Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies from wild canids from Brazil

• Published in: Veterinary parasitology 2004-05, Vol.121 (3), p.337-340
• Main Authors: Gennari, Solange M, Caňón-Franco, William A, Yai, Lúcia E.O, de Souza, Silvio L.P, Santos, Leonilda C, Farias, Nara A.R, Ruas, Jerônimo, Rossi, Frances W, Gomes, Albério A.B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Animals, Wild - parasitology; Antibodies, Protozoan - blood; antibody detection; Brazil; Brazil - epidemiology; Canidae; Carnivora - parasitology; carnivores; Cerdocyon thous; disease prevalence; Dusicyon vetulus; epidemiological studies; fluorescent antibody technique; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect - veterinary; Lycalopex gymnocercus; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Serological survey; seroprevalence; Toxoplasma - growth & development; Toxoplasma gondii; toxoplasmosis; Toxoplasmosis, Animal - epidemiology; Toxoplasmosis, Animal - parasitology; wild animals; Wild canids
• ISSN: 0304-4017; 1873-2550
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2004.02.023

The prevalence of anti- Toxoplasma gondii antibodies was evaluated by the indirect immunofluorescent-antibody test in serum of 57 wild canids from three different species: Lycalopex gymnocercus, Cerdocyon thous and Dusicyon vetulus from the northeast, southeast and southern regions of Brazil. The prevalence was 35.1%, with 20 of the 57 canids demonstrating antibodies anti- T. gondii at dilutions of 1:16 in 2, 1:32 in 4, 1:64 in 2, 1:128 in 2, 1:256 in 6, 1:512 in 2 and 1:2048 in 2 animals. None of the D. vetulus were positive. Among the L. gymnocercus 11 (91.7%) of the 12 samples were positive and among C. thous 9 (60%) of the 15 had antibodies anti- T. gondii.