scholarly journals Comparison of Direct and Indirect Toxoplasma gondii Detection and Genotyping in Game: Relationship and Challenges

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 1663
Author(s):  
Kaya C. Stollberg ◽  
Gereon Schares ◽  
Anne Mayer-Scholl ◽  
Iryna Hrushetska ◽  
Susanne Diescher ◽  
...  

The importance of game as a source of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection in humans is largely unknown. New data on the presence of T. gondii in game hunted in the Federal State of Brandenburg, Germany, were obtained by direct and indirect detection (ELISA). DNA extracted either directly (5 g heart or foreleg muscle, DE) or after acid pepsin digestion (50 g heart, PD) or enriched by magnetic capture (50 g heart, MC) was examined by real-time PCR (qPCR). ELISA revealed seroprevalences of 20% in wild boar (Sus scrofa), 11% in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and 6% in red deer (Cervus elaphus). T. gondii DNA was detected by at least one direct detection method in 12% of wild boar, 6% of roe deer, 2% of fallow deer (Dama dama) and 2% of red deer. In both, positive wild boar and roe deer, T. gondii type II specific alleles were the most prevalent, as assessed by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The highest proportion of positive animals was detected by MC qPCR, followed by PD qPCR with a similar proportion of positive findings. Investigation of 50 g of heart muscle revealed a significantly higher proportion of positive qPCR results than analysis of 5 g (p = 0.048). An association between seropositivity and direct detection was evident in wild boar and roe deer (p < 0.001). Infectivity of T. gondii DNA–positive samples was confirmed by bioassay (4/4), providing evidence that game could represent a relevant source of viable T. gondii posing a risk for human infection.

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 2349
Author(s):  
Patricia Barroso ◽  
Ignacio García-Bocanegra ◽  
Pelayo Acevedo ◽  
Pablo Palencia ◽  
Francisco Carro ◽  
...  

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan which infects warm-blooded vertebrates, including humans, worldwide. In the present study, the epidemiology of T. gondii was studied in the wild ungulate host community (wild boar, red deer, and fallow deer) of Doñana National Park (DNP, south-western Spain) for 13 years (2005–2018). We assessed several variables which potentially operate in the medium and long-term (environmental features, population, and stochastic factors). Overall, the wild ungulate host community of DNP had high seroprevalence values of T. gondii (STG; % ± confidence interval (CI) 95%; wild boar (Sus scrofa) 39 ± 3.3, n = 698; red deer (Cervus elaphus) 30.7 ± 4.4, n = 423; fallow deer (Dama dama) 29.7 ± 4.2, n = 452). The complex interplay of hosts and ecological/epidemiological niches, together with the optimal climatic conditions for the survival of oocysts that converge in this area may favor the spread of the parasite in its host community. The temporal evolution of STG oscillated considerably, mostly in deer species. The relationships shown by statistical models indicated that several factors determined species patterns. Concomitance of effects among species, indicated that relevant drivers of risk operated at the community level. Our focus, addressing factors operating at broad temporal scale, allows showing their impacts on the epidemiology of T. gondii and its trends. This approach is key to understanding the epidemiology and ecology to T. gondii infection in wild host communities in a context where the decline in seroprevalence leads to loss of immunity in humans.


2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (14) ◽  
pp. 14373-14382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Bąkowska ◽  
Bogumiła Pilarczyk ◽  
Agnieszka Tomza-Marciniak ◽  
Jan Udała ◽  
Renata Pilarczyk

2018 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-124
Author(s):  
Robert W. Mysłajek ◽  
Sabina Nowak ◽  
Maciej Romański ◽  
Katarzyna Tołkacz

Abstract The diet of wolves Canis lupus L. was assessed in the Wigry National Park in North-Eastern Poland, which overlaps with the Natura 2000 site “Ostoja Wigierska”. The content of a total of 149 scat samples was collected in 2017 and analysed in order to determine dietary composition. Wolves primarily feed on wild ungulates, which make up 75.4% of food biomass. Despite the fact that wild boar Sus scrofa L. and red deer Cervus elaphus L. dominate in the ungulate community in the study area, the primary prey species was observed to be roe deer Capreolus capreolus L. with 39.6%, while red deer and wild boar only constituted 18.7% and 8.3% of the food biomass, respectively. Additionally, beaver Castor fiber L. was found to be an important prey (10.9%) as well and livestock accounted for 15.1% of all biomass consumed. The livestock eaten by wolves also included carcasses of domestic animals illegally disposed of in the forest. We therefore conclude that decisions on the management of the wolf’s food base within protected areas, such as national parks or Natura 2000 sites, should be preceded by intensive local studies.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 2108
Author(s):  
Anna Milczarek ◽  
Alina Janocha ◽  
Grażyna Niedziałek ◽  
Michalina Zowczak-Romanowicz ◽  
Elżbieta Horoszewicz ◽  
...  

