Genetic diversity of Toxoplasma gondii isolates in Egyptian feral cats reveals new genotypes

Cats are important in the epidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii because they are the only hosts that excrete environmentally resistant oocysts in feces. In the present study, 115 viable T. gondii isolates from tissues of cats from Egypt were genotyped using 10 PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism markers (SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1, and Apico) and DNA from tachyzoites. Seven genotypes were recognized including the clonal Type II, Type III (2 genotypes), and 4 atypical genotypes. Ninety percent (103 of 115) of isolates were clonal, i.e., Type II (n = 61) and Type III (n = 42) strains. Of the 61 Type II strains, all had the Type II alleles at all loci, except for 2 strains that had allele I at Apico. Eight isolates were divided into 4 atypical genotypes. One of these genotypes (with 4 isolates) was previously reported in dogs from Sri Lanka and in sand cats from the United Arab Emirates. Four isolates had mixed infections. These results revealed a strong clonal population structure with the dominance of clonal Type II and III lineages of T. gondii in feral cats from Egypt.     

Toxoplasma gondii isolates from free-ranging chickens from the United States

Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in chickens is a good indicator of the strains prevalent in their environment because they feed from ground. The prevalence of T. gondii was determined in 118 free-range chickens from 14 counties in Ohio and in 11 chickens from a pig farm in Massachusetts. Toxoplasma gondii antibodies (> or = 1: 5) were found using the modified agglutination test (MAT) in 20 of 118 chickens from Ohio. Viable T. gondii was recovered from 11 of 20 seropositive chickens by bioassay of their hearts and brains into mice. The parasite was not isolated from tissues of 63 seronegative (< or = 1:5) chickens by bioassay in cats. Hearts, brains, and muscles from legs and breast of the 11 chickens from the pig farm in Massachusetts were fed each to a T. gondii-negative cat. Eight cats fed chicken tissues shed oocysts; the 3 cats that did not shed oocysts were fed tissues of chickens with MAT titers of 1:5 or less. Tachyzoites of 19 isolates of T. gondii from Ohio and Massachusetts were considered avirulent for mice. Of 19 isolates genotyped, 5 isolates were type II and 14 were type III; mixed types and type I isolates were not found.     

Mouse-virulent Toxoplasma gondii isolated from feral cats on Mona Island, Puerto Rico

Cats are essential in the life cycle of Toxoplasma gondii because they are the only hosts that can excrete the environmentally resistant oocysts. Samples of serum, feces, and tissues from cats from Mona, a remote island off the coast of Puerto Rico, were examined for T. gondii infection. Antibodies to T. gondii were assayed by the modified agglutination test and found in 16 of 19 (84.2%) of cats, with titers of 1:10 in 2, 1:80 in 1, 1:160 in 4, 1:320 in 3, and 1:1,280 or higher in 6. Tissues of 19 of the 20 cats were bioassayed in mice for T. gondii infection. Toxoplasma gondii was isolated from tissues of 12 cats: from the hearts of 9, skeletal muscle of 10, and brain of 1 cat. All infected mice from 10 of 12 isolates died of acute toxoplasmosis during primary infection. Genotyping of these 12 T. gondii isolates (designated (TgCatPr 1-12) by 10 multilocus PCR-RFLP markers, i.e., SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1, and an apicoplast marker Apico, and the 6 multilocus microsatellite markers TUB2, W35, TgM-A, B18, B17, and M33, revealed 7 genotypes; 5 isolates had Type I alleles at all loci except at 1 microsatellite locus, and the remainder were atypical. The latter isolates of T. gondii were different biologically and phenotypically from the feline isolates from the rest of the Americas. One isolate (TgCatPr 12) was a mixed infection with 2 genotypes.     

