Vet Parasitol. 2018 Oct 15;262:47-50. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2018.09.006. Epub 2018 Sep 14.
Author information
- 1
- Witold Stefański Institute of Parasitology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 00-818 Warsaw, Twarda 51/55, Poland. Electronic address: kornacka.aleksandra@twarda.pan.pl.
- 2
- Witold Stefański Institute of Parasitology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 00-818 Warsaw, Twarda 51/55, Poland.
- 3
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Genetics and Microbiology, Wrocław University, 51-148 Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego 63/77, Poland.
Abstract
The studies were carried on raccoons from Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic. Tissue samples from raccoon hearts, lungs and brains were used for molecular examination while meat juice was collected for immunological tests. Antibodies against T. gondii were detected in six out of 44 raccoons (13.6%), while T. gondii DNA was found in 18 (40.9%). Antibodies against N. caninum were found in seven raccoons (15.9%) but no parasite DNA was observed in any sample. DNA of T. gondii was observed in raccoons of both sexes (in 42.3% of females and 38.9% of males) from all three countries. The proportion of raccoons that tested positive for DNA of T. gondii was higher in the Czech Republic (47.1%) than in Germany(33.3%), however the difference was non-significant (p = 0.7032). It seems that the raccoons appear to have been exposed to both T. gondii and N. caninum, but only T. gondii infection was confirmed. The role of raccoons as reservoir, and as possibly contributing to spread of these parasites merits further studies.
KEYWORDS:
Antibodies; DNA; Neospora caninum; Raccoons; Toxoplasma gondii
- PMID:
- 30389011
- DOI:
- 10.1016/j.vetpar.2018.09.006
- [Indexed for MEDLINE]
