High prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in Nigerian wild rats by molecular detection

Samuel Ode; Theophilus Jarikre; Afusat Jagun Jubril; Hussaini Ularamu; Pam Luka; Mathew Adamu; Benjamin Emikpe

doi:10.1016/j.vprsr.2022.100776

High prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in Nigerian wild rats by molecular detection

Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports. 2022 Oct:35:100776. doi: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2022.100776. Epub 2022 Aug 19.

Authors

Samuel Ode¹, Theophilus Jarikre², Afusat Jagun Jubril², Hussaini Ularamu³, Pam Luka³, Mathew Adamu⁴, Benjamin Emikpe⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Agriculture, P.M.B. 2373, Makurdi, Nigeria. Electronic address: samodeson2005@gmail.com.
² Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
³ National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, Plateau State, Nigeria.
⁴ Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Agriculture, P.M.B. 2373, Makurdi, Nigeria.
⁵ Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.

PMID: 36184107
DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2022.100776

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis has been reported in Nigeria using several diagnostic tools with high prevalence in humans and some food animals. Rodents have been recognised as vital intermediate hosts of Toxoplasma gondii. However, there is paucity of information on the occurrence of T. gondii in wild rats found in Nigeria. This study aimed at molecular detection of T. gondii in Zyzomys pedunculatus and to evaluate its involvement in the epidemiology of toxoplasmosis in Nigeria. A total of 84 rats were sampled across three states of the North Central Nigeria, and DNA was extracted from the brain, lungs, kidney and intestine of the rats for the detection of T. gondii DNA by nested PCR to amplify the multicopy B1 gene. Sixty-four of the 84 samples (76.2%) were positive for T. gondii out of which 5 samples were sequenced and had an identity score of between 97.73% and 99.35% with the reference B1 gene of T. gondii in GenBank. This study suggests Nigerian wild rats may be an important intermediate hosts of T. gondii and may play a role in the epidemiology and maintenance of T. gondii circulation in Nigeria.

Keywords: Nigeria; Prevalence; Toxoplasma gondii; Wild rats; Zyzomys pedunculatus.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
DNA, Protozoan / analysis
Humans
Nigeria / epidemiology
Prevalence
Rats
Rodentia
Toxoplasma* / genetics
Toxoplasmosis, Animal* / diagnosis
Toxoplasmosis, Animal* / epidemiology

Substances

DNA, Protozoan