First molecular characterization of Toxoplasma gondii and molecular analysis of Neospora caninum in American mink (Neogale vison) introduced in Argentina

The American mink (Neogale vison) was introduced to Argentina in the 1930s by the fur industry. Its semi-aquatic habits and foraging behavior facilitates its contact with sporulated oocysts and tissue cysts of apicomplexan parasites such as Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum. Brain samples f...

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Main Authors: Runco, Marina, Gos, Maria Laura, Pardini, Lais, Bernstein, Mariana, Guichon, Maria Laura, Rago, Maria Virginia, Piudo, Luciana, Gonzalez, Alejandro, Monteverde, Martin, Campero, Lucia Maria, Venturini, Maria Cecilia
Format: info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo
Language:Inglés
Published: Elsevier 2026
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Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/25003
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2025.105929
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author Runco, Marina
Gos, Maria Laura
Pardini, Lais
Bernstein, Mariana
Guichon, Maria Laura
Rago, Maria Virginia
Piudo, Luciana
Gonzalez, Alejandro
Monteverde, Martin
Campero, Lucia Maria
Venturini, Maria Cecilia
author_browse Bernstein, Mariana
Campero, Lucia Maria
Gonzalez, Alejandro
Gos, Maria Laura
Guichon, Maria Laura
Monteverde, Martin
Pardini, Lais
Piudo, Luciana
Rago, Maria Virginia
Runco, Marina
Venturini, Maria Cecilia
author_facet Runco, Marina
Gos, Maria Laura
Pardini, Lais
Bernstein, Mariana
Guichon, Maria Laura
Rago, Maria Virginia
Piudo, Luciana
Gonzalez, Alejandro
Monteverde, Martin
Campero, Lucia Maria
Venturini, Maria Cecilia
author_sort Runco, Marina
collection INTA Digital
description The American mink (Neogale vison) was introduced to Argentina in the 1930s by the fur industry. Its semi-aquatic habits and foraging behavior facilitates its contact with sporulated oocysts and tissue cysts of apicomplexan parasites such as Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum. Brain samples from 72 American mink specimens were collected in the province of Neuqu´en, Argentina. For the detection of T. gondii DNA, the quantitative PCR (qPCR) technique was performed, samples positive to qPCR were genotyped by mnPCR-RFLP using 10 genetic markers: SAG1, SAG2 (5′3´SAG2, altSAG2), SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, C22–8, C29–2, L358, PK1 and Apico markers. In addition, ROP18/ROP5 allelic combination analysis was performed on samples successfully genotyped. A con ventional PCR for the detection of N. caninum was performed. Fifteen percent (11/72) of the samples had T. gondii DNA. A new non-archetypical genotype was characterized, named AmMink01Arg (ToxoDB #347). The ROP18/ROP5 results identified the 3/4 combination of alleles. Phylogenetic analysis evidenced that the geno type ToxoDB #347 is related to non-archetypical genotypes of high gene variability (ToxoDB #15, #17, #283 and #286). No N. caninum DNA was detected in any of the samples. The results of the present study confirm T. gondii infection in American mink present in northern Patagonia, where they may favor its dissemination and persistence in the environment acting as a new host of T. gondii in the invaded community. This is the first molecular report for Argentina and the first genotypic characterization of T. gondii in American mink for the American continent.
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institution Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA -Argentina)
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spelling INTA250032026-01-20T00:20:24Z First molecular characterization of Toxoplasma gondii and molecular analysis of Neospora caninum in American mink (Neogale vison) introduced in Argentina Runco, Marina Gos, Maria Laura Pardini, Lais Bernstein, Mariana Guichon, Maria Laura Rago, Maria Virginia Piudo, Luciana Gonzalez, Alejandro Monteverde, Martin Campero, Lucia Maria Venturini, Maria Cecilia Toxoplasma gondii Neospora caninum Enfermedad Parasitaria Infección por Protozoos PCR Genotipado Parasitoses Protozoal Infections Genotyping Visón Americano Neogale vison American Mink The American mink (Neogale vison) was introduced to Argentina in the 1930s by the fur industry. Its semi-aquatic habits and foraging behavior facilitates its contact with sporulated oocysts and tissue cysts of apicomplexan parasites such as Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum. Brain samples from 72 American mink specimens were collected in the province of Neuqu´en, Argentina. For the detection of T. gondii DNA, the quantitative PCR (qPCR) technique was performed, samples positive to qPCR were genotyped by mnPCR-RFLP using 10 genetic markers: SAG1, SAG2 (5′3´SAG2, altSAG2), SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, C22–8, C29–2, L358, PK1 and Apico markers. In addition, ROP18/ROP5 allelic combination analysis was performed on samples successfully genotyped. A con ventional PCR for the detection of N. caninum was performed. Fifteen percent (11/72) of the samples had T. gondii DNA. A new non-archetypical genotype was characterized, named AmMink01Arg (ToxoDB #347). The ROP18/ROP5 results identified the 3/4 combination of alleles. Phylogenetic analysis evidenced that the geno type ToxoDB #347 is related to non-archetypical genotypes of high gene variability (ToxoDB #15, #17, #283 and #286). No N. caninum DNA was detected in any of the samples. The results of the present study confirm T. gondii infection in American mink present in northern Patagonia, where they may favor its dissemination and persistence in the environment acting as a new host of T. gondii in the invaded community. This is the first molecular report for Argentina and the first genotypic characterization of T. gondii in American mink for the American continent. EEA Balcarce Fil: Runco, Marina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP). Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Laboratorio de Inmunoparasitología; Argentina Fil: Runco, Marina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP). Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Cátedra de Inmunología Veterinaria Básica; Argentina Fil: Runco, Marina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Argentina Fil: Gos, Maria Laura. Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP). Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Laboratorio de Inmunoparasitología; Argentina Fil: Gos, Maria Laura. Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP). Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Cátedra de Inmunología Veterinaria Básica; Argentina Fil: Pardini, Lais. Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP). Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Laboratorio de Inmunoparasitología; Argentina Fil: Pardini, Lais. Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP). Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Cátedra de Inmunología Veterinaria Básica; Argentina Fil: Pardini, Lais. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Argentina Fil: Bernstein, Mariana. Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP). Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Laboratorio de Inmunoparasitología; Argentina Fil: Bernstein, Mariana. Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP). Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Cátedra de Inmunología Veterinaria Básica; Argentina Fil: Bernstein, Mariana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Argentina Fil: Guichon, Maria Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA). Grupo de Ecología Terrestre; Argentina Fil: Guichon, Maria Laura. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (UNCo). Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA). Grupo de Ecología Terrestre; Argentina Fil: Rago, Maria Virginia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA). Grupo de Ecología Terrestre; Argentina Fil: Rago, Maria Virginia. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (UNCo). Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA). Grupo de Ecología Terrestre; Argentina Fil: Piudo, Luciana. Centro de Ecología Aplicada de Neuquén (CEAN). Dirección de Ecosistemas Terrestres. Grupo de Ecología Terrestre; Argentina Fil: Gonzalez, Alejandro. Centro de Ecología Aplicada de Neuquén (CEAN). Dirección de Ecosistemas Terrestres. Grupo de Ecología Terrestre; Argentina Fil: Monteverde, Martin. Centro de Ecología Aplicada de Neuquén (CEAN). Dirección de Ecosistemas Terrestres. Grupo de Ecología Terrestre; Argentina Fil: Campero, Lucía María. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce. Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible (IPADS); Argentina Fil: Campero, Lucia Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible (IPADS); Argentina Fil: Venturini, Maria Cecilia. Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP). Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Laboratorio de Inmunoparasitología; Argentina Fil: Venturini, Maria Cecilia. Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP). Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Cátedra de Inmunología Veterinaria Básica; Argentina 2026-01-20T00:15:51Z 2026-01-20T00:15:51Z 2025-10 info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/25003 0034-5288 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2025.105929 eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) application/pdf Elsevier Research in Veterinary Science 197 : 105929 (Octubre 2025)
spellingShingle Toxoplasma gondii
Neospora caninum
Enfermedad Parasitaria
Infección por Protozoos
PCR
Genotipado
Parasitoses
Protozoal Infections
Genotyping
Visón Americano
Neogale vison
American Mink
Runco, Marina
Gos, Maria Laura
Pardini, Lais
Bernstein, Mariana
Guichon, Maria Laura
Rago, Maria Virginia
Piudo, Luciana
Gonzalez, Alejandro
Monteverde, Martin
Campero, Lucia Maria
Venturini, Maria Cecilia
First molecular characterization of Toxoplasma gondii and molecular analysis of Neospora caninum in American mink (Neogale vison) introduced in Argentina
title First molecular characterization of Toxoplasma gondii and molecular analysis of Neospora caninum in American mink (Neogale vison) introduced in Argentina
title_full First molecular characterization of Toxoplasma gondii and molecular analysis of Neospora caninum in American mink (Neogale vison) introduced in Argentina
title_fullStr First molecular characterization of Toxoplasma gondii and molecular analysis of Neospora caninum in American mink (Neogale vison) introduced in Argentina
title_full_unstemmed First molecular characterization of Toxoplasma gondii and molecular analysis of Neospora caninum in American mink (Neogale vison) introduced in Argentina
title_short First molecular characterization of Toxoplasma gondii and molecular analysis of Neospora caninum in American mink (Neogale vison) introduced in Argentina
title_sort first molecular characterization of toxoplasma gondii and molecular analysis of neospora caninum in american mink neogale vison introduced in argentina
topic Toxoplasma gondii
Neospora caninum
Enfermedad Parasitaria
Infección por Protozoos
PCR
Genotipado
Parasitoses
Protozoal Infections
Genotyping
Visón Americano
Neogale vison
American Mink
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/25003
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2025.105929
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