Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoon parasite that causes congenital toxoplasmosis, as well as other serious clinical presentations, in immune compromised humans. Analyses of the prevalence and genotyping of strains from the definitive host and intermediate hosts will help to understanding the circulation of the different strains and elucidating the role of the genotype(s) in human toxoplasmosis. Turkey has a specific geographic location bridging Africa, Europe, and Asia. We hypothesized that T. gondii strains may have been transferred to Turkey from these continents via migratory birds or vice versa. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of toxoplasmosis in wild birds of prey of İzmir and Manisa provinces as well as genetically characterize T. gondii strains from these wild birds to show the relation between bird strains and neighboring stray cats as well as human strains previously isolated in Turkey. Tissues obtained from 48 wild birds were investigated for the presence of T. gondii DNA and then bioassayed in mouse. Isolated strains were genotyped using 15 microsatellite markers. The prevalence of T. gondii DNA was found to be 89.6% (n: 43/48) in wild birds. Out of 43 positive samples, a total of 14 strains were genotyped by 15 microsatellite markers. Among them, eight were type II, three were type III and three were mixture of genotypes (two type II/II and one was II/III). These are the first data that showed the presence of T. gondii and types II and III genotypes in wild birds of Turkey. Moreover, Africa 1 was not detected. In addition, cluster analysis showed that T. gondii strains within type II and III lineage have close relation with strains previously isolated from stray cats in İzmir. Further studies are required to isolate more strains from human cases, other intermediate hosts, and water sources to reveal this relation.
Highlights
Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that causes congenital toxoplasmosis, as well as other serious clinical presentations in immune compromised humans
Turkey has a specific geographic location bridging Africa, Europe, and Asia and T. gondii strains may have been transferred between these continents via stray cats or other animals, including migratory birds [22]
Stray cats can enter the wild life park or bird sanctuary and get into close relation with local cats living in this area which can capture migratory birds or eat carcasses of them. This specific location aroused the following question: can the migratory wild birds of İzmir harbor the genotypes detected in humans and stray cats? and can there be more different strains in wild life of İzmir, Turkey? the present study aimed to assess the prevalence of Toxoplasma infection, isolate and genetically characterize T. gondii strains in wild birds of prey of İzmir and Manisa provinces
Summary
Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that causes congenital toxoplasmosis, as well as other serious clinical presentations in immune compromised humans. Isolation and genotyping of strains from the definitive host felines, humans and other intermediate hosts will help better understand the circulation of the different strains both at a global and a local geographical scale. Turkey has a specific geographic location bridging Africa, Europe, and Asia and T. gondii strains may have been transferred between these continents via stray cats or other animals, including migratory birds [22]. Stray cats can enter the wild life park or bird sanctuary and get into close relation with local cats living in this area which can capture migratory birds or eat carcasses of them This specific location aroused the following question: can the migratory wild birds of İzmir harbor the genotypes detected in humans and stray cats?
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