| epidemiology of cytomegalovirus infection after transplantation and immunosuppression. | viral infections and clinical complications were studied during hemodialysis and after renal transplantation. active cytomegalovirus infection developed in 96% of patients after renal transplantation; reactivation of herpes simplex, varicella-zoster, and epstein-barr viruses was found in 35%, 24%, and 0% of patients, respectively. cytomegalovirus viremia developed in 42% of patients an average of two months after renal transplantation, lasted 1.75 (+/- 1.5) months (except in one patient with chr ... | 1975 | 171315 |
| toxoplasma gondii antibodies in california swine. | in a serologic survey for toxoplasma gondii in 891 swine from 20 california counties, 478 (54%) were seronegative, 153 (17%) were nonspecific reactors, and 260 (29%) were seropositive. most of the titers (81%) were low, ie, from 1:64 to 1:128, but a few (2%) were high, ie, 1:1024 or greater. | 1979 | 422465 |
| survey of toxoplasma antibodies among sheep in western united states. | a survey was conducted to determine the prevalence of toxoplasma antibodies among breeding ewes and among lambs slaughtered for food in western united states. each serum was tested by the indirect hemaglutination method, using microtiter technique. agglutination (greater than or equal to 2 +) at the 1:64 dilution was considered to be a positive reaction. of 2,164 ewes from 18 flocks tested in california, 523 (24%) were seropositive for toxoplasma gondii, with prevalence rates among flocks rangin ... | 1977 | 604325 |
| prevalence of coxiella burnetii (q fever) and toxoplasma gondii among dairy goats in california. | the prevalence of antibodies against coxiella burnetii and toxoplasma gondii, the causative agents of q fever and toxoplasmosis, was examined in goats to determine the extent of the potential of goats to tansfer these infections to persons. of 1,054 goats from 234 premises in california, 248 goats (24%) were seropositive for c burnetii and 246 (23%) were seropositive for t gondii. of 29 dairy goats tested, 2 (7%) were found to be shedding the q fever rickettsia in their milk; t gondii was not de ... | 1978 | 727592 |
| toxoplasmosis in a california sea lion (zalophus californianus). | disseminated toxoplasmosis was diagnosed in a female california sea lion that had been used in thermoregulation studies for about 4 years while housed in a small enclosure with a fresh-water pool at the university of hawaii, honolulu. toxoplasma gondii was demonstrated in and around necrotic lesions of the heart and the stomach. source of the infection was not established; however, studies on toxoplasmosis in cats were being conducted at the institution, and common caretakers attended both group ... | 1977 | 835862 |
| an outbreak of toxoplasmosis in wallaroos (macropus robustus) in a california zoo. | four wallaroos (macropus robustus) from a central california zoo colony of 22 died within a three week period. histopathologic findings in all four cases were suggestive of toxoplasmosis. brain, lung and heart were the most frequently involved organs. within 4 months of the last death sera from nine colony members were tested for antibodies against toxoplasma gondii using the indirect hemagglutination test. all nine had serological titers ranging from 1:64 to 1:131,072. | 1977 | 839626 |
| prevalence of toxoplasma gondii antibodies in wild and domestic animals in northern california. | wild and domestic animals from 3 geographic-climatologic areas in northern california were tested for antibodies against toxoplasma gondii. a total of 2,796 serum samples representing 37 species of wild mammals, 35 species of wild birds, and 5 species of domestic animals were tested by the indirect hemagglutination test. of 1,174 wild mammal serums tested, 10.8% were positive, which compared with 14.7% of the 1,221 domestic mammal serums. of 229 wild carnivores tested, 45% were seropositive, inc ... | 1976 | 977457 |
| toxoplasma antibodies among bobcats and other carnivores of norther california. | the prevalence of antibodies to toxoplasma gondii was investigated among five species of wild carnivores in norther ccalifornia. the highest prevalence was among bobcats (lynx rufus), with 15 of 21 tested being serologically positive. other results included serological evidence of toxoplasmosis in two of seven raccoons (procyon lotor), one of three badgers (taxidea taxus) and two of three coyotes (canis latrans). two gray foxes (urocyon cinereoargenteus) were serologically negative. oone badger ... | 1975 | 1142562 |
| a survey for toxoplasma gondii antibodies in deer and other wildlife on a sheep range. | blood samples were obtained from native mammals and birds on a sheep range (hopland field station) in northern california. serums were tested for antibodies to toxoplasma gondii by the indirect hemagglutination test. of 382 deer that were tested from 1964 to 1973, 77 (20%) were seropositive for t gondii. among 36 serums representing 6 species of wild carnivores (badgers, bobcats, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, and skunks), 18 (50%) were seropositive. all of the 5 bobcats tested were seropositive, wit ... | 1975 | 1176348 |
