Hydrological modelling of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts transport to investigate contaminated snowmelt runoff as a potential source of infection for marine mammals in the Canadian Arctic

Simon, Audrey; Rousseau, Alain N.; Savary, Stéphane; Bigras-Poulin, Michel; Ogden, Nicholas H.

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2013.04.031

Cited by 26 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Miller et al (2002) identified freshwater runoff as a likely cause of movement of T. gondii oocysts from inland felid feces to coastal waters in California. Surface water runoff from melting snow has also been implicated in the spread of T. gondii oocysts from land to sea in arctic habitats (Simon et al 2013). The salinity and vegetation of wetlands has been shown to significantly remove fecal pathogens such as T. gondii, C. parvum , and Giardia duodenalis and prevent their spread via surface water (Hogan et al, 2013), but loss of these habitats removes this barrier to transmission.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detection of Hammondia heydorni DNA in feces collected in and around an Ohio Wildlife Conservation Center

Sinnott

Torres

Wolfe

et al. 2016

Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports

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This study aimed to identify DNA attributed to Hammondia heydorni oocysts in the feces of wild canids in and around an Ohio wildlife conservation center. Two hundred and eighty-five wild canid fecal samples were analyzed using PCR with melting curve analysis to detect coccidian DNA. Coccidia-positive samples were further subjected to H. heydorni-specific and N. caninum-specific PCR assays. Samples positive by the H. heydorni-specific assay were additionally analyzed with a PCR assay to distinguish H. heydorni from Hammondia triffittae. Coccidian DNA was detected in 51 of the 285 (17.9%) wildlife samples. H. heydorni DNA was detected in three of the coccidia-positive wildlife samples (1.1%) and N. caninum was detected in none. Determining the presence of H. heydorni in wild canids will contribute to a greater understanding of the role these hosts play in the ecology of this parasite.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detection of Hammondia heydorni DNA in feces collected in and around an Ohio Wildlife Conservation Center

Sinnott

Torres

Wolfe

et al. 2016

Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports

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“…The transmission routes by which marine animals can become infected are largely un known but likely involve a marine pathway (Jensen et al 2010, Massie et al 2010. Oocysts remain viable in molluscs, in the gills of migratory fish and in seawater (Arkush et al 2003, Lindsay et al 2003, 2004, Massie et al 2010, Shapiro et al 2012, and waterborne transmission is likely (Dubey 2004, WinieckaKrusnell et al 2009, Jones & Dubey 2010, particularly in the Arctic (Jensen et al 2010, Simon et al 2011, 2013. Contamination by oocysts from terrestrial ecosystems has been associated with toxoplasmosis outbreaks in sea otters (Miller et al 2002) and beluga whales (Mikaelian et al 2000).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

West Greenland harbour porpoises assayed for antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii: false positives with the direct agglutination method

Blanchet¹,

Godfroid²,

Breines³

et al. 2014

Dis. Aquat. Org.

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We assayed blood/tissue fluid samples from 20 harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena from western Greenland coastal waters for antibodies against the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii by the direct agglutination test (DAT). Nine individuals (45%) were interpreted to be seropositive at 1:40 dilution and 4 (20%) were seropositive up to 1:160. Samples from these individuals were assayed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and tissue samples of the DAT-positive animals were tested by a nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR). Results from both methods were negative, suggesting the absence of infection in the tested animals. After chloroform clean-up, all were negative when re-assayed by DAT. We concluded that infection with T. gondii was absent in all 20 animals, despite the initially positive DAT results, and that the false positives resulted from non-specific adherence to tachyzoites in the DAT assay which could be removed by the chloroform clean-up method. Our results suggest that detecting antibodies against T. gondii using the DAT or the modified agglutination technique, particularly on samples from Arctic marine animals which often are rich in lipids, may lead to false positive results. For such samples, the use of ELISA or PCR on available tissue samples may be advocated as confirmatory tests in order to avoid false positives and overestimating seroprevalence.

