Diversity of Toxoplasma gondii strains shaped by commensal communities of small mammals

Galal, Lokman; Schares, Gereon; Stragier, Claire; Vignoles, Philippe; Brouat, Carine; Cuny, Thomas; Dubois, Camille; Rohart, Thao; Glodas, Clément; Dardé, Marie‐Laure; Kané, Mamadou; Niang, Youssoupha; Diallo, Mamoudou; Sow, Ahmadou Bamba; Aubert, Dominique; Hamidović, Azra; Ajzenberg, Daniel; Mercier, Aurélien

doi:10.1016/j.ijpara.2018.11.004

Cited by 36 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…Cross-reactions to other related parasites, as for example cross-reactions between Hammondia hammondi and T. gondii cannot be excluded and molecular studies are necessary to confirm the presence and to estimate the prevalence of H. hammondi in African wildlife. A recent study in African rodents did not find indications for the presence of H. hammondi [53].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 78%

“…Thus, in the Mediterranean region sympatric domestic ungulates may serve as reservoir hosts for T. gondii [52]. It is currently unknown whether the three main clonal lineages (type I, II or III) occurring in North Africa and Europe also predominate in Namibian wildlife [59,60] or whether other T. gondii genotypes such as African 1, 2, 3 or other socalled atypical genotypes prevail in southern African wildlife [53,61]. Further molecular work is needed to understand the sylvatic cycle and the clear role of wildlife in the epidemiology of T. gondii in southern Africa.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Species-specific differences in Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum and Besnoitia besnoiti seroprevalence in Namibian wildlife

et al. 2020

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Background: Knowledge about parasitic infections is crucial information for animal health, particularly of free-ranging species that might come into contact with livestock and humans. Methods:We investigated the seroprevalence of three tissue-cyst-forming apicomplexan parasites (Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum and Besnoitia besnoiti) in 506 individuals of 12 wildlife species in Namibia using in-house enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (indirect ELISAs applying purified antigens) for screening and immunoblots as confirmatory tests. We included six species of the suborder Feliformia, four species of the suborder Caniformia and two species of the suborder Ruminantia. For the two species for which we had most samples and life-history information, i.e. cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus, n = 250) and leopards (Panthera pardus, n = 58), we investigated T. gondii seroprevalence in relation to age class, sex, sociality (solitary, mother-offspring group, independent sibling group, coalition group) and site (natural habitat vs farmland).Results: All but one carnivore species (bat-eared fox Otocyon megalotis, n = 4) were seropositive to T. gondii, with a seroprevalence ranging from 52.4% (131/250) in cheetahs to 93.2% (55/59) in African lions (Panthera leo). We also detected antibodies to T. gondii in 10.0% (2/20) of blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus). Adult cheetahs and leopards were more likely to be seropositive to T. gondii than subadult conspecifics, whereas seroprevalence did not vary with sex, sociality and site. Furthermore, we measured antibodies to N. caninum in 15.4% (2/13) of brown hyenas (Hyaena brunnea) and 2.6% (1/39) of black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas). Antibodies to B. besnoiti were detected in 3.4% (2/59) of African lions and 20.0% (4/20) of blue wildebeest. Conclusions:Our results demonstrate that Namibian wildlife species were exposed to apicomplexan parasites at different prevalences, depending on parasite and host species. In addition to serological work, molecular work is also needed to better understand the sylvatic cycle and the clear role of wildlife in the epidemiology of these parasites in southern Africa.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 78%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Species-specific differences in Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum and Besnoitia besnoiti seroprevalence in Namibian wildlife

et al. 2020

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“…Pennsylvania black bears (Ursus americanus) did not (Dubey et al 2016), while prevalence of T. gondii exhibited very strong spatial patterns in otters (Lutra lutra) across the United Kingdom (Smallbone et al 2017), and in house mice (Mus musculus) within the Senegalese city of Dakar (Galal et al 2019). However, larger study extents unsurprisingly exhibited more long-range spatial autocorrelation effects.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fine-scale spatial patterns of wildlife disease are common and understudied

Albery

Sweeny

Becker

et al. 2020

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All pathogens are heterogeneous in space, yet little is known about the prevalence and scale of this spatial variation, particularly in wild animal systems. To address this question, we conducted a broad literature search to identify datasets involving diseases of wild mammals in spatially distributed contexts. Across 31 such final datasets featuring 89 replicates and 71 host-parasite combinations, only 51% had previously been used to test spatial hypotheses. We analysed these datasets for spatial dependence within a standardised modelling framework using Bayesian linear models. We detected spatial autocorrelation in 44/89 model replicates (54%) across 21/31 datasets (68%), spread across parasites of all groups and transmission modes. Surprisingly, although larger sampling areas more easily detected spatial patterns, even some very small study areas (under 0.01km2) exhibited substantial spatial heterogeneity. Parasites of all transmission modes had easily detectable spatial patterns, implying that structured contact networks and susceptibility effects are likely as important in spatially structuring disease as are environmental drivers of transmission efficiency. Our findings imply that fine-scale spatial patterns of infection often manifest in wild animal systems, whether or not the aim of the study is to examine environmentally varying processes. Given the widespread nature of these findings, studies should more frequently record and analyse spatial data, facilitating development and testing of spatial hypotheses in disease ecology.

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“…Extracted DNA was resuspended in 50 lL of nuclease-free water and stored at À20°C. The Toxoplasma AF487550.1 gene (529-bp repetitive element), occurring up to 200-300 times in the Toxoplasma genome, was detected using HO1f 50-AGA GAC ACC GGA ATG CGA TCT-30 and HO2r 50-CCC TCT TCT CCA CTC TTC AAT TCT-30 primers with a Taqman probe (10 pmol/lL; 6FAM-ACG CTT TCC TCG TGG TGA TGG CG-TAMRA) [9,22,29]. Amplification was performed on a Roche LightCycler Ò 96 System (F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence and genotype identification of Toxoplasma gondii in suburban rodents collected at waste disposal sites

2019

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To assess the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in native and commensal rodents as indicators of environmental pollution, we analyzed brain tissue from small mammals collected on legal and illegal waste sites in the Slovenian and Croatian parts of Istria. A total of 136 animals and five species of the family Muridae were analyzed: black rat (Rattus rattus), domestic mouse (Mus musculus), wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus), striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius), and yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis). Using quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR), T. gondii DNA was detected in four homogenized brain tissue samples (2.94%), from all of the analyzed species, except black rat. Out of these, two samples, domestic mouse (Mus musculus) and wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) had sufficient DNA for genotyping of T. gondii isolates in which we demonstrated the presence of clonal type II using RFLP PCR with four markers (SAG1, SAG2, GRA6 and GRA7). Three of four infected animals (75%) were collected on dumpsites.

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Diversity of Toxoplasma gondii strains shaped by commensal communities of small mammals

Cited by 36 publications

References 68 publications

Species-specific differences in Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum and Besnoitia besnoiti seroprevalence in Namibian wildlife

Species-specific differences in Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum and Besnoitia besnoiti seroprevalence in Namibian wildlife

Fine-scale spatial patterns of wildlife disease are common and understudied

Prevalence and genotype identification of Toxoplasma gondii in suburban rodents collected at waste disposal sites

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