Atypical Toxoplasma gondii genotype in feral cats from the Fernando de Noronha Island, northeastern Brazil.
Toxoplasma gondii isolates from Brazil have a different phenotypic and genotypic pattern, with predominance of virulent isolates and recombinant genotypes, compared to the North Hemisphere. Considering that a new T. gondii genotype, non-pathogenic to mice, was previously identified from free-range chickens from the Fernando de Noronha Island, Brazil, this study aimed to identify genotypes of this parasite in tissue samples of feral cats (Felis catus) from this Brazilian Island. Anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies were detected in 18/31 (58%) feral cats. Two non-virulent T. gondii isolates were obtained by mouse bioassay. Genotyping was performed by PCR-RFLP using 10 genetic markers (SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, PK1, L358 and Apico) and an atypical strain of T. gondii (ToxoDB #146) was identified. This is the first report of this genotype in feral cats.
Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Infectious-Contagious Diseases of Domestic Animals, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil.
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Melo
Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Infectious-Contagious Diseases of Domestic Animals, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil.
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Almeida
Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Infectious-Contagious Diseases of Domestic Animals, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil.
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Lima
Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Infectious-Contagious Diseases of Domestic Animals, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil.
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Pedrosa
Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Infectious-Contagious Diseases of Domestic Animals, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil.
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FJR
Magalhães
Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Infectious-Contagious Diseases of Domestic Animals, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil.
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Alcântara
Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Animal Protozoology, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, PR 445 Km 380, 86057-970, Londrina, PR, Brazil.
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LD
Barros
Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Zoonosis and Molecular Epidemiology, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Rua dos Funcionários 1540, 80035-050, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
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RFC
Vieira
Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Animal Protozoology, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, PR 445 Km 380, 86057-970, Londrina, PR, Brazil.
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JL
Garcia
Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Infectious-Contagious Diseases of Domestic Animals, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil. Electronic address: rinaldo.mota@hotmail.com.
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Mota
D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D001938:Brazil; D002415:Cats; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D062312:Islands; D051379:Mice; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000469:parasitology*; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D005819:Genetic Markers
Brazil; Felis catus; Genotyping; Mouse bioassay; Toxoplasmosis