The present studies aimed to analyse and assess the health-promoting properties of the musculus semimembranosus (MS) of roe and red deer harvested in the wild. The experimental materials comprising the carcasses of roe deer (15 does and 15 bucks) and red deer (15 hinds and 15 stags) were selected for analysis based on the following criteria: age of animals at harvest—3–4 years; time that passed from the harvest of animals to carcass cutting—48–54 h. After chilling the carcasses for 24 h at +2 °C, the haunches were cut from the carcasses and transported to the laboratory in isothermal ice-packed containers. Samples of the musculus semimembranosus were analysed to determine the chemical composition (proximate components, energy value, Fe, Pb, Cd, fatty acids). More (p ≤ 0.05) dry matter and total protein and less (p ≤ 0.05) crude fat was found in the musculus semimembranosus of roe deer in comparison to red deer. No significant influence of the animal’s sex was observed in the content of the evaluated nutrients, apart from crude fat content, which was increased in the haunch of females from both species. The energy content in the muscle of roe deer was 10% higher than the energy value of MS in red deer (p ≤ 0.05). The content of iron was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher (6.64 mg/kg) in the meat of red deer compared to the meat of roe deer (31.68 mg/kg). Roe deer haunch contained more lead but less cadmium than red deer haunch. Irrespective of sex, the lipid fraction of red deer muscle contained more saturated fatty acids (SFA). Intramuscular fat (IMF) in roe deer meat contained a higher percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The atherogenicity (AI) and thrombogenicity (TI) index values were significantly lower in roe deer haunch, and the hypocholesterolaemic-to-hypercholesterolaemic fatty acids ratio (HH) was lower (p ≤ 0.05) in red deer meat. To sum up, the evaluated roe deer and red deer haunch featured high dietary value as it contained a high protein and low fat content and had an advantageous fatty acids composition. As regards the content of cadmium and lead, roe deer and red deer haunch can be considered safe for consumers.


2014 ◽  
Vol 172 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 272-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena Rzewuska ◽  
Lucjan Witkowski ◽  
Agata A. Cisek ◽  
Ilona Stefańska ◽  
Dorota Chrobak ◽  
...  

2014 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 315-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Bancerz-Kisiel ◽  
A. Szczerba-Turek ◽  
A. Platt-Samoraj ◽  
P. Socha ◽  
W. Szweda

AbstractFree-living animals are an important environmental reservoir of pathogens dangerous for other animal species and humans. One of those is Yersinia (Y.) enterocolitica, the causative agent of yersiniosis - foodborne, enzootic disease, significant for public health. The purpose of the study was to identify bioserotypes and virulence markers of Y. enterocolitica strains isolated from roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) obtained during the 2010/2011 hunting season in north-eastern Poland. From among 48 rectal swabs obtained from 24 roe deer, two strains of Y. enterocolitica from one animal were isolated. Although both belonged to biotype 1A they were identified as different serotypes. The strain obtained from cold culture (PSB) belonged to serotype O:5, while the strain isolated from warm culture (ITC) was regarded as nonidentified (NI), what may suggest mixed infection in that animal. The presence of ystB gene, coding for YstB enterotoxin, directly related to Y. enterocolitica pathogenicity was detected in both strains using triplex PCR. The effect of the examination of 32 swabs obtained from 16 red deer was the isolation of two Y. enterocolitica strains from two different animals. Both belonged to biotype 1A with NI serotype, but were originated from different types of culture. They gave positive results in case of products of a size corresponding to the ystB gene. No amplicons corresponding to ail and ystA genes were found. Roe deer and red deer may carry and shed Y. enterocolitica, what seems to be important in aspect of an environmental reservoir of this pathogen. The Y. enterocolitica strains isolated from wild ruminants had the amplicons of the ystB gene, what suggest they can be potential source of Y. enterocolitica infection for humans


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 302-310
Author(s):  
A. Lauková ◽  
E. Bino ◽  
I. Kubašová ◽  
V. Strompfová ◽  
R. Miltko ◽  
...  

2008 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 170-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Barja ◽  
S. Rosellini

We examined whether group size in red deer ( Cervus elaphus L., 1758) and roe deer ( Capreolus capreolus (L., 1758)) under predation risk by Iberian wolves ( Canis lupus L., 1758) is affected by the type of habitat in which the deer reside. We hypothesized that group size (i) would be larger in open than in closed habitats, since it is an antipredator response, and (ii) would vary more with habitat type in the species that had higher wolf predation rates. In the study area, wolves were the only predator of wild ungulates, with roe deer being the main target prey. We performed monthly transects along paths to observe the group size of red and roe deer. In roe deer, the mean group size was significantly higher in open than in closed habitats, serving as an antipredator response. However, in red deer, habitat type did not affect group size. The results indicate that under predation risk by wolves the habitat type influences the grouping behavior of roe deer but not red deer. Furthermore, compared with forests, heaths offer less protection from predators and species in this habitat would benefit from larger group sizes.


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