| epidemiologic studies on human and feline toxoplasmosis. | human serological profiles, and feline serological and fecal profiles were used to study the epidemiology of toxoplasmosis in santa clara county, california. the prevalence of human toxoplasmosis was determined to be 42.9% in a test population of 147 women. the prevalence of feline toxoplasmosis was indicated to be 34.8% based on serological analysis of 158 felines. of 107 cats tested, 6.5% were shedding toxoplasma gondii - like oocysts in their feces. statistical analyses of questionnaire data ... | 1992 | 1619292 |
| serological survey for selected diseases in the endangered san joaquin kit fox (vulpes macrotis mutica). | blood from endangered san joaquin kit foxes (vulpes macrotis mutica) inhabiting the elk hills naval petroleum reserve, kern county, and the elkhorn plain, san luis obispo county, california, was collected in 1981, 1982 and 1984 and sera were tested for antibodies against 10 selected pathogens. proportions of kit fox sera containing antibodies against pathogens were: canine parvovirus, 100% in 1981-1982 and 67% in 1984; infectious canine hepatitis virus, 6% in 1981-1982 and 21% in 1984; canine di ... | 1988 | 2836636 |
| neuroepidemiology of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. | data from the centers for disease control (cdc) and from the hospitals affiliated with the university of california, san francisco show a significant incidence of neurological complications in aids patients and suggest that patients from different risk groups and geographic regions are at different relative risk for specific neurological complications. cdc national surveillance data show that haitian-born aids patients are 3.7 times more likely to have neurological complications than are patient ... | 1988 | 3216295 |
| serologic diagnosis of toxoplasmosis and prevalence of toxoplasma gondii antibodies in selected feline, canine, and human populations. | | 1973 | 4574472 |
| antibodies to toxoplasma gondii and coxiella burneti among students and other personnel in veterinary colleges in california and brazil. | | 1974 | 4606228 |
| a study of toxoplasma gondii infection in farm and non-farm groups in the same geographic location. | | 1970 | 5461422 |
| serologic survey of california wild hogs for antibodies against selected zoonotic disease agents. | blood samples were collected from trapped or hunter-killed wild hogs (sus scrofa) in 4 areas of california. sera were tested for antibodies against 7 zoonotic disease agents. antibodies against brucella sp were detected in 21 (15%) of 136 samples. antibodies against coxiella burnetii were found in 50% of the collected samples (67 of 135 tested). of the 135 wild hogs screened for pseudorabies virus, 4 (3%) were seropositive. leptospira interrogans antibodies were discovered in 118 (87%) of the 13 ... | 1983 | 6315659 |
| serologic survey and serum biochemical reference ranges of the free-ranging mountain lion (felis concolor) in california. | serum samples from 58 mountain lions (felis concolor) in california (usa) were collected between april 1987 and february 1990. nineteen serum samples were used for serum biochemistry determinations; the ranges were similar to reference values in domestic cats, captive exotic felidae and free-ranging mountain lions. a serological survey was conducted to determine whether antibodies were present against selected infectious agents. fifty-four (93%) of 58 sera had antibodies against feline panleukop ... | 1994 | 8028105 |
| antibody prevalence of eight ruminant infectious diseases in california mule and black-tailed deer (odocoileus hemionus). | we tested 276 sera from 18 free-ranging black-tailed and mule deer (odocoileus hemionus) herds in california (usa) collected from 1987 to 1991 in five biogeographical habitat types, for antibodies against eight infectious disease agents. overall antibody prevalence was 56% for anaplasma marginale, 31% for borrelia burgdorferi, 16% for bluetongue virus serotype 17, 15% for epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus, 7% for coxiella burnetii and toxoplasma gondii, respectively, and 0% for bovine leukosis ... | 1994 | 8151824 |
| serological evidence of human infection with the protozoan neospora caninum. | neospora caninum is a protozoan parasite that is closely related to toxoplasma gondii. dogs are a definitive host. prior to its discovery in 1988, n. caninum infection in animals was often mistakenly diagnosed as toxoplasmosis. neosporosis in animals is characterized by encephalitis, abortion, and other conditions that clinically and pathologically resemble toxoplasmosis. the potential of n. caninum to infect humans is unknown. therefore, evidence of human exposure to this parasite was sought by ... | 1999 | 10473533 |
