Molecular evaluation of Toxoplasma gondii in soil of animal enclosures located at the zoo of Bauru - SP

• Grant number: 18/21617-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2019
• End date: December 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Simone Baldini Lucheis
• Grantee: Emilly Ribeiro
• Host Institution: APTA Regional. Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios (APTA). Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento (São Paulo - Estado). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis is one of the most prevalent parasitic infections in animals and humans worldwide. This zoonosis is caused by Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), an obligate intracellular protozoan. The sexual stage of this parasite occurs in felines, the only known definitive hosts of T. gondii. In recent decades, a large number of studies have attempted to identify the source of infections caused by T. gondii in humans and their respective roles, to facilitate the creation of new preventive measures. Previously, case-control studies estimate that humans are infected primarily by eating raw or undercooked meat or by eating fruits, vegetables, soil, seafood or water contaminated with oocysts. Soil contaminated with T. gondii oocysts is a major source of infection for animals and humans, but has rarely been directly measured due to the lack of appropriate detection methods. In this study, we propose the collection of soil samples from four (04) different points of each of the 31 enclosures of different species of wild animals and in two points of the Zoo of Bauru-SP (quarantine area and food square) also removing samples of four (04) random points from each of these areas, thus totaling 132 soil samples to be analyzed. DNA extraction will be performed from the soil samples using a commercial kit and the PCR reaction for T. gondii will be performed from the TOX4 and TOX5 primers, which amplify 529bp according to Homan et al. (2000). The soil of the animal enclosures, as well as the quarantine area and food court area are likely to be contaminated with T. gondii oocysts and, if these enclosures are contaminated, there may be exposure to infection of the animals as well as their caretakers and visitors; however, the molecular research of T. gondii in soil from different areas was never performed in this Zoo. Because toxoplasmosis is a widely disseminated zoonosis and of great importance in public health, we proposed to carry out this study.