Toxoplasma gondii is one of protozoan parasites resulting in zoonosis, which can infect nearly all of warm-blooded hosts, including humans and raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides). However, related reports on prevalence and genetic characterization of T. gondii strains in raccoon dogs were few in China. The aim of this study was to survey the prevalence and genetic characterization of T. gondii strains in domestic raccoon dogs from Jilin, Liaoning, and Hebei provinces, northern China. During April 2016 to November 2017, a total of 337 tissue samples collected from domestic raccoon dogs were detected with B1 gene using a nested PCR. And the positive samples were genotyped at 11 genetic markers (SAG1, 5'-and 3'-SAG2, alternative SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, L358, PK1, c22-8, c29-2, and Apico) using multilocus PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism technology. Sixteen out of 337 sika deer (4.75%) were positive with B1 gene by nest PCR. Furthermore, four positive DNA samples were completely typed through further being genotyped, in which three samples were identified as ToxoDB Genotype #9, and one sample was confirmed as ToxoDB Genotype #10. The results of molecular detection not only revealed the existence of T. gondii in domestic raccoon dogs in Jilin, Liaoning, and Hebei for the first time, but also provided the information of genetic diversity. This study also indicated that ToxoDB Genotype #9 as a kind of potential reservoir for T. gondii transmission, may be main genotype in domestic raccoon dogs in China, posing a risk of infection in human health.
Keywords: China; Toxoplasma gondii; domestic raccoon dogs; genetic characterization.