Biologic and molecular characteristics of Toxoplasma gondii isolates from striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), Canada goose (Branta canadensis), black-winged lory (Eos cyanogenia), and cats (Felis catus)

Toxoplasma gondii isolates can be grouped into 3 genetic lineages. Type I isolates are considered virulent to outbred mice, whereas Type II and III isolates are not. In the present report, viable T. gondii was isolated for the first time from striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), Canada goose (Branta canadensis), and black-winged lory (Eos cyanogenia). For the isolation of T. gondii, tissues were bioassayed in mice, and genotyping was based on the SAG2 locus. Toxoplasma gondii was isolated from 3 of 6 skunks, 1 of 4 Canada geese, and 2 of 2 feral cats (Felis catus) from Mississippi. All donor animals were asymptomatic. Viable T. gondii was also isolated from 5 of 5 lories that had died of acute toxoplasmosis in an aviary in South Carolina. Genotypes of T. gondii isolates were Type III (all skunks, lories, and the goose) and Type II (both cats). All 5 Type III isolates from birds and 2 of the 3 isolates from skunks were mouse virulent.     

Toxoplasma gondii infections in cats from Paraná, Brazil: seroprevalence, tissue distribution, and biologic and genetic characterization of isolates

Cats are important in the epidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii because they are the only hosts that can excrete environmentally resistant oocysts. The prevalence of T. gondii was determined in 58 domestic cats from 51 homes from Santa Isabel do Ivai, Parana State, Brazil where a water-associated outbreak of acute toxoplasmosis had occurred in humans. Antibodies to T. gondii were found with the modified agglutination test in 49 of 58 (84.4%) cats at a serum dilution of 1:20. Tissues (brain, heart, and skeletal muscle) of 54 of these cats were bioassayed in T. gondii-free, laboratory-reared cats; T. gondii oocysts were excreted by 33 cats that were fed feline tissues. Brains from these 54 cats were bioassayed in mice; T. gondii was isolated from 7. Skeletal muscles and hearts of 15 cats were also bioassayed in mice; T. gondii was isolated from skeletal muscles of 9 and hearts of 13. The results indicate that T. gondii localizes in muscle tissue more than the brains of cats. In total there were 37 T. gondii isolates from 54 cats. Most isolates of T. gondii were virulent for mice. Genotyping of the 37 isolates of T. gondii, using the SAG2 locus, revealed that 15 isolates were type I and 22 were type III. The absence of type II genotype in cats in this study is consistent with the previous studies on T. gondii isolates from Brazil and is noteworthy because most T. gondii isolates from the United States are type II. These findings support the view that Brazilian and North American T. gondii isolates are genetically distinct. This is the first report of genotyping of T. gondii isolates from the domestic cat.     

Tissue distribution and molecular characterization of chicken isolates of Toxoplasma gondii from Peru

The prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in free-ranging chickens is a good indicator of the prevalence of T. gondii oocysts in the soil because chickens feed from the ground. The prevalence of T. gondii antibodies in sera of 50 free-range chickens (Gallus domesticus) from Peru was 26% on the basis of the modified agglutination test (MAT). Hearts, pectoral muscles, and brains of seropositive (MAT > or =1:5) chickens were bioassayed individually in mice. Tissues from the remaining 37 seronegative chickens were pooled and fed to 2 T. gondii-free cats. Feces of cats were examined for oocysts; they did not shed oocysts. Toxoplasma gondii was isolated from the hearts of 10 seropositive chickens but not from their brains and pectoral muscles. Genotyping of these isolates using the SAG2 locus indicated that 7 isolates were type I and 3 were type III. Six of the 7 type-I isolates were avirulent for mice, which was unusual because type-I isolates are considered virulent for mice. The T. gondii isolates were from chickens from different properties that were at least 200 m apart. Thus, each isolate is likely to be different. This is the first report of isolation of T. gondii from chickens from Peru.     

