title: Toxoplasmosis in geese and detection of two new atypical Toxoplasma gondii strains from naturally infected Canada geese (Branta canadensis).
abstract: Wild birds are important in the epidemiology of toxoplasmosis because they can serve as reservoir hosts, and vectors of zoonotic pathogens including Toxoplasma gondii. Canada goose (Branta canadensis) is the most widespread geese in North America. Little is known concerning T. gondii infection in both migratory, and local resident populations of Canada geese. Here, we evaluated the seroprevalence, isolation, and genetic characterization of viable T. gondii isolates from a migratory population of Canada geese. Antibodies against T. gondii were detected in 12 of 169 Canada geese using the modified agglutination test (MAT, cutoff 1:25). The hearts of 12 seropositive geese were bioassayed in mice for isolation of T. gondii. Viable parasites were isolated from eight. One isolate was obtained from a seropositive goose by both bioassays in mice, and in a cat; the cat fed infected heart excreted T. gondii oocysts. Additionally, one isolate was obtained from a pool of four seronegative (<1:25) geese by bioassay in a cat. The T. gondii isolates were further propagated in cell culture, and DNA extracted from cell culture-derived tachyzoites were characterized using 10 polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) genetic markers (SAG1, 5' and 3'SAG2, alt.SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1, and Apico). The results revealed five different genotypes. ToxoDB PCR-RFLP genotype #1 (type II) in one isolate, genotype #2 (type III) in four isolates, genotype #4 in two isolates, and two new genotypes (ToxoDB PCR-RFLP genotype #266 in one isolate and #267 in one isolate) were identified. These results indicate genetic diversity of T. gondii strains in the Canada geese, and this migratory bird might provide a mechanism of T. gondii transmission at great distances from where an infection was acquired.
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Building 1001, Beltsville, MD, 20705-2350, USA.
authors.forename: Shiv Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Building 1001, Beltsville, MD, 20705-2350, USA.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Calero-Bernal
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Building 1001, Beltsville, MD, 20705-2350, USA.
authors.forename: Camila K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Cerqueira-Cézar
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Building 1001, Beltsville, MD, 20705-2350, USA.
authors.forename: Oliver C H
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Kwok
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Farm Services, Building 513, Beltsville, MD, 20705-2350, USA.
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dudley
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996-0845, USA.
authors.forename: Tiantian
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996-0845, USA.
authors.forename: Chunlei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Building 1001, Beltsville, MD, 20705-2350, USA.
authors.forename: Dolores
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Building 1001, Beltsville, MD, 20705-2350, USA. Jitender.Dubey@ars.usda.gov.
authors.forename: Jitender P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Dubey
mesh_terms: D000372:Agglutination Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D001681:Biological Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D002415:Cats; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D005777:Geese / Q000469:parasitology*; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D008396:Maryland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008460:Meat / Q000469:parasitology; D051379:Mice; D033661:Oocysts / Q000166:cytology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D005819:Genetic Markers
keywords: Bioassay; Canada geese; Genotype; Toxoplasma gondii