First isolation and genotyping of Toxoplasma gondii in a free-living giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) revealed a unique non-archetypal genotype

• Published in: Acta tropica 2020-04, Vol.204, p.105335-105335, Article 105335
• Main Authors: Pena, Hilda Fátima Jesus, Ferrari, Vinícius Matheus, Aires, Luiz Paulo Nogueira, Soares, Herbert Sousa, Oliveira, Solange, Alves, Bruna Farias, Gennari, Solange Maria, Dubey, Jitender P., de Mattos, Luiz Carlos, de Mattos, Cinara Cássia Brandão, Castiglioni, Lilian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Genotyping; Giant anteater; Isolation; Microsatellites; PCR-RFLP; Toxoplasmosis
• ISSN: 0001-706X; 1873-6254
• DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105335

•Toxoplasma gondii can infect humans and domestic and wild mammals and birds.•Few epidemiological studies have examined toxoplasmosis in Myrmecophaga tridactyla.•Anti-T. gondii antibodies were found in 13/26 (52.6%) M. tridactyla from Brazil.•A non-virulent isolate (TgMytrBrSP1) was obtained by bioassay in mice.•RFLP revealed lineage Type BrIII, and microsatellite analysis, a unique strain. The protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii can infect virtually all warm-blooded animals worldwide but little is known of its infection in the endangered giant anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla). The present study found antibodies to T. gondii in 13 of 23 free-living M. tridactyla from the northwest region of São Paulo state, Brazil, by the Modified Agglutination Test (MAT, cut-off titer 1:25). Unfrozen tissues of seven M. tridactyla were bioassayed in mice and viable T. gondii (strain designated TgMytrBrSP1) isolated from one seropositive giant anteater. To our knowledge, this is a new host record for T. gondii. Genotyping using PCR-RFLP revealed the Brazilian clonal Type BrIII genotype, and a unique non-archetypal genotype was revealed by microsatellite analysis. [Display omitted]