Molecular study of Toxoplasma gondii B1 Gene in Quails Birds (Coturnix Japonica) in Baghdad City, Iraq

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis is a common zoonotic parasitic disease of medical and veterinary importance worldwide, caused by an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. The study was conducted to investigate the infection rate of Toxoplasma gondii in 100 tissues samples of (25/150) seropositive quail bird organs (25 brain, 25 liver, 25 heart and 25 pectoral muscles) of both sex by Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction (N-PCR) based on B1 gene in some areas of Baghdad city during the period from the 1st January 2021, up to 30th September 2021. The total infection rate was 24% (24/100) and the highest percentage was recorded in pectoral muscles 28% (7/25) and the lowest percentage was recorded in the heart 20% (5/25) without significant difference. Regarding the sex the results revealed that the total infection rate of T. gondii in hens was 30.76% (16/52) more than cocks tissues samples 16.66% (8/48) with highly significant (P≤0.01) differences between organs type. In cock quail, the highest percentage was recorded in brain 33.33% (4/12) and the lowest percentage was recorded in the pectoral muscles and heart 8.33% (1/12).