Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most common protozoan parasites and is widely present in all warm-blooded animals. Although clinical disease is uncommon, some species, including ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta), have been found to develop acute and lethal toxoplasmosis. The aim of this study was to describe the pathologic, immunohistochemical, serological, and molecular findings of an outbreak of fatal toxoplasmosis in three captive ring-tailed lemurs in Central Italy in 2009. The animals died acutely within few days. The necropsy was immediately performed; necrotic lesions in the spleen, liver, and kidney, as well as interstitial pneumonia, were found histologically. All animals had high titers of anti-T. gondii-specific antibodies (1:1280 IgM and 1:640 IgG) according to a modified agglutination test (MAT) and immunohistochemistry showed scattered tachyzoites in the target organs. Diagnosis was confirmed by PCR and clonal type II was identified. In addition, the seven co-habiting lemurs were seronegative. This paper reports the first outbreak of acute disseminated toxoplasmosis in captive ring-tailed lemurs in Italy. These findings confirm the high susceptibility of this endangered species to toxoplasma infection, which may be considered a further threat to captive population viability.
Keywords: IHC; MAT; Toxoplasma gondii; fatal toxoplasmosis; genotyping; lemurs; zoo animals.