Molecular detection of Toxoplasma gondii in Cerdocyon thous at southern Brazil

Crab-eating fox (<i>Cerdocyon thous</i>) is widely distributed throughout South America, being the most common wild canid in Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. It is considered a host for several parasites and contributes to the maintenance of its biological cycle due to its generalist and synanthropic habits. Due to the importance of the disease caused by <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i>, knowing its distribution in wild animals is essential to understand the transmission cycle of the protozoan. Therefore, the objective of the study was to report the molecular identification of <i>T. gondii</i> DNA in a sample of cardiac muscle tissue from <i>C. thous</i> in southern Brazil. For this purpose, a specimen of <i>C. thous</i>, found dead after being run over, was collected on the highways of Cerrito, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil and sent to the laboratory for necropsy. Tissue fragments (spleen, liver, kidney, heart, lung, lymph nodes, bone marrow and blood) were collected and its genomic DNA was extracted. The samples were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification using the 18S rRNA gene, and <i>T. gondii</i> DNA was amplified in cardiac muscle samples. The presence of the protozoan was confirmed by genetic sequencing. This study reports the molecular detection of <i>T. gondii</i> DNA in cardiac muscle of <i>C. thous</i> in southern Brazil, demonstrating the presence of the protozoan in the studied region. In addition, a new molecular sequence is being provided, contributing to the knowledge and epidemiology of the parasite.