Fatal Toxoplasma gondii infection in the giant panda.

Authors :: Ma H
Wang Z
Wang C
Li C
Wei F
Liu Q
Source :: Parasite (Paris, France) [Parasite] 2015; Vol. 22, pp. 30. Date of Electronic Publication: 2015 Oct 29.
Publication Year :: 2015
Abstract: 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.<br /> (© H. Ma et al., published by EDP Sciences, 2015.)