Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in wild rodents and marsupials from the Atlantic Forest, state of São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that infects a large spectrum of warm-blooded animals, including humans. Small rodents and marsupials play an important role in the epidemiology of T. gondii because they are sources of infection for domestic and feral cats. Serum samples from 151 rodents and 48 marsupials, captured in the Atlantic Forest, São Paulo State, southeastern Brazil, were analyzed for the presence of T. gondii antibodies. Antibodies detected by the modified agglutination test (MAT ≥ 25) were found in 8.6% (13/151) of the rodents and 10.4% (5/48) of the marsupials, with titers ranging from 25 to 6400 and from 25 to 3200, respectively for the rodents and marsupials. Three of the eight species of rodents (Akodon spp., Oligoryzomys nigripes and Rattus norvegicus), and one from the four marsupial species (Didelphis aurita) presented positive animals. T. gondii was described for the first time in the rodent Oligoryzomys nigripes.Keywords: Atlantic Forest, Brazil, marsupials, rodents, Toxoplasma gondii. ResumoToxoplasma gondii é um protozoário parasita que infecta animais de sangue quente, incluindo seres humanos. Pequenos roedores e marsupiais têm papel importante na epidemiologia do T. gondii, pois são fontes de infecção para os felídeos domésticos e selvagens. Amostras de soro de 151 roedores e 48 marsupiais, capturados na Mata Atlântica, Estado de São Paulo, Sudeste do Brasil, foram analisadas para a pesquisa de anticorpos anti-T. gondii. Os anticorpos foram detectados pelo Teste de Aglutinação Modificada (MAT ≥ 25), com 8,6% (13/151) dos roedores e 10,4% (5/48) dos marsupiais soropositivos, com títulos variando de 25 a 6.400 e de 25 a 3.200, respectivamente, para os roedores e os marsupiais. Três das oito espécies de roedores (Akodon spp., Oligoryzomys nigripes e Rattus norvegicus) e uma das quatro espécies de marsupiais (Didelphis aurita) apresentaram animais positivos. A presença de anticorpos anti-T. gondii foi descrita pela primeira vez no roedor Oligoryzomys nigripes.

Risk factors and anti-Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum antibody occurrence in dogs in João Pessoa, Paraíba state, Northeastern Brazil

“…Access to the streets provides greater possibilities for dogs to eat intermediate hosts such as birds and rodents, which are common sources of T. gondii infection (SVOBODA & SVOBODOVÁ, 1987), and for them to consume sporulated oocysts that are present in water and in the environment. Gennari et al (2015) evaluated wild rodents and marsupials of the Atlantic Forest in the state of São Paulo and found that some individuals were seropositive for T. gondii. This suggested that these animals might be sources of infection for the fauna of the region and for domestic animals.…”

Serosurvey and molecular detection of the main zoonotic parasites carried by commensal Rattus norvegicus populations in Tehran, Iran

“…They revealed that the frequency of Toxoplasma gondii in the Rattus norvegicus population in Argentina and China was 32.8% and 23.9%, respectively [24,25]. However, Pellizzaro et al in Brazil [8], Saki et al from Ahvaz province of Iran [10], Gennari from Brazil [9], and Cheng Yin from China [26] showed that the frequency of Toxoplasma gondii in Rattus population was 4.6%, 6%, 8.6%, and 3.2%, respectively. Generally, the high frequency of Giardia spp and Toxoplasma gondii in the Rattus population in Tehran is an important concern.…”

“…In urban areas, Rattus norvegicus act as a reservoir of zoonotic pathogens, especially zoonotic parasites, and hold a connection to various important hygienic problems; they are also responsible for human morbidity and mortality, worldwide [7]. Many of these zoonotic parasites including Leishmania spp, Giardia spp, Toxoplasma gondii, Trichomonas vaginalis, and Cryptosporidium spp are assumed to be endemic in Rattus norvegicus populations around the world [8,9,10,11]. Currently, approximately seventy-nine species of rodents have been recognized in Iran; among these previously identified rodents, Rattus norvegicus have shown greater frequency in the urban area and occupied widespread habitats in cities [12].…”

PathogenicLeptospiraspecies are widely disseminated among small mammals in Atlantic Forest biome

“…in Didelphis aurita (Lopes, Menna-Barreto, Pavan, Pereira, & Roque, 2018) and in Trinomys sp. (Trüeb et al, 2018); Hantavirus (Juquitiba viral genotype) in Akodon cursor and Oligoryzomys nigripes (De Oliveira et al, 2017); and Toxoplasma gondii in Akodon spp., O. nigripes and D. aurita (Gennari et al, 2015), their role in the maintenance and shedding of leptospires remains to be elucidated. Some serosurveys for detecting Leptospira spp.…”