| coastal freshwater runoff is a risk factor for toxoplasma gondii infection of southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis). | the association among anthropogenic environmental disturbance, pathogen pollution and the emergence of infectious diseases in wildlife has been postulated, but not always well supported by epidemiologic data. specific evidence of coastal contamination of the marine ecosystem with the zoonotic protozoan parasite, toxoplasma gondii, and extensive infection of southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) along the california coast was documented by this study. to investigate the extent of exposure a ... | 2002 | 12076629 |
| evaluation of an indirect fluorescent antibody test (ifat) for demonstration of antibodies to toxoplasma gondii in the sea otter (enhydra lutris). | an indirect fluorescent antibody test (ifat) for detection of toxoplasma gondii infection was validated using serum from 77 necropsied southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) whose t. gondii infection status was determined through immunohistochemistry and parasite isolation in cell culture. twenty-eight otters (36%) were positive for t. gondii by immunohistochemistry or parasite isolation or both, whereas 49 (64%) were negative by both tests. at a cutoff of 1:320, combined values for ifat se ... | 2002 | 12099433 |
| patterns of mortality in southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) from 1998-2001. | detailed postmortem examination of southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) found along the california (usa) coast has provided an exceptional opportunity to understand factors influencing survival in this threatened marine mammal species. in order to evaluate recent trends in causes of mortality, the demographic and geographic distribution of causes of death in freshly deceased beachcast sea otters necropsied from 1998-2001 were evaluated. protozoal encephalitis, acanthocephalan-related dise ... | 2003 | 14567210 |
| clinical pathology and assessment of pathogen exposure in southern and alaskan sea otters. | the southern sea otter (enhydra lutris nereis) population in california (usa) and the alaskan sea otter (e. lutris kenyoni) population in the aleutian islands (usa) chain have recently declined. in order to evaluate disease as a contributing factor to the declines, health assessments of these two sea otter populations were conducted by evaluating hematologic and/or serum biochemical values and exposure to six marine and terrestrial pathogens using blood collected during ongoing studies from 1995 ... | 2003 | 14733279 |
| an unusual genotype of toxoplasma gondii is common in california sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) and is a cause of mortality. | toxoplasma gondii-associated meningoencephalitis is a significant disease of california sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis), responsible for 16% of total mortality in fresh, beachcast carcasses. toxoplasma gondii isolates were obtained from 35 california otters necropsied between 1998 and 2002. based on multi-locus pcr-restriction fragment length polymorphism and dna sequencing at conserved genes (18s rdna, its-1) and polymorphic genes (b1, sag1, sag3 and gra6), two distinct genotypes were identi ... | 2004 | 15003489 |
| seroprevalence of toxoplasma gondii in american free-ranging or captive pumas (felis concolor) and bobcats (lynx rufus). | toxoplasma gondii is a major zoonotic agent infecting a wide range of mammals, including wild felids. like domestic cats, wild felids are involved in the complete infective cycle of t. gondii, as they can host in their gastrointestinal tract sexually mature parasites and shed infective oocysts in their feces. in order to evaluate the importance of this wildlife reservoir, 438 serum samples collected between 1984 and 1999 from 438 pumas (felis concolor) and from 58 bobcats (lynx rufus) from north ... | 2004 | 15019138 |
| exposure to feline and canine pathogens in bobcats and gray foxes in urban and rural zones of a national park in california. | exposure of bobcats (lynx rufus) and gray foxes (urocyon cinereoargenteus) to a range of common canine and feline pathogens was assessed in urban and rural zones of golden gate national recreation area, a national park in the san francisco bay area, (california, usa) from 1992 to 1995. testing included serology for canine distemper virus, canine parvovirus (cpv), canine adenovirus, leptospira interrogans, feline calicivirus (fcv), feline panleukopenia virus, feline herpesvirus, feline enteric co ... | 2004 | 15137484 |
