Toxoplasma gondii in the faeces of wild felids from the Atlantic Forest, Brazil.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Toxoplasma gondii is a apicomplexan parasite of virtually all warm-blooded species. All true cats (Felidae) can act as definitive hosts for this parasite by shedding resistant oocysts into the environment. However, the patterns of oocysts shedding are only partially understood in domestic cats and largely unknown in wild felids.

Objectives

We carried out molecular analysis of 82 faecal samples from wild felids collected in the Serra dos Órgãos National Park (Parnaso), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Methods

We screened samples for T. gondii DNA using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) targeting the 529bp DNA fragment. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive samples were genotyped using 15 microsatellite markers.

Results

Only one faecal sample f

SUBMITTER: Bolais PF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9241165 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature