New Toxoplasma gondii Genotypes Isolated from Free-Range Chickens from the Fernando de Noronha, Brazil: Unexpected Findings

Researchers identified six unique genotypes of Toxoplasma gondii, including four new chicken-specific genotypes (#59–#62), from free-range chickens on Fernando de Noronha, Brazil. Unlike other Brazilian isolates, none were pathogenic to mice, and Type II—rare in Brazil—was present alongside clonal Type III, common in Europe and North America. The study used the modified agglutination test (MAT) to screen 50 chickens for antibodies and bioassayed seropositive hearts in mice to isolate T. gondii. Genotyping via restricted fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) revealed unexpected genetic diversity, suggesting Fernando de Noronha harbors both unique and globally distributed T. gondii strains.

Dubey, J. P., Rajendran, C., Costa, D. G. C., Ferreira, L. R., Kwok, O. C. H., Qu, D., Su, C., Marvulo, M. F. V., Alves, L. C., Mota, R. A., & Silva, J. C. R. (2010). New Toxoplasma gondii Genotypes Isolated from Free-Range Chickens from the Fernando de Noronha, Brazil: Unexpected Findings. Journal of Parasitology, 96(4), 709–712. https://doi.org/10.1645/ge-2425.1