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Case Reports
. 2015:22:30.
doi: 10.1051/parasite/2015030. Epub 2015 Oct 29.

Fatal Toxoplasma gondii infection in the giant panda

Hongyu Ma  1 , Zedong Wang  2 , Chengdong Wang  3 , Caiwu Li  3 , Feng Wei  4 , Quan Liu  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Fatal Toxoplasma gondii infection in the giant panda

Hongyu Ma et al. Parasite. 2015.

Abstract
in English, French, Chinese

Toxoplasma gondii can infect nearly all warm-blooded animals. We report an acute fatal T. gondii infection in the endangered giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) in a zoo in China, characterized by acute gastroenteritis and respiratory symptoms. T. gondii infection was confirmed by immunological and molecular methods. Multilocus nested PCR-RFLP revealed clonal type I at the SAG1 and c29-2 loci, clonal type II at the SAG2, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, and L358 loci, and clonal type III at the alternative SAG2 and SAG3 loci, thus, a potential new genotype of T. gondii in the giant panda. Other possible pathogens were not detected. To our knowledge, this is the first report of clinical toxoplasmosis in a giant panda.

Toxoplasma gondii peut infecter presque tous les animaux à sang chaud. Nous rapportons une infection fatale aiguë par T. gondii chez le panda géant (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), une espèce en danger, dans un zoo en Chine, caractérisée par une gastro-entérite aiguë et des symptômes respiratoires. L’infection par T. gondii a été confirmée par des méthodes immunologiques et moléculaires. La PCR-RFLP nichée a révélé le type clonal I aux loci SAG1 et c29-2, le type clonal II aux loci SAG2, BtuB, GRA6, c22-8 et L358, le type clonal III aux loci alternatifs SAG2 et SAG3, et donc un nouveau génotype potentiel de T. gondii chez le panda géant. Aucun autre agent pathogène n’a été détecté. À notre connaissance, ceci est le premier signalement de toxoplasmose clinique chez le panda géant.

弓形虫能感染几乎所有的温血动物。本文报道了一例发生在中国动物园的濒危动物大熊猫急性致死性弓形虫感染病例，其主要临床特征表现为急性胃肠炎和呼吸系统症状。弓形虫感染经免疫学及分子生物学方法确证。多位点巢式PCR限制性片段长度多态性分析表明，感染弓形虫SAG1和c29-2位点为I型，SAG2，BTUB，GRA6，c22-8和L358位点为II型，alternative SAG2和SAG3位点为III型，显示大熊猫感染弓形虫可能为一种新基因型。未检测到可导致性胃肠炎和呼吸系统症状的其它病原体。这是首例大熊猫弓形虫感染病例。

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Many macrophages containing Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites (arrow) in the alveoli, and dilated capillaries (arrowhead) in the alveolar wall. Giant panda lung, hematoxylin-eosin stain.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Immunofluorescence assay (IFA) conducted on the frozen tissues using monoclonal antibodies against tachyzoite-specific surface antigen SAG1 showing Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites in the lungs of the giant panda.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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