Isolation and genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii from a captive black-and-gold howler monkey (Alouatta caraya Humboldt, 1812) in Brazil

Maria Regina Reis Amendoeira; Igor Falco Arruda; Silvia Bahadian Moreira; Daniel Guimarães Ubiali; Alynne da Silva Barbosa; Hilda Fátima Jesus Pena; Asheley Henrique Barbosa Pereira; Clarissa Nascimento da Silveira; Thamires Francisco Bonifácio; Yara Souza Clemes; Thalita de Abreu Pissinatti; André Felipe Andrade Dos Santos; Alcides Pissinatti

doi:10.1016/j.ijppaw.2022.09.005

Isolation and genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii from a captive black-and-gold howler monkey (Alouatta caraya Humboldt, 1812) in Brazil

Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl. 2022 Sep 26:19:187-190. doi: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2022.09.005. eCollection 2022 Dec.

Authors

Maria Regina Reis Amendoeira¹, Igor Falco Arruda¹, Silvia Bahadian Moreira², Daniel Guimarães Ubiali³, Alynne da Silva Barbosa^{1

4}, Hilda Fátima Jesus Pena⁵, Asheley Henrique Barbosa Pereira³, Clarissa Nascimento da Silveira¹, Thamires Francisco Bonifácio¹, Yara Souza Clemes⁵, Thalita de Abreu Pissinatti⁶, André Felipe Andrade Dos Santos⁷, Alcides Pissinatti²

Affiliations

¹ Toxoplasmosis and Other Protozoan Diseases Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Fiocruz, Av. Brasil, 4365-Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, 21040-900, Brazil.
² Rio de Janeiro Primatology Center, Environment State Institute, Estr. do Paraíso, s/n - Paraíso, Guapimirim, 25940-000, Brazil.
³ Pathological Anatomy Sector, Epidemiology and Public Health Department, Veterinary Institute, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, BR-465, Km 7, Seropédica, 23.897-000, Brazil.
⁴ Microbiology and Parasitology Department, Biomedical Institute, Federal Fluminense University, Rua Professor Hernani Melo, 101 / 212a-São Domingos, Niterói, 24210-130, Brazil.
⁵ Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health Department, Veterinary Medicine School, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, 05508-270, Brazil.
⁶ Primatology Sector, Institute of Science and Technology in Biomodels, Fiocruz, Av. Brasil, 4365-Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, 21040-900, Brazil.
⁷ Laboratory of Viral Diversity and Diseases, Genetics Department, Biology Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Ilha do Fundão, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Bloco A, 21944-970, Brazil.

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii was isolated in mice from different tissues of a captive black-and-gold howler monkey (Alouatta caraya) kept in a colony at the Primatology Center of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, and it was genotypically characterized based on using PCR-RFLP and Microsatellite Analysis (MS), later on. T. gondii was successfully isolated from inocula deriving from heart, liver and tissue pool (heart, liver, lungs, axillary lymph nodes and cerebellum) samples. The isolate was named TgBgHmBrRJ1. The high virulence of the aforementioned strain was observed in infected mice. Non-archetypal genotype (ToxoDB PCR-RFLP #206) was obtained through PCR-RFLP. This genotype had been previously described in 12 isolates from different hosts, also in Southeastern Brazil, a fact that indicates likely high circulation of this genotype in this region. The isolate was also classified as non-archetypal, based on MS genotyping, as well as presented genotypic identity close to that of strains isolated from free-range non-symptomatic chickens (TgCkBr244,245,278,279) in Espírito Santo State. It is worth emphasizing that despite the large number of reports about clinical toxoplasmosis in neotropical primates in Brazil, this is just the second isolate of this parasite ever reported in this group of animals.

Keywords: Neotropical primates. toxoplasmosis. bioassays. genotyping.