Detection of the B1 gene of Toxoplasma gondii by PCR in the feces of domestic cats
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5433/1679-0359.2024v45n1p87Keywords:
Fecal PCR, Oocysts, Animal toxoplasmosis.Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that has a heteroxenic life cycle, with felines as its definitive host, a fact that culminates in the maintenance of the parasitic life cycle. The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in identifying Toxoplasma gondii in the feces of cats, as well as to evaluate the frequency of T. gondii positivity, comparing categories of cats (stray vs. domestic, male vs. female, and castrated vs. intact). Fecal samples, collected from 120 cats, were subjected to spontaneous sedimentation. After 24 hours, DNA was extracted from the samples using a commercial kit, with adaptations. After DNA extraction, PCR was performed with primers that amplify the B1 gene of T. gondii and electrophoresis was performed on a 6% polyacrylamide gel. Among the 120 fecal samples analyzed, T. gondii was identified by PCR in 17 (14.1%), whereas none of the samples tested positive in the parasitological examination. The T. gondii positivity rate was higher among the stray cats than among the domestic cats. There was no significant difference in relation to sex and castrated or non-castrated animals. It seems that fecal PCR has high sensitivity for detection of T. gondii, which it detected even in samples that tested negative in the parasitological examination, and that stray cats are more likely to be infected with T. gondii than are domestic cats.
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