Low virulence of oocysts of Czech Toxoplasma gondii isolates on the basis of biological and genetic characteristics

The virulence of the oocysts of 7 Czech Toxoplasma gondii isolates was tested. The oocysts were obtained by experimental infection of cats with the tissue cysts of T. gondii isolates from dogs, cats, and rabbits. The cats shed the oocysts in feces, with prepatent periods of 3-5 days postinfection (PI); the patent period was 7-18 days. The number of oocysts shed varied between 0.94 million and 47 million, with 0.66 million-39 million oocysts found in the daily samples of excrement. The cats ceased oocyst production at 11-22 days PI. Sporulated oocysts were used to prepare infective doses of 1 to 10(5) oocysts for oral infection of 10 mice. Deoxyribonucleic acid isolated from 4 T. gondii isolates was used in polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) for amplification of the ROP1 gene and restriction of the product of amplification by restriction endonuclease DdeI. On the basis of their biological characteristics, all 7 isolates belonged to the group of "avirulent" strains. In the PCR-RFLP tests, 2 isolates, K9 and K19, showed an "avirulent" strain pattern.     

Isolation of Toxoplasma gondii from bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)

Toxoplasma gondii infection in marine mammals is intriguing and indicative of contamination of the ocean environment and coastal waters with oocysts. In previous serological surveys, >90% of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the coasts of Florida, South Carolina, and California had antibodies to T. gondii by the modified agglutination test (MAT). In the present study, attempts were made to isolate T. gondii from dead T. truncatus. During 2005, 2006, and 2007, serum or blood clot, and tissues (brain, heart, skeletal muscle) of 52 T. truncatus stranded on the coasts of South Carolina were tested for T. gondii. Antibodies to T. gondii (MAT 1:25 or higher) were found in 26 (53%) of 49 dolphins; serum was not available from 3 animals. Tissues (heart, muscle, and sometimes brain) of 32 dolphins (26 seropositive, 3 seronegative, and 3 without accompanying sera) were bioassayed for T. gondii in mice, or cats, or both. Tissues of the recipient mice were examined for T. gondii stages. Feces of recipient cats were examined for shedding of T. gondii oocysts, but none excreted oocysts. Toxoplasma gondii was isolated from hearts of the 3 dolphins (2 with MAT titers of 1:200, and 1 without accompanied serum) by bioassay in mice. Genotyping of these 3 T. gondii isolates (designated TgDoUs1-3) with the use of 10 PCR-RFLP markers (SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1, and Apico) revealed 2 genotypes. Two of the 3 isolates have Type II alleles at all loci and belong to the clonal Type II lineage. One isolate has a unique genotype. This is the first report of isolation of viable T. gondii from T. truncatus.     

Isolation of viable Toxoplasma gondii from feral guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) and domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) from Brazil

Toxoplasma gondii was isolated from a feral guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) and domestic rabbits (Oryctologus cuniculus) from Brazil for the first time. Serum and brains from 10 guinea fowl and 21 rabbits from Brazil were examined for T. gondii infection. Antibodies to T. gondii were found in 2 of 10 fowl and 2 of 21 rabbits by the modified agglutination test (titer 1∶25 or higher). Viable T. gondii (designated TgNmBr1) was isolated from 1 of the 2 seropositive fowl by bioassay in mice but not from the 8 seronegative fowl by bioassay in cat. Viable T. gondii was isolated from both seropositive rabbits (designated TgRabbitBr1, TgRabbitBr2) by bioassay in mice from 1 and by bioassay in cat from the other. The TgRabbitBr1 strain was highly virulent for out-bred mice; mice fed 1 infective oocyst died of acute toxoplasmosis. The remaining 2 isolates were relatively avirulent for mice; lethal dose for mice was 10,000 oocysts. All 3 isolates were grown in cell culture, and tachyzoite-derived DNA were genotyped using 10 PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism markers (SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1, and Apico). The TgNmBr1 was found to be clonal Type II, a rare finding in Brazil in any host. The rabbit isolates were atypical, similar to isolates from cats from Brazil (TgRabbitBr1 was identical to TgCatBr5, and TgRabbitBr2 was identical to TgCatBr1, a common genotype in Brazil denoted type BrII). This is the first genetic characterization of T. gondii isolates from the rabbits and guinea fowl in Brazil and the first host record for T. gondii in the guinea fowl.     