| transmission of toxoplasma: clues from the study of sea otters as sentinels of toxoplasma gondii flow into the marine environment. | toxoplasma gondii affects a wide variety of hosts including threatened southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) which serve as sentinels for the detection of the parasite's transmission into marine ecosystems. toxoplasmosis is a major cause of mortality and contributor to the slow rate of population recovery for southern sea otters in california. an updated seroprevalence analysis showed that 52% of 305 freshly dead, beachcast sea otters and 38% of 257 live sea otters sampled along the califo ... | 2005 | 16157341 |
| a comparison of several serologic tests to detect antibodies to toxoplasma gondii in naturally exposed bottlenose dolphins (tursiops truncatus). | toxoplasma gondii infection in marine mammals is intriguing and indicative of contamination of the ocean environment and coastal waters with oocysts. in a previous study, 138 of 141 (97.8%) bottlenose dolphins (tursiops truncatus) from the coasts of florida and california had antibodies to t. gondii by the modified agglutination test (mat). although the mat has been found to be highly sensitive and specific for t. gondii antibodies from several species of terrestrial animals, it has not yet been ... | 2005 | 16419751 |
| evaluation of two toxoplasma gondii serologic tests used in a serosurvey of domestic cats in california. | we evaluated the sensitivity (se) and specificity (sp) of an igg enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) and igg indirect fluorescent antibody test (ifat) for detection of toxoplasma gondii-specific antibodies in sera from 2 cat populations using a bayesian approach. accounting for test covariance, the se and sp of the igg elisa were estimated to be 92.6% and 96.5%, and those of the igg ifat were 81.0% and 93.8%, respectively. both tests performed poorly in cats experimentally coinfected with ... | 2007 | 17918359 |
| genetic diversity among sea otter isolates of toxoplasma gondii. | sea otters (enhydra lutris) have been reported to become infected with toxoplasma gondii and at times succumb to clinical disease. here, we determined genotypes of 39 t. gondii isolates from 37 sea otters in two geographically distant locations (25 from california and 12 from washington). six genotypes were identified using 10 pcr-rflp genetic markers including sag1, sag2, sag3, btub, gra6, c22-8, c29-2, l358, pk1, and apico, and by dna sequencing of loci sag1 and gra6 in 13 isolates. of these 3 ... | 2008 | 18155841 |
| type x toxoplasma gondii in a wild mussel and terrestrial carnivores from coastal california: new linkages between terrestrial mammals, runoff and toxoplasmosis of sea otters. | sea otters in california are commonly infected with toxoplasma gondii. a unique type x strain is responsible for 72% of otter infections, but its prevalence in terrestrial animals and marine invertebrates inhabiting the same area was unknown. between 2000 and 2005, 45 terrestrial carnivores (lions, bobcats, domestic cats and foxes) and 1396 invertebrates (mussels, clams and worms) were screened for t. gondii using pcr and dna sequencing to determine the phylogeographic distribution of t. gondii ... | 2008 | 18452923 |
| risk factors for toxoplasma gondii infection in wild rodents from central coastal california and a review of t. gondii prevalence in rodents. | sera from 523 wild rodents were tested for toxoplasma gondii antibodies using either an indirect fluorescent antibody test (ifat) (rats and mice, with titer >or=80 considered positive) or a latex agglutination test (lat) (voles, squirrels, and pocket mice, with titer >or=32 considered positive). seventeen percent (88/523) of the rodents, including 26% (85/328) of the peromyscus sp. and 8% (3/37) of spermophilus beecheyi, were seropositive. fourteen percent (23/161) of rodents captured in trap si ... | 2008 | 18605783 |
| prey choice and habitat use drive sea otter pathogen exposure in a resource-limited coastal system. | the processes promoting disease in wild animal populations are highly complex, yet identifying these processes is critically important for conservation when disease is limiting a population. by combining field studies with epidemiologic tools, we evaluated the relationship between key factors impeding southern sea otter (enhydra lutris nereis) population growth: disease and resource limitation. this threatened population has struggled to recover despite protection, so we followed radio-tagged se ... | 2009 | 19164513 |
| enteric bacterial pathogen detection in southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) is associated with coastal urbanization and freshwater runoff. | although protected for nearly a century, california's sea otters have been slow to recover, in part due to exposure to fecally-associated protozoal pathogens like toxoplasma gondii and sarcocystis neurona. however, potential impacts from exposure to fecal bacteria have not been systematically explored. using selective media, we examined feces from live and dead sea otters from california for specific enteric bacterial pathogens (campylobacter, salmonella, clostridium perfringens, c. difficile an ... | 2010 | 19720009 |
