Abstract
We identified the presence of Toxoplasma gondii in ticks and their host dogs, and assess the potential role of ticks as reservoirs for this pathogen. A total of 1,230 feeding ticks were collected from 340 dogs. The tick species identified included Haemaphysalis longicornis, H. flava, and Ixodes nipponensis. Detection of the T. gondii B1 gene occurred in 2 dogs (0.6%) and 4 tick pools (0.9%). Genotyping confirmed the presence of the I/III genotype. This study is the first to report the molecular detection of T. gondii in both canine ticks and their hosts. Our findings offer important insights into the dynamics of T. gondii transmission between vectors and their hosts.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 66-74 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Parasites, Hosts and Diseases |
| Volume | 63 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1 Feb 2025 |
Keywords
- Dogs
- Toxoplasma gondii
- genotype
- phylogeny
- ticks