SEROPREVALENCE OF TOXOPLASMA GONDII IN CAPTIVE ANTILLEAN MANATEE ( TRICHECHUS MANATUS MANATUS ) IN BRAZIL

Recent epidemiologic and clinical importance of Toxoplasma gondii infections in marine mammals: 2009-2020

Toxoplasma gondii infections are common in humans and animals worldwide. T. gondii causes mortality in several species of marine mammals, including threatened Southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris) and endangered Hawaiian monk seals (Monachus schauinslandi). Marine mammals are now considered sentinels for environmental exposure to protozoan agents contaminating marine waters, including T. gondii oocysts. Marine mammals also serve as food for humans and can result in foodborne T. gondii infections in humans. The present review summarizes worldwide information on the prevalence of clinical and subclinical infections, epidemiology, and genetic diversity of T. gondii infecting marine mammals in the past decade. The role of genetic types of T. gondii and clinical disease is discussed.

Affinity of Staphylococcal a and Streptococcal G Proteins to West Indian Manatee ( Trichechus manatus manatus) Immunoglobulins

The West Indian manatee ( Trichechus manatus manatus), a subspecies that inhabits coastal areas of Central and South America, has been listed as a vulnerable species because of the rapid decline in its population. Commercially available immunologic reagents specific for sirenians are lacking, limiting the development of sensitive immunodiagnostic assays. We observed the affinity of the microbial proteins A and G to T. m. manatus immunoglobulins. Manatee serum pools were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine the affinity intensity followed by western blotting to confirm the specific binding of proteins A and G to immunoglobulins. The ELISA demonstrated maximum affinity of both proteins until the serum dilution of 1:12,800, with a similar affinity for both proteins. Because both A and G proteins exhibited affinity to manatee immunoglobulins, they can be used to develop sensitive immunodiagnostic assays for this species, contributing to manatee conversation procedures.

Isolation and genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii from free-ranging and captive birds and mammals in Pernambuco state, Brazil

Recent genetic population studies on Toxoplasma gondii in Brazil have shown large genetic variability. The objective of the present study was to isolate and genotypically characterize T. gondii from free-ranging and captive wild mammals and birds in Pernambuco state, Brazil. Fragments of heart, brain, skeletal muscle and diaphragm tissue from 71 birds and 34 mammals, which were either free-ranging or captive, were collected. Samples from 32 of these animals were subjected to bioassays in mice. Samples from the remaining 73 animals underwent biomolecular diagnosis, using PCR technique, targeting a repetitive DNA fragment of 529 bp in T. gondii. A non-virulent isolate (TgButstBrPE1) was obtained from a free-ranging striated heron (Butorides striata) and, based on primary samples, seven animals were found to be positive. The primary samples and the isolate obtained were subjected to PCR-RFLP using the markers SAG1, 5'3'SAG2, alt.SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1, Apico and CS3. ToxoDB-RFLP genotype #13 from the striated heron isolate and Type BrIII genotype from a captive otter ( Lontra longicaudis) (PS-TgLonloBrPE1) were obtained. The present study describes the first isolation and genotypic characterization of T. gondii in free-ranging striated heron, and the first genotypic characterization of T. gondii in a captive otter.