High Toxoplasma gondii frequency of infection in the genital tract of ewes previously positive for the parasite DNA in meat, in Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia. 2021

Mariem Rouatbi, and Safa Amairia, and Said Samed, and Mourad Rekik, and Mohamed Aziz Darghouth, and Afef Jeljli, and Mohamed Gharbi
Laboratoire de parasitologie, Institution de la recherche et de l'enseignement supérieur agricoles, École nationale de médecine vétérinaire de Sidi Thabet, Univ. Manouba, 2020, Sidi Thabet, Tunisia. Electronic address: rouatbi.myriam@yahoo.fr.

The aim of the present study was to estimate the molecular prevalence of T. gondii along various segments of the genital tract of confirmed chronically infected ewes. Genital tracts were collected from 42 ewes; meat samples from the same ewes were previously confirmed positive for T. gondii DNA. The whole DNA was extracted from 4 parts of the genital tract (ovary, horns, body of the uterus and vagina). PCR was used to amplify a 114 base-pairs of T. gondii B1 gene. For all studied samples, 95.2 % had at least one infected genital part. Toxoplasma gondii infection was confirmed by sequencing 20 amplicons randomly chosen. The majority of infected animals has 4 T. gondii-infected genital anatomical parts. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed a cluster of adult animals (>24 months) with positive PCR in the ovaries and the vagina and another cluster of Barbarine animals having positive PCR in the horns and body of the uterus. General linear model confirmed PCA results and showed a significant higher prevalence of T. gondii in the ovaries and vagina of older animals (p = 0.001 and p = 0.02, respectively) and a higher prevalence of T. gondii in the horns of the uterus of Barbarine animals (p = 0.03). Toxoplasma gondii seems to highly persist along the various segments of the ewe's genital tract but further investigations are necessary to link such prevalence with the pathological implications.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008460 Meat The edible portions of any animal used for food including cattle, swine, goats/sheep, poultry, fish, shellfish, and game. Meats
D010271 Parasites Invertebrate organisms that live on or in another organism (the host), and benefit at the expense of the other. Traditionally excluded from definition of parasites are pathogenic BACTERIA; FUNGI; VIRUSES; and PLANTS; though they may live parasitically. Parasite
D004247 DNA A deoxyribonucleotide polymer that is the primary genetic material of all cells. Eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms normally contain DNA in a double-stranded state, yet several important biological processes transiently involve single-stranded regions. DNA, which consists of a polysugar-phosphate backbone possessing projections of purines (adenine and guanine) and pyrimidines (thymine and cytosine), forms a double helix that is held together by hydrogen bonds between these purines and pyrimidines (adenine to thymine and guanine to cytosine). DNA, Double-Stranded,Deoxyribonucleic Acid,ds-DNA,DNA, Double Stranded,Double-Stranded DNA,ds DNA
D005260 Female Females
D005835 Genitalia The external and internal organs involved in the functions of REPRODUCTION. Accessory Sex Organs,Genital Organs,Sex Organs, Accessory,Genital System,Genitals,Reproductive Organs,Reproductive System,Accessory Sex Organ,Genital,Genital Organ,Genital Systems,Organ, Accessory Sex,Organ, Genital,Organ, Reproductive,Organs, Accessory Sex,Organs, Genital,Organs, Reproductive,Reproductive Organ,Reproductive Systems,Sex Organ, Accessory,System, Genital,System, Reproductive,Systems, Genital,Systems, Reproductive
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012756 Sheep Any of the ruminant mammals with curved horns in the genus Ovis, family Bovidae. They possess lachrymal grooves and interdigital glands, which are absent in GOATS. Ovis,Sheep, Dall,Dall Sheep,Ovis dalli
D014122 Toxoplasma A genus of protozoa parasitic to birds and mammals. T. gondii is one of the most common infectious pathogenic animal parasites of man. Toxoplasma gondii,Toxoplasma gondius,Toxoplasmas,gondius, Toxoplasma
D014124 Toxoplasmosis, Animal Acquired infection of non-human animals by organisms of the genus TOXOPLASMA. Animal Toxoplasmoses,Animal Toxoplasmosis,Toxoplasmoses, Animal
D014416 Tunisia A country in northern Africa between ALGERIA and LIBYA. Its capital is Tunis.

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