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

Acta Trop. 2020 Apr:204:105335. doi: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105335. Epub 2020 Jan 9.

Abstract

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.

Keywords: Genotyping; Giant anteater; Isolation; Microsatellites; PCR-RFLP; Toxoplasmosis.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Eutheria / parasitology*
  • Genotype
  • Genotyping Techniques
  • Mice
  • Toxoplasma / genetics*
  • Toxoplasmosis, Animal / parasitology*