Molecular and biological characteristics of Toxoplasma gondii isolates from wildlife in France

Toxoplasma gondii isolates have been classified into 3 genetic types. Little is known about genotypes of T. gondii isolates in wild animals in Europe. In this report, genotypes of T. gondii isolates from wildlife in France are described. Sera from wildlife were tested for antibodies to T. gondii with the modified agglutination test, and the hearts from animals with titers superior or equal to 1:6 were bioassayed individually in mice. T.gondii was isolated from 9 of 14 seropositive red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes), 12 of 33 roe deer ( Capreolus capreolus), 1 of 4 deer ( Cervus elaphus), 1 of 7 mouflons ( Ovis gmelini musimon) and 1 of 2 common mallards ( Anas platyrhynchos). No isolate was obtained by bioassay in mice of 1 fallow deer ( Dama dama) and of 3 European brown hares ( Lepus europaeus). Genotyping of the 24 isolates using PCR-RFLP and microsatellite markers indicated that all were type II and none of these Toxoplasma isolates was virulent for mice.