Prevalence of viable Toxoplasma gondii in beef, chicken, and pork from retail meat stores in the United States: risk assessment to consumers

The prevalence of viable Toxoplasma gondii was determined in 6,282 samples (2,094 each of beef, chicken, and pork) obtained from 698 retail meat stores from 28 major geographic areas of the United States. Each sample consisted of a minimum of 1 kg of meat purchased from the retail meat case. To detect viable T. gondii, meat samples were fed to T. gondii-free cats and feces of cats were examined for oocyst shedding. Initially, 100 g of meat from 6 individual samples of a given species were pooled (total, 600 g), fed to a cat over a period of 3 days, and feces were examined for oocysts for 14 days; the remaining meat samples were stored at 4 C for 14 days (until results of the initial cat fecal examination were known). When a cat fed pooled samples had shed oocysts, 6 individual meat samples from each pool were bioassayed for T. gondii in cats and mice. Toxoplasma gondii isolates were then genetically characterized using the SAG2 locus and 5 hypervariable microsatellite loci. In all, 7 cats fed pooled pork samples shed oocysts. Toxoplasma gondii oocysts were detected microscopically in the feces of 2 of the cats; 1 isolate was Type II and the second was Type III. Analyzed individually, T. gondii was detected by bioassay in 3 of the 12 associated samples with genetic data indicating T. gondii isolates present in 2. The remaining 5 pooled pork samples had so few oocysts that they were not initially detected by microscopic examination, but rather by mouse bioassay of cat feces. Two were Type I, 1 was Type II, and 2 were Type III. None of the cats fed chicken or beef samples shed oocysts. Overall, the prevalence of viable T. gondii in retail meat was very low. Nevertheless, consumers, especially pregnant women, should be aware that they can acquire T. gondii infection from ingestion of undercooked meat, and in particular, pork. Cooking meat to an internal temperature of 66 C kills T. gondii.     

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in domestic cats from Barcelona, Spain

Cats are important in the epidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii infection because they are the only hosts that can excrete the environmentally resistant oocysts. Antibodies to T. gondii were determined in serum samples from 220 domestic cats (Felis catus) from Barcelona, Spain, using the modified agglutination test (MAT). Antibodies to T. gondii were found in 99 (45%) of 220 cats, with MAT titers of 1:25 in 26, 1:50 in 57, and > or = 1:500 in 16 cats. Seropositivity (MAT 1:25 or more) was significantly higher in adult (> or = 1 yr old, 49.7% of 153) than in juvenile (< 1 yr old, 34.3% of 67) cats, in feral (51.9% of 131) than in domiciled (34.8% of 89) cats, and in cats living in a group (community) of more than 5 cats (50.7% of 142) than in cats living alone (28.0% of 50). These seropositive cats are likely to have already shed T. gondii oocysts in the environment around Barcelona.     

Isolation of Toxoplasma gondii from animals in Durango, Mexico

Little is known concerning the epidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii infection in people and animals in rural Mexico. Serum samples and tissues from 150 dogs (Canis familaris), 150 cats (Felis catus), 65 opossums (Didelphis virginianus), 249 rats (Rattus spp.), 127 mice (Mus musculus), and 69 squirrels (Spermophilus variegatus) from the Durango area were evaluated for T. gondii infection. Using a modified agglutination test and a serum dilution of 1:25, antibodies to this parasite were found in 68 (45.3%) of 150 dogs, 14 (9.3%) of 150 cats, 11 (16.6%) of 66 opossums, 2 (0.8%) of 249 rats, 4 (3.1%) of 127 mice, and 0 of 69 squirrels. Tissues (brain and heart) of dogs, cats, opossums, rats, mice, and squirrels were bioassayed in mice for the presence of T. gondii. Viable T. gondii was isolated in tissues from 3 of 28 seropositive dogs and 5 of 8 seropositive cats, but not from the other animals. The DNA obtained from the 3 T. gondii isolates from dogs, 6 isolates from 5 cats, and 4 isolates from free-range chickens from Mexico, previously isolated, were genotyped. The PCR-RFLP typing, which used 11 markers (B 1, SAGI, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1, and Apico), identified 5 genotypes. One genotype (the 4 chicken isolates) belongs to the clonal Type III lineage, three genotypes were reported in previous reports, and 1 genotype is unique.     

