Sentinels in the shadows: Exploring Toxoplasma gondii and other Sarcocystidae parasites in synanthropic rodents and their public health implications

阴影中的哨兵:探索人类啮齿动物中的弓形虫和其他肉孢子虫科寄生虫及其公共卫生影响

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作者:Filippo Maria Dini, Monica Caffara, Alice Magri, Alessia Cantori, Valentina Luci, Antonio Monno, Roberta Galuppi

Abstract

Synanthropic rodents play a crucial role in maintaining the life cycle of Toxoplasma gondii in anthropized regions and can serve as indicators of environmental oocyst contamination. This investigation aimed to explore the occurrence of T. gondii infection within synanthropic rodent populations using a molecular diagnostic technique targeting the 18S rDNA gene, which is generic for Coccidia, with subsequent specific PCR confirmation. We examined 97 brown rats (Rattus norvegicus), 67 black rats (R. rattus), 47 house mice (Mus musculus), and 1 common shrew (Sorex araneus). PCR tests were conducted on the brain, heart, and tongue tissues. PCR tested positive in at least one of the examined tissues in 26 R. norvegicus (26.8%), 13 R. rattus (19.4%), and 13 M. musculus (27.6%). Sequencing comparisons by BLAST allowed us to identify four different species of cyst-forming Apicomplexa. In particular, T. gondii DNA was detected in 13 (6.1%) rodents, Hammondia hammondi (including H. hammondi-like organisms) in 36 (17%) subjects, Besnoitia sp. (in two cases identified as B. besnoiti) in 8 (3.7%), and Sarcocystis gigantea in two (0.94%). Rodents from peri-urban and urban environments can act as indicators of environmental contamination by oocysts of apicomplexan parasites with cats as definitive hosts, such as T. gondii, H. hammondi, and S. gigantea, the latter of which has never been previously recorded in rodents. Moreover, the presence of B. besnoiti, a parasite with an unidentified definitive host in Europe, sheds light on the potential role of these hosts as infection sentinels.

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