| effect of estuarine wetland degradation on transport of toxoplasma gondii surrogates from land to sea. | the flux of terrestrially derived pathogens to coastal waters presents a significant health risk to marine wildlife, as well as to humans who utilize the nearshore for recreation and seafood harvest. anthropogenic changes in natural habitats may result in increased transmission of zoonotic pathogens to coastal waters. the objective of our work was to evaluate how human-caused alterations of coastal landscapes in california affect the transport of toxoplasma gondii to estuarine waters. toxoplasma ... | 2010 | 20802072 |
| assessment of clinical pathology and pathogen exposure in sea otters (enhydra lutris) bordering the threatened population in alaska. | northern sea otter (enhydra lutris kenyoni) abundance has decreased dramatically over portions of southwest alaska, usa, since the mid-1980s, and this stock is currently listed as threatened under the endangered species act. in contrast, adjacent populations in south central alaska, usa, and russia have been stable to increasing during the same period. sea otters bordering the area classified in the recent decline were live-captured during 2004-2006 at bering island, russia, and the kodiak archi ... | 2011 | 21719822 |
| zoonotic infections among employees from great smoky mountains and rocky mountain national parks, 2008-2009. | u.s. national park service employees may have prolonged exposure to wildlife and arthropods, placing them at increased risk of infection with endemic zoonoses. to evaluate possible zoonotic risks present at both great smoky mountains (grsm) and rocky mountain (romo) national parks, we assessed park employees for baseline seroprevalence to specific zoonotic pathogens, followed by evaluation of incident infections over a 1-year study period. park personnel showed evidence of prior infection with a ... | 2012 | 22835153 |
| a systematic review of changes in marine mammal health in north america, 1972-2012: the need for a novel integrated approach. | marine mammals are often cited as "sentinels of ocean health" yet accessible, synthesized data on their health changes that could effectively warn of ocean health changes are rare. the objectives of this study were to 1) perform a systematic review of published cases of marine mammal disease to determine spatial and temporal trends in disease from 1972-2012, including changes in regions and taxa affected and specific causes; and 2) compare numbers of published cases of neoplasia with known, hosp ... | 2015 | 26579715 |
| seroepidemiologic survey of potential pathogens in obligate and facultative scavenging avian species in california. | throughout the world, populations of scavenger birds are declining rapidly with some populations already on the brink of extinction. much of the current research into the factors contributing to these declines has focused on exposure to drug residues, lead, and other toxins. despite increased monitoring of these declining populations, little is known about infectious diseases affecting scavenger bird species. to assess potential infectious disease risks to both obligate and facultative scavenger ... | 2015 | 26606755 |
| demographic characteristics and infectious diseases of a population of american black bears in humboldt county, california. | american black bears (ursus americanus) are common, widely distributed, and broad-ranging omnivorous mammals in northern california forests. bears may be susceptible to pathogens infecting both domestic animals and humans. monitoring bear populations, particularly in changing ecosystems, is important to understanding ecological features that could affect bear population health and influence the likelihood that bears may cause adverse impacts on humans. in all, 321 bears were captured between may ... | 2015 | 25700042 |
| pathogen infection and exposure, and ectoparasites of the federally endangered amargosa vole (microtus californicus scirpensis), california, usa. | abstract we surveyed pathogens and ectoparasites among federally endangered amargosa voles (microtus californicus scirpensis) and sympatric rodents in tecopa hot springs, inyo county, california, december 2011-november 2012. we aimed to assess disease and detect possible spillover from or connectivity with other hosts within and outside the amargosa ecosystem. we assessed 71 individual voles and 38 individual sympatric rodents for current infection with seven vector-borne zoonotic pathogens and ... | 2014 | 25121407 |
| pathogen and rodenticide exposure in american badgers (taxidea taxus) in california. | urban and agricultural land use may increase the risk of disease transmission among wildlife, domestic animals, and humans as we share ever-shrinking and fragmented habitat. american badgers (taxidae taxus), a species of special concern in california, usa, live in proximity to urban development and often share habitat with livestock and small peridomestic mammals. as such, they may be susceptible to pathogens commonly transmitted at this interface and to anticoagulant rodenticides used to contro ... | 2012 | 22493124 |