Toxoplasma gondii infections in chickens from Venezuela: isolation, tissue distribution, and molecular characterization

The prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii, in free-ranging chickens is a good indicator of the prevalence of T. gondii oocysts in the soil because chickens feed from the ground. The prevalence of T. gondii in 46 free-range chickens (Gallus domesticus) from Venezuela was determined. Antibodies to T. gondii were assayed by the modified agglutination test (MAT). Antibodies were found in 16 (32%) chickens with titers of 1:5 in 1, 1:10 in 2, 1:40 in 2, 1:80 in 2, 1:160 in 2, 1:320 in 3, 1: 640 in 2, and 1:1,280 or higher in 2. Hearts, pectoral muscles, and brains of 13 chickens with MAT titers of 1:40 or more were bioassayed individually in mice. Tissues of each of 3 chickens with titers of 1:5 or 1:10 were pooled and bioassayed in mice. Tissues from the remaining 30 seronegative chickens were pooled and fed to 1 T. gondii-free cat. Feces of the cat were examined for oocysts; it did not shed oocysts. Toxoplasma gondii was isolated from 12 of 13 chickens with MAT titers of 1:40 or more. Toxoplasma gondii was isolated from pooled tissues of 1 of 2 chickens with titers of 1:10. Eight of these 13 isolates were virulent for mice. Genotyping of 13 of these isolates using the SAG2 locus indicated that 10 were type III, and 3 were type II. Phenotypically and genetically these isolates were different from T. gondii isolates from North America and Brazil. This is the first report of isolation of T. gondii from chickens from Venezuela.     

Molecular characterization of Toxoplasma gondii isolates from cats in Spain

Cats are important in the epidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii because felids are the only definitive hosts that can excrete environmentally resistant oocysts. Fresh samples of brain from 103 Spanish cats with antibodies to T. gondii were analyzed for T. gondii DNA using nested-PCR; 47 (45.5%) were found to be positive. Further characterization of DNA from 46 cats using RFLP-PCR at the 3' and 5' ends of the SAG2 locus revealed that 12 (26%) isolates were Type I and 34 (74%) were Type II; no Type III were found, and the 47th sample could not be classified to its genetic type. In addition, T. gondii was also isolated by bioassay in mice from 42 of 103 seropositive cats. This is the first report of T. gondii characterization from cats in Spain.     

Isolation and molecular characterization of Toxoplasma gondii from chickens from Sri Lanka

The prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in free-ranging chickens is a good indicator of the prevalence of T. gondii oocysts in the soil because chickens feed from the ground. The prevalence of T. gondii in 100 free-range chickens (Gallus domesticus) from Sri Lanka was determined. Antibodies to T. gondii were assayed by the modified agglutination test (MAT). Antibodies were found in 39 chickens with titers of 1:5 in 8, 1:10 in 8, 1:20 in 4, 1:40 in 5, 1:80 in 5, 1:160 in 5, 1:320 in 2, 1:640 or more in 2. Hearts and brains of 36 chickens with MAT titers of 1:5 or more were bioassayed in mice. Tissues of 3 chickens with doubtful titers of 1:5 were pooled and fed to a cat; the cat shed T. gondii oocysts in its feces. Tissues from 61 chickens with titers of less than 1:5 were pooled and fed to 2 T. gondii-free cats; the cats did not shed oocysts. Toxoplasma gondii was isolated from 11 of 36 seropositive chickens by bioassay in mice. All 12 T. gondii isolates were avirulent for mice. Genotyping of 12 isolates using the SAG2 locus indicated that 6 were type III, and 6 were type II. This is the first report of genetic characterization of T. gondii from any host in Sri Lanka.     

