Isolation and biological and genotypic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii from wild animals from Brazil

• Grant number: 09/00175-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): May 01, 2009
• Effective date (End): April 30, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Solange Maria Gennari
• Grantee: Sérgio Netto Vitaliano
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan parasite which is capable to infect almost all warm-blooded animals, including humans. Although research indicates that wild animals are frequently positives for T. gondii, the role of wild life in this parasite epidemiology is not well understood, neither which genotypic profile is predominant in infected wild animals. Genotypic characterization, based on PCR-RFLP markers, of different isolates has been realized mostly with samples from humans, sheep, goats, dogs, cats, and birds, and less frequently with wild animals. Experimental data, mainly from the analysis of the locus SAG2, obtained from humans and domestic animals from Europe and North America indicates that T. gondii has a clonal population structure with three distinct genetic lineages (Types I, II, III). However, this affirmative is not valid in South America and with wild animals. Recent studies revealed higher genetic diversity in South America and with wild animals in general, including the discovery of new genotypes. The aim of this study is to isolate and characterize genetically T. gondii obtained from free ranging and captive wild birds and mammals from different localizations from Brazil.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

PENA, H. F. J.; MARVULO, M. F. V.; HORTA, M. C.; SILVA, M. A.; SILVA, J. C. R.; SIQUEIRA, D. B.; LIMA, P. -A. C. P.; VITALIANO, S. N.; GENNARI, S. M.. Isolation and genetic characterisation of Toxoplasma gondii from a red-handed howler monkey (Alouatta belzebul), a jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi), and a black-eared opossum (Didelphis aurita) from Brazil. Veterinary Parasitology, v. 175, n. 3-4, p. 377-381, FEB 10 2011. (09/00175-0)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

VITALIANO, Sérgio Netto. Isolation and biologic and genotypic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii from wild animals from Brazil. 2012. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ/SBD) São Paulo.