Lehrer Elizabeth W, Fredebaugh Shannon L, Schooley Robert L, Mateus-Pinilla Nohra E
Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, 1102 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
J Wildl Dis. 2010 Jul;46(3):977-80. doi: 10.7589/0090-3558-46.3.977.
Increasing urbanization has important consequences for wildlife, including the potential for higher prevalence of diseases within "urban adapter" species exposed to spillover from domestic animals. We investigated whether prevalence of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in woodchucks (Marmota monax) was related to urbanization in a Midwestern landscape. We collected serum samples from adult woodchucks captured across an urban-rural gradient in Illinois, USA in May-November 2007. We used an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) on the serum samples to detect T. gondii antibodies. Five of 35 (14.3%) sera from woodchucks had detectable T. gondii antibodies. Prevalence was related positively to urbanization. All positive samples were from individuals inhabiting areas in which urban land cover exceeded 70%. Urban woodchucks are likely exposed to high levels of T. gondii oocysts in the environment due to habitat overlap with the definitive hosts for the parasite, domestic and feral cats, which reach high densities in urban areas.
城市化进程的加快对野生动物产生了重要影响，其中包括“城市适应型”物种因接触家畜溢出的病原体而导致疾病患病率升高的可能性。我们调查了美国中西部地区土拨鼠（Marmota monax）体内抗刚地弓形虫抗体的患病率是否与城市化有关。2007年5月至11月，我们在美国伊利诺伊州城乡梯度范围内捕获成年土拨鼠，并采集其血清样本。我们对血清样本采用间接荧光抗体试验（IFAT）来检测刚地弓形虫抗体。35份土拨鼠血清样本中有5份（14.3%）检测到刚地弓形虫抗体。患病率与城市化呈正相关。所有阳性样本均来自居住在城市土地覆盖率超过70%地区的个体。由于城市土拨鼠的栖息地与该寄生虫的终末宿主（家猫和野猫）重叠，而家猫和野猫在城市地区密度很高，所以城市土拨鼠很可能在环境中接触到大量刚地弓形虫卵囊。
