Carlos Calvo-Mac, Andrés Ugarte-Barriga, Carlos Canales-Cerro, Sebastián A Klarian, Carolina Cárcamo, Juan Vargas-Pérez, Gonzalo Medina-Vogel
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii, a parasitic protozoan, may infect most warm-blooded animals, including humans and carnivores. Our study focused on alien-invasive American minks (Neogale vison) and domestic cats (Felis catus) in the Valdivian Temperate Rainforest, Chile. The main goal was to investigate the relationship between their dietary habits and T. gondii exposure in the Valdivia River watershed. To detect T. gondii exposure, blood serum samples from 49 domestic cats and 40 American minks were analyzed using an ELISA, and stable isotope analysis of δ15N and δ13C from vibrissae was performed to determine the dietary habits of both species. Relationships between T. gondii exposure and dietary habits were explored using generalized linear mixed-effects models. American minks that were T. gondii seropositive exhibited a broader prey range compared to seropositive domestic cats, with minimal dietary overlap between the two groups. Exposure of domestic cats to T. gondii had no significant association with any isotope value or prey item in their diet. In American minks, we found a positive and significant association between the proportion of Domestic chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) in the diet and high δ15N values with T. gondii exposure. This suggests that domestic species prey related to anthropogenic areas, and the consumption of high-trophic-level prey, may contribute to T. gondii exposure in American minks. Conversely, contrary to previous hypotheses, consumption of rodents showed no significant association with T. gondii exposure in either species. Our findings emphasize the importance of further research to investigate trophic interactions in the transmission dynamics of T. gondii in the Valdivian Temperate Rainforest.
期刊介绍:
The JWD publishes reports of wildlife disease investigations, research papers, brief research notes, case and epizootic reports, review articles, and book reviews. The JWD publishes the results of original research and observations dealing with all aspects of infectious, parasitic, toxic, nutritional, physiologic, developmental and neoplastic diseases, environmental contamination, and other factors impinging on the health and survival of free-living or occasionally captive populations of wild animals, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Papers on zoonoses involving wildlife and on chemical immobilization of wild animals are also published. Manuscripts dealing with surveys and case reports may be published in the Journal provided that they contain significant new information or have significance for better understanding health and disease in wild populations. Authors are encouraged to address the wildlife management implications of their studies, where appropriate.