Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Seestr. 55, 16868 Wusterhausen, Germany.
Vet Parasitol. 2013 Jan 16;191(1-2):108-11. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2012.08.026. Epub 2012 Sep 4.
Six free-ranging European beavers (Castor fiber) from Berlin greater metropolitan area and twelve European wildcats (Felis silvestris silvestris) originating from the German Federal State of Saxony-Anhalt were found dead and their carcasses were submitted for necropsy. Brain and lung samples were analysed for the presence of Toxoplasma gondii DNA. Histo-pathologic analysis of one beaver revealed several cyst-like protozoal structures in parts of the brain. Tissue DNA isolated from all animal samples was analysed by a specific T. gondii-PCR. Two beavers and four wildcats tested T. gondii-positive. DNA of the parasites was further analysed by PCR-RFLP typing using nine markers (nSAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1 and Apico). Only T. gondii type II alleles were detected, except for the Apico locus, where type I alleles were observed in two isolates from beavers and in three from wild cats. The results of this study indicate that type II T. gondii (including type II variant strain) is the most common genotype infecting wildcats and beavers from Germany.
六只来自柏林大都市区的自由放养欧洲河狸（Castor fiber）和十二只来自德国萨克森-安哈特州的欧洲野生猫（Felis silvestris silvestris）被发现死亡，其尸体被提交进行尸检。对大脑和肺部样本进行了分析，以检测是否存在刚地弓形虫 DNA。一只河狸的组织病理学分析显示，大脑的某些部位存在几个类似囊肿的原生动物结构。从所有动物样本中分离出的组织 DNA 通过特定的刚地弓形虫 PCR 进行了分析。两只河狸和四只野生猫检测出刚地弓形虫阳性。进一步通过 PCR-RFLP 分型用 9 个标记（nSAG2、SAG3、BTUB、GRA6、c22-8、c29-2、L358、PK1 和 Apico）分析寄生虫的 DNA。除了 Apico 基因座外，只检测到 II 型刚地弓形虫等位基因，在来自河狸的两个分离株和来自野生猫的三个分离株中观察到 I 型等位基因。本研究结果表明，II 型刚地弓形虫（包括 II 型变体株）是感染德国野生猫和河狸的最常见基因型。
