Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate if freshwater bivalves can be used to detect the presence of Toxoplasma gondii in water bodies. Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) were caged for 1 month upstream and downstream of the discharge points of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Physiological status was assessed to assure good health of bivalves during transplantation. The presence of T. gondii was investigated in mussel tissues by qPCR. In autumn, T. gondii was detected in mussels caged downstream of the discharge points of two WWTPs. In spring, it was detected upstream of one WWTP. For the first time, T. gondii DNA has been shown in a continental mollusc in environmental conditions. This highlights the interest of an active approach that could be applied independently of the presence or accessibility of autochthonous populations, and underlines the presence of T. gondii in natural waters under pressure of WWTP discharge at a certain time of the year. This study shows that transplanted zebra mussels could be used as biosamplers to reveal contamination of freshwater systems by T. gondii.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.