First report on prevalence, molecular characterization and phylogenetic study of Toxoplasma gondii infecting sheep of the Malakand Division of Pakistan

Toxoplasma gondii is an apicomplexan protozoan parasite that infects one-third of the population of the world, including humans, animals, birds, and other vertebrates. The present investigation is the first molecular attempt in the Malakand Division of Pakistan to determine the epidemiology and phyl...

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Published in:Comparative immunology, microbiology and infectious diseases microbiology and infectious diseases, 2024-06, Vol.109, p.102184-102184, Article 102184
Main Authors: Irshad, Ahmad, Noreen, Shumaila, Nouroz, Faisal, Rasool, Akhtar, Zhu, Mingkun, Mohany, Mohamed
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
DNA, Protozoan - genetics
Genotype
ITS-1 gene
Molecular prevalence
Pakistan
Pakistan - epidemiology
Phylogenetic analysis
Phylogeny
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Prevalence
Sheep
Sheep Diseases - epidemiology
Sheep Diseases - parasitology
Toxoplasma - classification
Toxoplasma - genetics
Toxoplasma - isolation & purification
Toxoplasma gondii
Toxoplasmosis, Animal - epidemiology
Toxoplasmosis, Animal - parasitology
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Summary:Toxoplasma gondii is an apicomplexan protozoan parasite that infects one-third of the population of the world, including humans, animals, birds, and other vertebrates. The present investigation is the first molecular attempt in the Malakand Division of Pakistan to determine the epidemiology and phylogenetic study of Toxoplasma gondii infecting small ruminants. A total of (N = 450) blood samples of sheep were randomly collected during the study period (December 2020 to November 2021), and DNA detection was done using PCR by amplifying ITS-1 genes. SPSS.20 and MEGA-11 software were used for statistical significance and phylogenetic analysis. The overall prevalence of T. gondii infection among sheep was 14.44 % (65/450). A high infection rate was found in more than five-year-olds at 18.33 % (11/60). Sequencing and BLAST analysis of PCR-positive samples confirmed the presence of T. gondii. Randomly, three isolates were sequenced and submitted to GenBank under accession numbers (PP028089–PP028091), respectively. The BLAST analysis of the obtained sequences based on the ITS-1 gene showed 99 % similarities with reported genotypes found in goats of Malakand, Pakistan (PP028089) and dogs of Brazil (MF766454). The study concludes that T. gondii is notably prevalent among the sheep population in the region, emphasizing the significant role of risk factors in disease transmission across animals and potentially to humans. Further research, zoonotic potential analysis, and targeted control measures are warranted to address and manage this parasitic infection effectively.
ISSN:0147-9571
1878-1667
DOI:10.1016/j.cimid.2024.102184