Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the genotypic characteristics of Toxoplasma gondii isolated from free-range chickens in the metropolitan area of Goiânia, Goiás, in Brazil's central-west region. The seroprevalence rate was found to be 96%, according to an indirect hemagglutination assay. Brain and heart samples were processed by peptic digestion for a mice bioassay. The tissues were homogenized and the resulting samples were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which revealed that 64% of them contained the parasite's DNA. The mice bioassay revealed 15 isolates, 8 of them tachyzoites isolates from the peritoneal lavage and 7 from brain cysts. T. gondii genotypes were determined through PCR-RFLP, using the following markers: SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1, alt. SAG2, Apico and CS3. Three genotypes were identified, inclued ToxoDB #65, and the other two are not yet described in the literature. Hence, we conclude that the isolates obtained from the metropolitan area of Goiânia showed relatively low genetic diversity.
Highlights
Free-range chickens (Gallus gallus) are considered indicators of environmental contamination by Toxoplasma gondii because they feed directly from the soil, which exposes them to oocysts (Dubey et al, 2003a; Zhu et al, 2008; Millar et al, 2012)
Considering the role of free-range chickens as environmental bioindicators, the purpose of this study was the molecular characterization of T. gondii isolates from these animals, shedding light on the level of toxoplasmosis in the metropolitan area of Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
Toxoplasma gondii isolated from tissues of free-range chickens
Summary
Free-range chickens (Gallus gallus) are considered indicators of environmental contamination by Toxoplasma gondii because they feed directly from the soil, which exposes them to oocysts (Dubey et al, 2003a; Zhu et al, 2008; Millar et al, 2012). Humans infected with T. gondii are usually asymptomatic. The infection may present clinically in congenitally infected children and in immunocompromised individuals (Dubey & Jones, 2008; Murat et al, 2013). It was demonstrated that 13.6% of stray cats in the same region were shedding T. gondii oocysts in their feces. Both these rates are considered high when compared to those in other regions of the world (Rezende, 2015)
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