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“…Introduction of the parasite into marine ecosystems is considered to be from land as no marine host is known to shed oocysts , although some authors have suggested an unknown marine definitive host Conrad et al 2005). Contamination of coastal marine environments with oocysts of T. gondii in surface runoff from the boreal region is a potential source of infection for wildlife in the Canadian Arctic (Simon et al 2013). Due to their hardy nature, oocysts can survive in sea water for more than a year (Lindsay and Dubey 2009).…”

Section: Sources Of Infectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Qualitative risk assessment of impact of Toxoplasma gondii on health of beluga whales, Delphinapterus leucas from the Eastern Beaufort Sea, Northwest Territories

et al. 2018

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In recent years, the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii has increasingly been recognized in Arctic fauna, including beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in the Eastern Beaufort Sea (EBS), Northwest Territories. We qualitatively assessed the risks of T. gondii to the health of EBS beluga because of their importance in livelihood of Arctic communities as well as their potential role as sentinels. This risk assessment used a standard framework including hazard identification, hazard characterization, exposure assessment, and risk characterization. We conclude that currently, the EBS beluga are at moderate risk of exposure to T. gondii, and low risk of developing disease associated with toxoplasmosis, based on the small amount of data available (only healthy, hunter-harvested animals have been examined). Although there was a high level of uncertainty due to limited published data and the challenges in determining prevalence and significance of disease in wild marine mammal populations, overall the EBS population was currently considered to be at a low risk for population level impacts of toxoplasmosis. Finally, we identify knowledge gaps that can guide future research, provide better evidence for future risk assessments, and Résumé : Au cours des dernières années, le parasite protozoaire Toxoplasma gondii a de plus en plus été reconnu dans la faune arctique, y compris chez les bélugas (Delphinapterus leucas) dans l'est de la mer de Beaufort (EMB), dans les Territoires du Nord-Ouest. Nous avons qualitativement évalué les risques de T. gondii pour la santé des bélugas dans l'EMB à cause de leur importance au niveau de la subsistance des communautés dans l'Arctique aussi bien que leur rôle potentiel comme sentinelles. Dans cette évaluation du risque, on a utilisé un cadre standard incluant l'identification des dangers, la caractérisation des dangers, l'évaluation de l'exposition et la caractérisation des risques. Nous concluons, fondé sur la faible quantité de données disponibles (seulement les animaux en bonne santé capturés par des chasseurs ont été examinés), qu'actuellement les bélugas de l'EMB sont à risque modéré d'exposition à T. gondii et à faible risque de développer une maladie associée à la toxoplasmose. Bien qu'il y ait un haut niveau d'incertitude en raison de la quantité limitée de données publiées et des défis quant à la détermination de la prévalence et de l'importance des maladies touchant les populations de mammifères marins sauvages, en général la population de l'EMB est considérée être à faible risque de subir des effets de toxoplasmose. Finalement, nous identifions les lacunes dans les connaissances qui peuvent guider les recherches futures, fournir de meilleures données pour l'évaluation des risques futurs et ultimement, mieux détecter et atténuer les risques changeants pour la santé des bélugas de l'Arctique, ainsi que les communautés qui dépendent de populations durables et saines pour la récolte. [Traduit par la Rédaction]Mots-clés : évaluation qualitative du risque, Toxoplasma gon...

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Hydrological modelling of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts transport to investigate contaminated snowmelt runoff as a potential source of infection for marine mammals in the Canadian Arctic

Cited by 26 publications

References 43 publications

Detection of Hammondia heydorni DNA in feces collected in and around an Ohio Wildlife Conservation Center

Detection of Hammondia heydorni DNA in feces collected in and around an Ohio Wildlife Conservation Center

West Greenland harbour porpoises assayed for antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii: false positives with the direct agglutination method

Qualitative risk assessment of impact of Toxoplasma gondii on health of beluga whales, Delphinapterus leucas from the Eastern Beaufort Sea, Northwest Territories

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