Toxoplasma gondii infection in Amami spiny rat on Amami-Oshima Island, Japan

Publication date: Available online 5 June 2019Source: International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and WildlifeAuthor(s): Toshihiro Tokiwa, Hisashi Yoshimura, Sayoko Hiruma, Yukie Akahori, Ayami Suzuki, Keiko Ito, Masami Yamamoto, Kazunori IkeAbstractThe Amami spiny rat (Tokudaia osimensis) is an endangered rodent species that is endemic to the forests of Amami-Oshima Island, Kagoshima, Japan. In July 2018, a deceased adult male Amami spiny rat was found on the Yuwandake Mountain Trail on the south-central coast of Amami-Oshima Island. Histopathological observations revealed protozoan infections in the liver, lungs, and heart. Nested or semi-nested PCRs targeting the B1, SAG3, GRA6, and ROP18 genes successfully detected the genomic DNA of Toxoplasma gondii in the formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded specimen. Sequence analyses of the SAG3, GRA6, and ROP18 genes suggested that the strain detected in the study specimen was related to the type II strain of T. gondii. This is the first confirmed case of T. gondii infection in an Amami spiny rat.Graphical abstract
Source: International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife - Category: Parasitology Source Type: research