Toxoplasma gondii in small mammals in Romania: the influence of host, season and sampling location.
Epidemiology
Felinae
Rodents
Synanthropic rodents
protozoa
Journal
BMC veterinary research
ISSN: 1746-6148
Titre abrégé: BMC Vet Res
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101249759
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
29 Sep 2023
29 Sep 2023
Historique:
received:
26
01
2023
accepted:
13
09
2023
medline:
5
10
2023
pubmed:
29
9
2023
entrez:
29
9
2023
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that infects a large spectrum of warm-blooded animals, including humans. Small rodents and insectivores play an important role in the epidemiology of T. gondii and may serve as a source of infection for both, domestic and wild definitive felid hosts. Factors influencing the occurrence of T. gondii in wild small mammals are unknown, despite the fact that many intermediate host species are identified. We have used small mammals (Rodentia and Lipotyphla) captured over two years in various habitats, both in urbanised and in natural landscapes. We assessed the importance of land-use, season and host ecology on T. gondii infection. We examined 471 individuals belonging to 20 small mammal species, collected at 63 locations spread over wide altitude, habitat and land-use ranges from Romania. Heart tissue samples were individually analysed by PCR targeting the 529 bp repetitive DNA fragment of T. gondii. The overall prevalence of infection was 7.3%, with nine species of rodents and two species of shrews being found to carry T. gondii DNA. Five species showed high frequency of infection, with the highest prevalence found in Myodes glareolus (35.5%), followed by Spermophilus citellus (33.3%), Sorex minutus (23.1%), S. araneus (21.7%) and Micromys minutus (11.1%). Adults seemed more often infected than young, however when controlling for season, the difference was not significant, as in spring both adults and young showed higher infection rates, but more adults were sampled. Contrary to our expectations, urban/rural areas (with their implicit high density of domestic feline presence) had no effect on infection prevalence. In addition, neither habitat, nor land-use at sampling sites was important as only geographical location and host species were contributing factors to the infection risk. High prevalence of T. gondii infection showed a highly localised, patchy occurrence, with long living and higher mobility host species being the most common carriers, especially during autumn.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that infects a large spectrum of warm-blooded animals, including humans. Small rodents and insectivores play an important role in the epidemiology of T. gondii and may serve as a source of infection for both, domestic and wild definitive felid hosts. Factors influencing the occurrence of T. gondii in wild small mammals are unknown, despite the fact that many intermediate host species are identified. We have used small mammals (Rodentia and Lipotyphla) captured over two years in various habitats, both in urbanised and in natural landscapes. We assessed the importance of land-use, season and host ecology on T. gondii infection.
RESULTS
RESULTS
We examined 471 individuals belonging to 20 small mammal species, collected at 63 locations spread over wide altitude, habitat and land-use ranges from Romania. Heart tissue samples were individually analysed by PCR targeting the 529 bp repetitive DNA fragment of T. gondii. The overall prevalence of infection was 7.3%, with nine species of rodents and two species of shrews being found to carry T. gondii DNA. Five species showed high frequency of infection, with the highest prevalence found in Myodes glareolus (35.5%), followed by Spermophilus citellus (33.3%), Sorex minutus (23.1%), S. araneus (21.7%) and Micromys minutus (11.1%). Adults seemed more often infected than young, however when controlling for season, the difference was not significant, as in spring both adults and young showed higher infection rates, but more adults were sampled. Contrary to our expectations, urban/rural areas (with their implicit high density of domestic feline presence) had no effect on infection prevalence. In addition, neither habitat, nor land-use at sampling sites was important as only geographical location and host species were contributing factors to the infection risk.
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS
High prevalence of T. gondii infection showed a highly localised, patchy occurrence, with long living and higher mobility host species being the most common carriers, especially during autumn.
Identifiants
pubmed: 37773155
doi: 10.1186/s12917-023-03729-7
pii: 10.1186/s12917-023-03729-7
pmc: PMC10540334
doi:
Substances chimiques
DNA, Protozoan
0
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
177Subventions
Organisme : Consiliul National al Cercetarii Stiintifice
ID : IDEI PCCE 7/2010
Organisme : Consiliul National al Cercetarii Stiintifice
ID : IDEI PCCE 7/2010
Organisme : Consiliul National al Cercetarii Stiintifice
ID : IDEI PCCE 7/2010
Organisme : Consiliul National al Cercetarii Stiintifice
ID : IDEI PCCE 7/2010
Organisme : Consiliul National al Cercetarii Stiintifice
ID : IDEI PCCE 7/2010
Organisme : Nemzeti Kutatási, Fejlesztési és Innovaciós Alap
ID : TKP2020-NKA-01
Organisme : Nemzeti Kutatási, Fejlesztési és Innovaciós Alap
ID : TKP2020-NKA-01
Organisme : Nemzeti Kutatási Fejlesztési és Innovációs Hivatal
ID : K-132794
Organisme : Unitatea Executiva pentru Finantarea Invatamantului Superior, a Cercetarii, Dezvoltarii si Inovarii
ID : TE49/2022
Organisme : Unitatea Executiva pentru Finantarea Invatamantului Superior, a Cercetarii, Dezvoltarii si Inovarii
ID : PNII PC 51-013/2007
Informations de copyright
© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.
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