Toxoplasma gondii exposure in arctic-nesting geese: A multi-state occupancy framework and comparison of serological assays.

ABSTRACT: The zoonotic parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, has a worldwide distribution and a cosmopolitan suite of hosts. In arctic tundra regions, the definitive felid hosts are rare to absent and, while the complete transmission routes in such regions have yet to be fully elucidated, trophic and vertical routes are likely to be important. Wild birds are common intermediate hosts of T. gondii, and in the central Canadian arctic, geese are probable vectors of the parasite from temperate latitudes to the arctic regions. Our objective was to estimate seroprevalence of T. gondii in Ross's and Lesser Snow Geese from the Karrak Lake ecosystem in Nunavut, Canada. After harvesting geese by shotgun, we collected blood on filter paper strips and tested the eluate for T. gondii antibodies by indirect fluorescent an

SUBMITTER: Elmore SA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4142267 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature