TOXOPLASMA GONDII is the obligate intracellular protozoa which causes toxoplasmosis. This disease is one of the most common parasitic infectious disease throughout the world particularly in Iran (51.8%), which is important in veterinary and medical sciences due to being common between men and animals. As regards to the high prevalence of this parasite in north of Iran (55.7%), and concerning to this fact that one of the most common ways for the infection of main host(cat) is eating the rodents having TOXOPLASMA cyst in the brain and other tissues, we decided to select Lahijan due to the ouburst of warehouse rodents among the northern cities and to survey their infection with T. GONDII. In this research, 100 warehouse rodents types Ratuus ratuus and Ratuus norvegus were examined by using the diagnostic direct slide method$, injection into the lab white n1ceand serologic test in dye test method. For this, purpose, it was bled from the heart of rodents to perform the dye test, and the sera were isolated by centrifuging for 5-10 minutes in 1500 rounds. After preparing dilution of 11.and performing the dye test stages, 24 cases (23 of 93 Rattus morvwergicuses and 1 of 7 Rattus ruttuses) were positive and 78 cases were negative. Then, in order to prepare the direct slide and intraperitoneal injection into the lab white mice, we sampled and used the brains of rodents. All direct slide were negative from the view point of TOXOPLASMA cyst existence, and also the tackyzoite from and intracellular from were not observed and separated in the peritoneal.

TOXOPLASMA. GONDII as an obligate intracellular parasite can infect most of vertebrates. In addition to age and immunological condition of the host, strain of the parasite has an important role in pathogenicity. Differences in strains of parasite can not be-easily diagnose but biochemical method may be used for this purpose.To do the experiments peritoneal exudates of white mice, infected with Rh and Ic strains separately was used to prepare antigens. For Rh strain peritoneal exudate antigen (TRh-PE) Haemaglutination antigen (TRh-HA) and for Ic strain peritoneal exudate antigen (TIc-PE) were prepared by standard methods. Protein concentration of each sample was determined first.Samples were then applied to appropriate gels for SDS-PAGE. Each of the applied samples showed 13 hands.Results of these experiments revealed no significant differences in band position except for the intensity of the bands on gels.It is then concluded that the patogenicity of Rh strain may be attributed to the amount of the antigen produced by the parasite.

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease, which may change some laboratory indices in infected individuals. This study was conducted to determine hematological indices of blood of rats which experimentally infected with TOXOPLASMA GONDII. In this regard, 116rats were divided into two groups of 87 test and 29 control groups. The test group inoculated intraperitoneally with 50000 tachyzoites. In the first 3 days of post infection, every 4 hours and then every 3 days for 60 days, three rats from test group and one rat from control group were bled. For hematological (CBC and platelet count) tests standard techniques were used. Results indicated that in infected rats the percentage of white blood cells was increased from 2nd to 4th and 7th to10th days of post infection. On the other hand, the percentage of neutrophil increased from 2nd to 5th days, while the percentage of lymphocyte was decreased up to 3 weeks. The percentage of eosinophil has not affected. Generally, during experimental infection of rat with toxoplasmosis temporary and nonspecific alteration of some hematological indices may occur. The alteration mainly is due to the parasite migration to the various tissues of the animal and it shift to the normal condition following cyst formation in brain or muscles.

Infection by TOXOPLASMA GONDII is widespread inhumans and many other species of warm-blooded animals. It can cause significant morbidity and mortality in the developing fetus and in immunocompromised individuals, including humans with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) or submitted to cancer chemotherapy.Among livestock, sheep and goat are more widely infected with T. GONDII. This parasite is a major cause of abortion, with significant economic losses to sheep and goat breeders. We applied the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection of the pathogenic protozoan T. GONDII based on its B1 gene. The B1 gene is present and conserved in all six T. GONDIIstrains identified to date. For this purpose 26 suspected human’s blood samples and 54 mice brain and heart were collected from Urmia. In this study, PCR was performed using the previously described primers (Homanet al 2000), which were designed to detect the B1 gene of T. GONDII. The targeted B1 gene is highly conserved in all T. GONDIIstrains and is multiple copy genes within the T. GONDII genome. The method used for the characterization of T. GONDII strains implied digestion with AluIrestriction enzyme of the fragments amplified. The results indicated 19 positive samples (7 human and 12 mouse samples). The 529bp fragment was generated in all positive samples tested and one RFLP patterns were obtained. The results indicated that the same strain of T. GONDII can infect human and mouse in surveyed region.

