Molecular detection and genotypic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii in wild waterfowls in Jilin Province, Northeastern China. Issue 6 (December 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhang, Fu-Kai; Wang, Hai-Jun; Qin, Si-Yuan; Wang, Ze-Dong; Lou, Zhi-Long; Zhu, Xing-Quan; Liu, Quan
• Is Part Of: Parasitology international. Volume 64:Issue 6(2015:Dec.)
• Page Start: 576
• Page End: 578
• Publication Date: 2015-12
• Subjects: Parasitology -- Periodicals; Parasites -- Periodicals; Parasitic Diseases -- Periodicals; Parasitology -- Periodicals; Parasitologie -- Périodiques; 571.99905
• DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2015.08.008
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1383-5769

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="author" id="ab0005"> <title id="st0005">Abstract</title> <sec> <p id="sp0005"> <italic>Toxoplasma gondii</italic> can infect almost warm-blooded animals, including humans. Limited information about <italic>T. gondii</italic> infection in wild waterfowls is available in China. The present study was conducted to determine prevalence and genotype <italic>T. gondii</italic> infection in 11 wild waterfowl species in Jilin Province, northeastern China. A total of 249 wild waterfowls were sampled between April and July 2013 from Jilin Province, and the tissue samples were collected for the detection of <italic>T. gondii</italic> by a semi-nested PCR targeting the B1 gene. The positive samples were genotyped at 11 genetic markers (SAG1, 5′- and 3′-SAG2, alternative SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, L358, PK1, c22-8, c29-2, and Apico) using multilocus polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technology. The overall prevalence of <italic>T. gondii</italic> in the wild waterfowls was 7.2% (18/249, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.0–10.4), with the highest prevalence (22.0%, 95% CI 10.5–33.5) in <italic>Anas formosa</italic>, followed by <italic>Anas platyrhynchos</italic> (20.0%, 95% CI 6.0–44.0), <italic>Falcated teal</italic> (12.5%, 95% CI 0.0–35.4), and <italic>Fulica atra</italic> (4.0%, 95% CI 0.0–11.7). Of 18 positive samples, only 2 samples (TgWfjl1 and TgWfjl2) were genotyped completely, and one genotype, namely ToxoDB #9, was revealed. The result of this survey has implications for better understanding of the genetic diversity of <italic>T. gondii</italic> in China. This is the first report of prevalence and genotypic characterization of <italic>T. gondii</italic> in wild waterfowls in northeastern China.</p> </sec> </abstract>