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Spatiotemporal dynamics of toxoplasma gondii infection in canadian lynx (lynx canadensis) in western Québec, Canada.

Simon, Audrey; Bigras-Poulin, Michel; Rousseau, Alain N.; Dubey, Jitender P. et Ogden, Nicholas H. (2013). Spatiotemporal dynamics of toxoplasma gondii infection in canadian lynx (lynx canadensis) in western Québec, Canada. Journal of Wildlife Diseases , vol. 49 , nº 1. pp. 39-48. DOI: 10.7589/2012-02-048.

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Résumé

Toxoplasma gondii, one of the more common zoonotic parasites in the world, can cause serious illness in humans and other animals worldwide. Fefids are the only known host that can shed T. gondii oocysts, which are essential to the perpetuation of the parasite. In much of boreal Canada, the Canadian lynx (Lynx canadensis) is the only wild felid host that could contribute to environmental contamination with T. gondii oocysts. We estimated the prevalence of T. gondii antibodies in Canadian lynx from western Quebec and compared our results with earlier findings in the same region 12 yr earlier. We investigated factors associated with seroconversion, including age, sex, geographic location, and possible co-occurrence with domestic cats (Felis catus), and we assessed the proportion of lynx shedding T. gondii oocysts. Blood and fecal samples were collected from 84 lynx harvested by trappers in the eastern part of the study area during winter 2009-2010. Sera were tested for antibodies to T. gondii by the modified agglutination test (cutoff titer 1:50) and fecal samples for parasite eggs by fecal flotation. Antibodies to T. gondii were detected in sera of 14% of 84 lynx. Numerous helminth ova and coccidian oocysts were found in feces, whereas T. gondii like oocysts were not detected. Antibody prevalence increased with age class (odds ratio [OR]=4.33, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.57-11.99, P<0.01). Antibody prevalence (14%) in our study was significantly lower than in 84 lynx (36%) trapped in the western part of the study area during winter 1997-1998 (OR=0.18, 95% CI=0.08-0.44, P<0.001). Our results suggest there may be significant spatiotemporal dynamics of T. gondii infection in lynx in Canada, and we review possible abiotic and biotic ecologic factors supporting these findings.

Type de document: Article
Mots-clés libres: Canadian lynx; predator-prey cycle; snowshoe hare; spatiotemporal dynamic of infection; Toxoplasma gondii
Centre: Centre Eau Terre Environnement
Date de dépôt: 13 déc. 2016 20:37
Dernière modification: 13 déc. 2016 20:37
URI: https://espace.inrs.ca/id/eprint/3516

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