| surveillance for zoonotic and selected pathogens in harbor seals phoca vitulina from central california. | the infection status of harbor seals phoca vitulina in central california, usa, was evaluated through broad surveillance for pathogens in stranded and wild-caught animals from 2001 to 2008, with most samples collected in 2007 and 2008. stranded animals from mendocino county to san luis obispo county were sampled at a rehabilitation facility: the marine mammal center (tmmc, n = 175); wild-caught animals were sampled at 2 locations: san francisco bay (sf, n = 78) and tomales bay (tb, n = 97), that ... | 2014 | 25266897 |
| the development and implementation of a method using blue mussels (mytilus spp.) as biosentinels of cryptosporidium spp. and toxoplasma gondii contamination in marine aquatic environments. | surveillance monitoring for microbial water quality typically involves collecting single discrete grab samples for analyzing only one contaminant. while informative, current approaches suffer from poor recoveries and only provide a limited snapshot of the microbial contaminants only at the time of collection. to overcome these limitations, bivalves have been proposed as effective biosentinels of water quality particularly for their ability to efficiently concentrate and retain microbial contamin ... | 2015 | 26358104 |
| estimating environmental conditions affecting protozoal pathogen removal in surface water wetland systems using a multi-scale, model-based approach. | cryptosporidium parvum, giardia lamblia, and toxoplasma gondii are waterborne protozoal pathogens distributed worldwide and empirical evidence suggests that wetlands reduce the concentrations of these pathogens under certain environmental conditions. the goal of this study was to evaluate how protozoal removal in surface water is affected by the water temperature, turbidity, salinity, and vegetation cover of wetlands in the monterey bay region of california. to examine how protozoal removal was ... | 2014 | 25016109 |
| pathogen exposure varies widely among sympatric populations of wild and domestic felids across the united states. | understanding how landscape, host, and pathogen traits contribute to disease exposure requires systematic evaluations of pathogens within and among host species and geographic regions. the relative importance of these attributes is critical for management of wildlife and mitigating domestic animal and human disease, particularly given rapid ecological changes, such as urbanization. we screened > 1000 samples from sympatric populations of puma (puma concolor), bobcat (lynx rufus), and domestic ca ... | 2016 | 27209780 |
| zoonotic parasites of bobcats around human landscapes. | we analyzed lynx rufus fecal parasites from california and colorado, hypothesizing that bobcats shed zoonotic parasites around human landscapes. giardia duodenalis, cryptosporidium, ancylostoma, uncinaria, and toxocara cati were shed. toxoplasma gondii serology demonstrated exposure. giardia and cryptosporidium shedding increased near large human populations. genotyped giardia may indicate indirect transmission with humans. | 2012 | 22718941 |
| dual congenital transmission of toxoplasma gondii and sarcocystis neurona in a late-term aborted pup from a chronically infected southern sea otter (enhydra lutris nereis). | toxoplasma gondii and sarcocystis neurona are protozoan parasites with terrestrial definitive hosts, and both pathogens can cause fatal disease in a wide range of marine animals. close monitoring of threatened southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) in california allowed for the diagnosis of dual transplacental transmission of t. gondii and s. neurona in a wild female otter that was chronically infected with both parasites. congenital infection resulted in late-term abortion due to dissemina ... | 2016 | 26494610 |
| temporal association between land-based runoff events and california sea otter (enhydra lutris nereis) protozoal mortalities. | toxoplasma gondii and sarcocystis neurona have caused significant morbidity and mortality in threatened southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) along the central california coast. because only terrestrial animals are known to serve as definitive hosts for t. gondii and s. neurona, infections in otters suggest a land to sea flow of these protozoan pathogens. to better characterize the role of overland runoff in delivery of terrestrially derived fecal pathogens to the near shore, we assessed t ... | 2012 | 22493114 |