Background: TOXOPLASMA GONDII (T. GONDII) is a pathogenic and zoonotic parasite, which felines implicate as definitive hosts; intermediate hosts are warm-blooded vertebrates. The protozoa can cause serious symptoms in humans, while in poultry is usually asymptomatic. The prevalence of TOXOPLASMA GONDII in poultry due to the way poultry are fed is an important indicator of the distribution of oocysts in the environment; in addition, consumption of raw or under cooked meat of chickens can cause infection in human and other animals. Therefore, in this study, the prevalence rate of infection to TOXOPLASMA GONDII in domestic and industrial breeding poultry in Isfahan City, Iran, was assessed. Methods: From three groups of domestic breeding, broiler, and laying eggs poultry, 60 blood clot samples were collected. On collected serums, serological modified agglutination test (MAT) was performed. TOXOPLASMA GONDII-specific antibodies were assayed by this test. Then, the obtained results were analyzed. Findings: By performing the MAT serological test, 20, 15, and 30 samples were positive in domestic breeding, industrial broiler, and in laying eggs samples, respectively. Therefore, relative frequency was 33. 3, 25. 0, and 50. 0 percent in domestic breeding, industrial broiler, and industrial laying eggs, respectively, which by performing chi-square test and calculating the P < 0. 050 between the three groups, a significant difference was observed serologically. Conclusion: A considerable percent of domestic and industrial poultry was infected with TOXOPLASMA GONDII. Therefore, preventive measures should be conducted to provide safe foods for vertebrate animals and human.

Background: To study toxoplasmosis in neonates using PCR and serological methods.Methods: Sera and CSF of 104 neonates, hospitalized in infants' ward of Taleghani Hospital, Tehran, Iran were examined. The sera were examined for anti TOXOPLASMA GONDII lgM and lgG specific antibodies with ELISA and IFA techniques, respectively. Meanwhile, obtained CSFs of the cases were evaluated for the genome of this parasite by PCR technique.Results: Results showed positivity in 7 neonates (6.73%) which suggested congenital toxoplasmosis. Results of PCR were positive in 6 neonates (5.77%). The 1/100 titer of lgM specific antibodies was positive in 5(4.81%) of them by IFA technique and 6 neonates (5.77%) had positive results by ELISA technique for IgM specific. The rate of mortality was %0.96. Forty one neonates had 1/200 titer of specific lgG antibodies by IFA technique and 38 neonates had positive results by ELISA technique for IgG antibodies. The prevalence of chronic toxoplasmosis in mother was 32.7% and 30% by IFA and ELISA techniques, respectively.Conclusion: Toxoplasmosis is still highly prevalent in neonates and should be considered due to the fact that suspected cases might be misdiagnosed and subsequently led to life– threatening or fatal condition.

The study of T. GONDII virulence is an important aspect in parasitology. A virulent T. GONDII were isolated from sheep and rooster brains using mice bioassay. After intraperitoneal inoculation of tissue cysts, tachyzoites were harvested from the peritoneal cavity. Forty-six serial passages of tachyzoites were used exudates with the exception of 23 to 26 th passages. Number of harvested tachyzoites and survival times of mice were compared in 1th, 5th, 12th, 22th and 46th passages. The number of tachyzoites and survival time were also compared with RH strain. Virulence of T. GONDII was increased after serial passages of virulent tachyzoites in the mice. Initially, tachyzoites were non-lethal for the mice, although after serial passages they began to kill the mice. Interestingly at this stage, even inoculation of 500 tachyzoites were iethal for the mice. In comparision with RH stain, the number of harvested tachyzoites were significantly decreased, but survival time of the mice were slightly increased.

Toxoplasmosis, caused by TOXOPLASMA GONDII (T. GONDII), is an economically important disease of livestock, especially sheep and goats, where it can cause early embryonic death and resorption, fetal death and mummification, abortion, stillbirth, and neonatal death.Cats are the main reservoir for the toxoplasmosis which can contaminate the environments of other animal and human beings by their faeces that contain sporulated oocysts. Toxoplasmosis is diagnosed mainly by direct smear, Immunohistochemistry, serology testing and PCR. Preventive measures include education of the farmers, reduce environmental contamination by oocysts, reducing the number of cats capable of shedding oocysts, limiting the breeding of cats to maintain healthy adults, control of future breeding and adequate continuous control programs of stray cats. Feeding cats with commercial diets or with food processed either by cooking or freezing can reduce the risk of disease transmission. A live vaccine (Toxovax®) is commercially marketed in some countries for reducing losses to the sheep industry from congenital toxoplasmosis. History, Life cycle, Clinical signs, Diagnosis, Mode of transmission, Epidemiology, Treatment, Control, Prevention and Vaccination against T. GONDII infection in small animals have been reviewed in this article.