Characterization of Toxoplasma gondii isolates in free-range chickens from Amazon, Brazil

The prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in free-ranging chickens is a good indicator of the prevalence of T. gondii oocysts in the soil because chickens feed from the ground. The prevalence of T. gondii in 50 free-range chickens (Gallus domesticus) from Amazon, Brazil, was determined. Antibodies to T. gondii were assayed by the modified agglutination test (MAT) and found in 33 (66%) chickens with titers of 1:5 in 3, 1:10 in 2, 1:20 in 1, 1:40 in 1, 1:80 in 2, 1:160 in 5, 1:200 in 9, 1:400 in 5, 1:800 in 2, 1:1,600 in 2, and 1:3,200 or higher in 1. Hearts and brains of 33 seropositive chickens were bioassayed individually in mice. Tissues from 17 seronegative chickens were pooled and fed to 2 T. gondii-free cats. Feces of cats were examined for oocysts, but none was found. Toxoplasma gondii was isolated from 24 chickens with MAT titers of 1:5 or higher. Genotyping of these 24 T. gondii isolates by polymorphisms at the SAG2 locus indicated that 14 were type I, and 10 were type III; the absence of type II strains from Brazil was confirmed. Fifty percent of the infected mice died of toxoplasmosis, irrespective of the genotype.     

High prevalence of viable Toxoplasma gondii infection in market weight pigs from a farm in Massachusetts

The ingestion of uncooked infected meat is considered important in the epidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii infection in humans and little is known of the prevalence of viable T. gondii in meat used for human consumption in the United States. In the present study, viable T. gondii was isolated from 51 out of 55 pigs destined for human consumption. Hearts and tongues (500 g) from fifty-five 6-mo-old pigs from a farm in Massachusetts were bioassayed for T. gondii by feeding them to T. gondii-free cats. Feces of these cats were examined for shedding of T. gondii oocysts. Fifty-one of 55 cats fed pig tissues each shed 25-810 million T. gondii oocysts in their feces. Two of these cats consumed tissues of pigs that were shown to be seronegative with the Sabin-Feldman dye test, the modified agglutination test, and the Western blot. Results indicate that until examination of meat for T. gondii infection is implemented in slaughterhouses, all meat should be cooked according to industry guidelines before human consumption.     

Isolation, tissue distribution, and molecular characterization of Toxoplasma gondii from chickens in Grenada, West Indies

The prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in free-range chickens is a good indicator of the prevalence of T. gondii oocysts in the soil because chickens feed from the ground. The prevalence of T. gondii in 102 free-range chickens (Gallus domesticus) from Grenada was determined. Antibodies to T. gondii were assayed by the modified agglutination test (MAT). Antibodies were found in 53 (52%) chickens with titers of 1:5 in 6, 1:10 in 4, 1:20 in 4, 1:40 in 4, 1:80 in 15, 1:160 in 9, 1: 320 in 5, 1:640 in 4, and 1:1,280 or greater in 2. Hearts, pectoral muscles, and brains of 43 seropositive chickens with MAT titers of 1:20 or greater were bioassayed individually in mice. Tissues of each of 10 chickens with titers of 1:5 and 1:10 were pooled and bioassayed in mice. Tissues from the remaining 49 seronegative chickens were pooled and fed to 4 T. gondii-free cats. Feces of cats were examined for oocysts; they did not shed oocysts. T. gondii was isolated from 35 of 43 chickens with MAT titers of 1:20 or greater; from the hearts, brains, and pectoral muscles of 2, hearts and brains of 20, from the hearts alone of 11, and brains alone of 2. T. gondii was isolated from 1 of 10 chickens with titers of 1:5 or 1:10. All 36 T. gondii isolates were avirulent for mice. Genotyping of these 36 isolates using polymorphisms at the SAG2 locus indicated that 29 were Type III, 5 were Type I, 1 was Type II, and 1 had both Type I and Type III. Genetically, the isolates from Grenada were different from those from the United States; Type II was the predominant type from the United States. Phenotypically, all isolates from Grenada were avirulent for mice, whereas those from Brazil were mouse-virulent. This is the first report of isolation of T. gondii from chickens from Grenada, West Indies.     

