect evidence of Toxoplasma gondii using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based techniques in oysters (Crassostrea rhizophorae) obtained from the southern coastal region of Bahia, Brazil. A total of 624 oysters were collected, and the gills and digestive glands were dissected. Each tissue sample was separated into pools containing tissues (of the same type) from three animals, leading to a total of 416 experimental samples for analysis (208 samples each from the gills and digestive glands). Molecular analysis using PCR-based detection of the T. gondii AF 146527 repetitive fragment yielded negative results for all samples. However, when nested-PCR was used for detection of the T. gondii SAG-1 gene, 17 samples were positive, with the gills being the tissue with maximal detection of the parasite. These positive results were confirmed by sample sequencing. It is therefore suggested that C. rhizophorae oysters are capable of filtering and retaining T. gondii oocysts in their tissue. This represents a risk to public health because they are traditionally ingested in natura.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência Animal, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, BA, Brasil.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: Graduação em Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, BA, Brasil.
authors.forename: L K N S S
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Graduação em Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, BA, Brasil.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Brito
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, BA, Brasil.
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Maciel
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Feira de Santana, BA, Brasil.
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Da Silva
authors.affiliation: gralbu@uesc.br.
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Albuquerque
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis*; D010125:Ostreidae / Q000469:parasitology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan