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Epidemiologic significance of Toxoplasma gondii infections in chickens (Gallus domesticus): the past decade

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 July 2020

J. P. Dubey*
Affiliation:
United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Building 1001, Beltsville, MD20705-2350, USA
H. F. J. Pena
Affiliation:
Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando, Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05508-000, Brazil
C. K. Cerqueira-Cézar
Affiliation:
United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Building 1001, Beltsville, MD20705-2350, USA
F. H. A. Murata
Affiliation:
United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Building 1001, Beltsville, MD20705-2350, USA
O. C. H. Kwok
Affiliation:
United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Building 1001, Beltsville, MD20705-2350, USA
Y. R. Yang
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou450002, PR China
S. M. Gennari
Affiliation:
Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando, Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05508-000, Brazil Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Santo Amaro, Rua Prof. Enéas Siqueira Neto, 340, São Paulo, SP, CEP 04829-900, Brazil
C. Su
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN37996-0845, USA
*
Author for correspondence: J. P. Dubey, E-mail: jitender.dubey@ars.usda.gov

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii infections are common in humans and animals worldwide. Domestic free-range chickens (Gallus domesticus) are excellent sentinels of environmental contamination with T. gondii oocysts because they feed on the ground. Chickens can be easily infected with T. gondii; however, clinical toxoplasmosis is rare in these hosts. Chickens are comparatively inexpensive and thus are good sentinel animals for T. gondii infections on the farms. Here, the authors reviewed prevalence, the persistence of infection, clinical disease, epidemiology and genetic diversity of T. gondii strains isolated from chickens worldwide for the past decade. Data on phenotypic and molecular characteristics of 794 viable T. gondii strains from chickens are discussed, including new data on T. gondii isolates from chickens in Brazil. This paper will be of interest to biologists, epidemiologists, veterinarians and parasitologists.

Information

Type
Review Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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