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and concurrent Bartonella spp., feline immunodeficiency virus, feline leukemia virus, and Dirofilaria immitis infections in Egyptian cats

Toxoplasma gondii and Bartonella spp. are zoonotic pathogens of cats. Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLv) are related to human immunodeficiency virus and human leukemia virus, respectively, and these viruses are immunosuppressive. In the present study, the prevalence of antibodies to T. gondii , Bartonella spp., FIV, as well as FeLv and Dirofilaria immitis antigens was determined in sera from feral cats (Felis catus) from Cairo, Egypt. Using a modified agglutination test, antibodies to T. gondii were found in 172 (95.5%) of the 180 cats with titers of 1∶5 in 9, 1∶10 in 9, 1∶20 in 3, 1∶40 in 5, 1∶80 in 5, 1∶160 in 15, 1∶320 in 22, and 1∶640 or higher in 104. Thus, 57.4% had high T. gondii titers. Antibodies to Bartonella spp. were found in 105 (59.6%) of 178, with titers of 1∶64 in 45, 1∶128 in 39, 1∶256 in 13, 1∶512 in 3, 1∶1,024 in 4, and 1∶2,048 in 1 cat. Antibodies to FIV were detected in 59 (33.9%) of 174 cats. Of 174 cats tested, antigens to FeLv, and D. immitis were detected in 8 (4.6%) and 6 (3.4%) cats, respectively. The results indicate a high prevalence of T. gondii, Bartonella spp., and FIV infections in cats from Cairo, Egypt. This is the first report of Bartonella spp., and D. immitis infection in cats in Egypt.     

First biologic and genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii isolates from chickens from Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Kenya)

The prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in free-ranging chickens (Gallus domesticus) is a good indicator of the prevalence of T. gondii oocysts in the soil because chickens feed from the ground. In the present study, prevalence of T. gondii in chickens from Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Kenya is reported. The prevalence of T. gondii antibodies in sera of 50 free-range chickens from Congo was 50% based on the modified agglutination test (MAT); antibody titers were 1:5 in 7, 1:10 in 7, 1:20 in 6, 1:40 in 1, and 1:160 or more in 4 chickens. Hearts, pectoral muscles, and brains of 11 chickens with titers of 1:20 or more were bioassayed individually in mice; T. gondii was isolated from 9, from the hearts of 9, brains of 3, and muscles of 3 chickens. Tissues of each of the 14 chickens with titers of 1:5 or 1:10 were pooled and bioassayed in mice; T. gondii was isolated from 1 chicken with a titer of 1:10. Tissues from the remaining 25 seronegative chickens were pooled and fed to 1 T. gondii-free cat. Feces of the cat were examined for oocysts, but none was seen. The results indicate that T. gondii localizes in the hearts more often than in other tissues of naturally infected chickens. Genotyping of these 10 isolates using the SAG2 locus indicated that 8 were isolates were type III, 1 was type II, and 1 was type I. Two isolates (1 type I and 1 type III) were virulent for mice. Toxoplasma gondii was isolated by mouse bioassay from a pool of brains and hearts of 5 of 48 chickens from Mali and 1 of 40 chickens from Burkina Faso; all 6 isolates were avirulent for mice. Genetically, 4 isolates were type III and 2 were type II. Sera were not available from chickens from Mali and Burkina Faso. Toxoplasma gondii antibodies (MAT 100 or more) were found in 4 of 30 chickens from Kenya, and T. gondii was isolated from the brain of 1 of 4 seropositive chickens; this strain was avirulent for mice and was type II. This is the first report on isolation and genotyping of T. gondii from any source from these 4 countries in Africa.