| prevalence and potential impact of toxoplasma gondii on the endangered amargosa vole (microtus californicus scirpensis), california, usa. | we investigated the prevalence of toxoplasma gondii in 2011-15 to assess its potential threat on the endangered amargosa vole ( microtus californicus scirpensis) in california, us. surveillance was simultaneously performed on populations of syntopic rodent species. we detected antibodies to t. gondii in sera from 10.5% of 135 wild-caught amargosa voles; 8% of 95 blood samples were pcr-positive for the t. gondii b1 gene, and 5.0% of 140 sympatric rodent brain samples were pcr-positive. exposure t ... | 2017 | 27690194 |
| coastal development and precipitation drive pathogen flow from land to sea: evidence from a toxoplasma gondii and felid host system. | rapidly developing coastal regions face consequences of land use and climate change including flooding and increased sediment, nutrient, and chemical runoff, but these forces may also enhance pathogen runoff, which threatens human, animal, and ecosystem health. using the zoonotic parasite toxoplasma gondii in california, usa as a model for coastal pathogen pollution, we examine the spatial distribution of parasite runoff and the impacts of precipitation and development on projected pathogen deli ... | 2016 | 27456911 |
| concentration and retention of toxoplasma gondii oocysts by marine snails demonstrate a novel mechanism for transmission of terrestrial zoonotic pathogens in coastal ecosystems. | the parasite toxoplasma gondii is an environmentally persistent pathogen that can cause fatal disease in humans, terrestrial warm-blooded animals and aquatic mammals. although an association between t. gondii exposure and prey specialization on marine snails was identified in threatened california sea otters, the ability of kelp-dwelling snails to transmit terrestrially derived pathogens has not been previously investigated. the objective of this study was to measure concentration and retention ... | 2015 | 26033089 |
| surveillance for toxoplasma gondii in california mussels (mytilus californianus) reveals transmission of atypical genotypes from land to sea. | coastal habitat contamination with toxoplasma gondii is a health risk to humans and marine wildlife, with infections documented in both nearshore and pelagic marine mammals. due to lack of sensitive methods for detection of t. gondii in water, this study utilized an alternative surveillance approach for evaluating marine habitat contamination using wild mussels. the objectives of this study were to (i) validate sensitive molecular tools for t. gondii detection in mussels and (ii) apply optimized ... | 2015 | 25367256 |
| aquatic polymers can drive pathogen transmission in coastal ecosystems. | gelatinous polymers including extracellular polymeric substances (epss) are fundamental to biophysical processes in aquatic habitats, including mediating aggregation processes and functioning as the matrix of biofilms. yet insight into the impact of these sticky molecules on the environmental transmission of pathogens in the ocean is limited. we used the zoonotic parasite toxoplasma gondii as a model to evaluate polymer-mediated mechanisms that promote transmission of terrestrially derived patho ... | 2014 | 25297861 |
| using molecular epidemiology to track toxoplasma gondii from terrestrial carnivores to marine hosts: implications for public health and conservation. | environmental transmission of the zoonotic parasite toxoplasma gondii, which is shed only by felids, poses risks to human and animal health in temperate and tropical ecosystems. atypical t. gondii genotypes have been linked to severe disease in people and the threatened population of california sea otters. to investigate land-to-sea parasite transmission, we screened 373 carnivores (feral domestic cats, mountain lions, bobcats, foxes, and coyotes) for t. gondii infection and examined the distrib ... | 2014 | 24874796 |
| toxoplasma gondii, source to sea: higher contribution of domestic felids to terrestrial parasite loading despite lower infection prevalence. | environmental transmission of toxoplasma gondii, a global zoonotic parasite, adversely impacts human and animal health. toxoplasma is a significant cause of mortality in threatened southern sea otters, which serve as sentinels for disease threats to people and animals in coastal environments. as wild and domestic felids are the only recognized hosts capable of shedding toxoplasma oocysts into the environment, otter infection suggests land-to-sea pathogen transmission. to assess relative contribu ... | 2013 | 24048652 |
| disease surveillance of california ground squirrels ( spermophilus beecheyi ) in a drive-through zoo in oregon, usa. | rodents and other small wild mammals are often considered to be pests and vectors for disease in zoos that house small populations of valuable threatened and endangered animals. in 2005, three nonhuman primates at a drive-through zoo in oregon, us, acquired tularemia from an unknown source. due to an abundance of california ground squirrels ( spermophilus beecheyi ) on zoo grounds, we instituted serosurveillance of this species from july through september 2008 to determine the prevalence of anti ... | 2017 | 28418764 |