We report the identification and typing of a congenital toxoplasmosis case in a diabetic pregnant young woman living in Tunis. The Toxoplasma DNA extracted from amniotic fluid was detected by Real Time PCR and subjected to a multilocus genetic characterisation of the strain at markers: 3'SAG2, 5'SAG2, New SAG2, SAG3, GRA6, BTUB, APICO, PK1, KT850 and UPRT1. An atypical genotype of T.gondii with...

Australia is geographically isolated and possesses a remarkable diversity of wildlife species. Marsupials are highly susceptible to infection with the cosmopolitan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Of 46 marsupials screened for T. gondii by multilocus PCR-DNA sequencing at polymorphic genes (B1, SAG3, GRA6, GRA7), 12 were PCR-positive; the majority (67%; 9/12) were infected by non-archetypal Type II-...

Toxoplasma gondii can infect nearly all warm-blooded animals. We report an acute fatal T. gondii infection in the endangered giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) in a zoo in China, characterized by acute gastroenteritis and respiratory symptoms. T. gondii infection was confirmed by immunological and molecular methods. Multilocus nested PCR-RFLP revealed clonal type I at the SAG1 and c29-2 loci,...

Toxoplasma gondii atypical type II genotype was diagnosed in a pet peach-faced lovebird (Agapornis roseicollis) based on histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and multilocus DNA typing. The bird presented with severe neurological signs, and hematology was suggestive of chronic granulomatous disease. Gross post-mortem examination revealed cerebral hemorrhage, splenomegaly, hepatitis, and thicken...

Until recently, Toxoplasma gondii was considered to be clonal with little genetic variability. In this paper we summarize recent genotyping data from chickens in Brazil, and pigs, lambs and white-tailed deer in the USA, to demonstrate the high genetic diversity and geographical distribution of T. gondii. A total of 149 T. gondii isolates from 13 geographical areas of Brazil and 182 T. gondii is...

During 2009-2010, 161 tissue samples (142 placentas, 16 brains, and 3 livers) from aborted ovine fetuses on Sardinia Island, Italy, were tested for toxoplasmosis. Organs that showed a positive result by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the ITS1 region for Toxoplasma gondii were also amplified with 11 genetic markers (SAG1, 5'-SAG2, 3'-SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, ...

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite with an exceptionally broad host range. Recently, it has become apparent that the number of surface antigens (SAGs) it expresses may rival the number of genera it can infect. Most of these antigens belong to the developmentally regulated and distantly related SAG1 or SAG2 families. The genes encoding the surface antigens are dist...