AN OUTBREAK OF TOXOPLASMOSIS IN RABBITS IN ARGENTINA

PARDINI, L.; BERNSTEIN, M.; GOS, M. L.; QUIROGA, M.A; SAMUS, S; BACIGALUPE, D.; VENTURINI, M.C

Lisboa

Congreso; APICOW Meeting Apicomplexa in farm animals.; 2012

Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that affects domestic and wild animals. Toxoplasmosis is a world-wide distributed zoonosis. Rabbits are susceptible to this protozoan and may die by acute infections. The aims of this study were to identifiy T. gondii in tissues of suspected naturally infected rabbits and to characterize them through molecular methods. A sudden mortality outbreak was registered in an intensive rabbit farm of 300 mothers, located in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Macroscopic lesions found in spleen were suggestive of toxoplasmosis. Samples (n=19) from central nervous system (CNS), liver, spleen and lung were examined by fresh observation, bioassays, histopathology (HP), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) was performed on 12 tissue fluids samples. Spleen and SNC pools were homogenized and observed in fresh and 4 Swiss mice were inoculated. DNA was extracted from samples with a commercial kit and PCR was performed using TOX5-TOX8 as specific primers for T. Gondii. In addition, nSAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c29-2, c22-8, L358, PK1 and Apico markers were evaluated by nested-PCR followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (PCR-RFLP).Tissue cysts were observed in the fresh spleen homogenate. Compatible toxoplasmosis lesions were observed in all organs, except lung, by HP. T. gondii specific antibodies were detected (≥ 1:40) in all rabbit fluids analyzed by IFAT. Three of 4 inoculated mice were seropositive by IFAT at dilutions 1:50, 1:200 and 1:800. Specific T.gondii DNA was characterized as genotype III for the nine markers. This genotype was previously isolated from domestic and wild animals of Argentina, including a previous outbreak of toxoplasmosis in rabbits in a farm in La Plata.