First genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii infection in Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) in China

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii can infect virtually all warm-blooded animals including foxes. However, little is known of the molecular epidemiology and genotypes of T. gondii infecting foxes in China. Therefore, the present study characterized T. gondii genotypes in foxes in China for the first time. During November 2014 to October 2015, brain tissue samples collected from 264 Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) in Jilin, Heilongjiang and Shandong provinces were used to detect the T. gondii B1 gene by a semi-nested PCR, and the positive samples were genotyped at 10 nuclear loci (i.e., SAG1, alternative SAG2, 5′-and 3′-SAG2, SAG3, L358, BTUB, c22-8, GRA6, c29-2, PK1) and an apicoplast locus (Apico) by multi-locus PCR-RFLP technology. Twenty-one (7.96%) samples from 264 foxes were positive for T. gondii B1 gene. T. gondii infection in male and female foxes was 7.14% and 8.70%, respectively. The highest infection rate (11.86%) was detected in foxes from Shandong, followed by foxes from Jilin (6.49%) and Heilongjiang (2.90%). Two genotypes (ToxoDB#9 and ToxoDB#10) were identified. This is the first genetic characterization of T. gondii from foxes in China, which provides basic data for the surveillance and control of T. gondii infection in foxes, other animals and humans.