Toxoplasma gondii in small mammals in Romania: the influence of host, season and sampling location
Abstract Background Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that infects a large spectrum of warm-blooded animals, including humans. Small rodents and insectivores play an important role in the epidemiology of T. gondii and may serve as a source of infection for both, domestic and wild definitive...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-09-01
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| Series: | BMC Veterinary Research |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-023-03729-7 |
| _version_ | 1827633904229548032 |
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| author | Zsuzsa Kalmár Attila D. Sándor Anamaria Balea Silvia-Diana Borşan Ioana Adriana Matei Angela Monica Ionică Călin Mircea Gherman Andrei Daniel Mihalca Anamaria Cozma-Petruț Viorica Mircean Adriana Györke |
| author_facet | Zsuzsa Kalmár Attila D. Sándor Anamaria Balea Silvia-Diana Borşan Ioana Adriana Matei Angela Monica Ionică Călin Mircea Gherman Andrei Daniel Mihalca Anamaria Cozma-Petruț Viorica Mircean Adriana Györke |
| author_sort | Zsuzsa Kalmár |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that infects a large spectrum of warm-blooded animals, including humans. Small rodents and insectivores play an important role in the epidemiology of T. gondii and may serve as a source of infection for both, domestic and wild definitive felid hosts. Factors influencing the occurrence of T. gondii in wild small mammals are unknown, despite the fact that many intermediate host species are identified. We have used small mammals (Rodentia and Lipotyphla) captured over two years in various habitats, both in urbanised and in natural landscapes. We assessed the importance of land-use, season and host ecology on T. gondii infection. Results We examined 471 individuals belonging to 20 small mammal species, collected at 63 locations spread over wide altitude, habitat and land-use ranges from Romania. Heart tissue samples were individually analysed by PCR targeting the 529 bp repetitive DNA fragment of T. gondii. The overall prevalence of infection was 7.3%, with nine species of rodents and two species of shrews being found to carry T. gondii DNA. Five species showed high frequency of infection, with the highest prevalence found in Myodes glareolus (35.5%), followed by Spermophilus citellus (33.3%), Sorex minutus (23.1%), S. araneus (21.7%) and Micromys minutus (11.1%). Adults seemed more often infected than young, however when controlling for season, the difference was not significant, as in spring both adults and young showed higher infection rates, but more adults were sampled. Contrary to our expectations, urban/rural areas (with their implicit high density of domestic feline presence) had no effect on infection prevalence. In addition, neither habitat, nor land-use at sampling sites was important as only geographical location and host species were contributing factors to the infection risk. Conclusions High prevalence of T. gondii infection showed a highly localised, patchy occurrence, with long living and higher mobility host species being the most common carriers, especially during autumn. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T15:06:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7ff97cb0a4f04ebaafc7061dc2db664d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1746-6148 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T15:06:01Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Veterinary Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-7ff97cb0a4f04ebaafc7061dc2db664d2023-11-26T13:38:18ZengBMCBMC Veterinary Research1746-61482023-09-011911810.1186/s12917-023-03729-7Toxoplasma gondii in small mammals in Romania: the influence of host, season and sampling locationZsuzsa Kalmár0Attila D. Sándor1Anamaria Balea2Silvia-Diana Borşan3Ioana Adriana Matei4Angela Monica Ionică5Călin Mircea Gherman6Andrei Daniel Mihalca7Anamaria Cozma-Petruț8Viorica Mircean9Adriana Györke10University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-NapocaUniversity of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-NapocaUniversity of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-NapocaUniversity of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-NapocaUniversity of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-NapocaUniversity of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-NapocaUniversity of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-NapocaUniversity of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca“Iuliu Hațieganu“ University of Medicine and PharmacyUniversity of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-NapocaUniversity of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-NapocaAbstract Background Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that infects a large spectrum of warm-blooded animals, including humans. Small rodents and insectivores play an important role in the epidemiology of T. gondii and may serve as a source of infection for both, domestic and wild definitive felid hosts. Factors influencing the occurrence of T. gondii in wild small mammals are unknown, despite the fact that many intermediate host species are identified. We have used small mammals (Rodentia and Lipotyphla) captured over two years in various habitats, both in urbanised and in natural landscapes. We assessed the importance of land-use, season and host ecology on T. gondii infection. Results We examined 471 individuals belonging to 20 small mammal species, collected at 63 locations spread over wide altitude, habitat and land-use ranges from Romania. Heart tissue samples were individually analysed by PCR targeting the 529 bp repetitive DNA fragment of T. gondii. The overall prevalence of infection was 7.3%, with nine species of rodents and two species of shrews being found to carry T. gondii DNA. Five species showed high frequency of infection, with the highest prevalence found in Myodes glareolus (35.5%), followed by Spermophilus citellus (33.3%), Sorex minutus (23.1%), S. araneus (21.7%) and Micromys minutus (11.1%). Adults seemed more often infected than young, however when controlling for season, the difference was not significant, as in spring both adults and young showed higher infection rates, but more adults were sampled. Contrary to our expectations, urban/rural areas (with their implicit high density of domestic feline presence) had no effect on infection prevalence. In addition, neither habitat, nor land-use at sampling sites was important as only geographical location and host species were contributing factors to the infection risk. Conclusions High prevalence of T. gondii infection showed a highly localised, patchy occurrence, with long living and higher mobility host species being the most common carriers, especially during autumn.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-023-03729-7EpidemiologyFelinaeRodentsprotozoaSynanthropic rodents |
| spellingShingle | Zsuzsa Kalmár Attila D. Sándor Anamaria Balea Silvia-Diana Borşan Ioana Adriana Matei Angela Monica Ionică Călin Mircea Gherman Andrei Daniel Mihalca Anamaria Cozma-Petruț Viorica Mircean Adriana Györke Toxoplasma gondii in small mammals in Romania: the influence of host, season and sampling location BMC Veterinary Research Epidemiology Felinae Rodents protozoa Synanthropic rodents |
| title | Toxoplasma gondii in small mammals in Romania: the influence of host, season and sampling location |
| title_full | Toxoplasma gondii in small mammals in Romania: the influence of host, season and sampling location |
| title_fullStr | Toxoplasma gondii in small mammals in Romania: the influence of host, season and sampling location |
| title_full_unstemmed | Toxoplasma gondii in small mammals in Romania: the influence of host, season and sampling location |
| title_short | Toxoplasma gondii in small mammals in Romania: the influence of host, season and sampling location |
| title_sort | toxoplasma gondii in small mammals in romania the influence of host season and sampling location |
| topic | Epidemiology Felinae Rodents protozoa Synanthropic rodents |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-023-03729-7 |
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