以半巢式聚合酶連鎖反應方法調查台北市立動物園動物受弓漿蟲感染之情形

Investigation of Toxoplasma Gondii Infection in Animals in Taipei Zoo Using Semi-nest Polymerase Chain Reaction

弓漿蟲可感染所有鳥類和哺乳類，也是重要的人畜共通傳染病。台北市立動物園動物物種繁多，遊客人數眾多，因此動物感染弓漿蟲的狀況是個有待研究的課題。本研究收集 1999-2001 年間於台北市立動物園死亡動物肌肉組織之去氧核醣核酸（deoxyribonucleic acid, DNA），共計 171 隻個體，橫跨 89 個種別。我們鎖定弓漿蟲 B1 基因，以半巢式聚合連鎖反應增幅；電泳檢視增幅結果，若出現疑似弓漿蟲感染陽性的條帶，再以定序以及序列比對方法確診，目的在於調查這些動物受到弓漿蟲感染的情況。結果共有 14 隻個體之電泳結果呈現疑似陽性，佔 8.2%，包括 7 隻綠簑鴿、 1 隻維多利亞冠鴿、1 隻食火雞、1 隻大紅鶴、1 隻小紅鶴、1 隻智利紅鶴、1 隻灰袋鼠與 1 隻兔子。其中有 2 隻個體定序成功，分別為灰袋鼠和維多利亞冠鴿，基因序列經比對確為弓漿蟲。本研究的結果，確認了動物園動物感染弓漿蟲的情況，希望提供園方在疾病防治上的參考。 Toxoplasma gondii is an important zoonotic agent that can infect all species of birds and mammals. Toxoplasmosis should be an important research subject in Taipei Zoo for the large number of animals the Zoo houses and visitors it receives all year-round. Muscle samples from dead animal bodies covering 171 individuals from 89 species were collected in Taipei Zoo from 1999 to 2001. DNA was extracted and the toxoplasma B1 gene was amplified using semi-nest polymerase chain reaction. Further gene sequencing and gene aligning and analysis were performed for the positive samples. There were 14 animals (8.2%) showing suspected positive PCR results, including seven nicobar pigeons (Caloenas nicobarica), one victoria crowned pigeon (Goura Victoria), one southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius), one great flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber), one lesser flamingo (Phoenicopterus minor), one Chilean flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis), one eastern gray kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) and one domestic rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Among these 14 samples, two samples, specifically from gray kangaroo and victoria crowned pigeon, were successfully sequenced and confirmed to be afflicted by Toxoplasma gondii. The study proved the occurrence of toxoplasma infection in animals in Taipei Zoo, and the result can be used as a reference for disease diagnosis and prevention.

Toxoplasma gondii is an important zoonotic agent that can infect all species of birds and mammals. Toxoplasmosis should be an important research subject in Taipei Zoo for the large number of animals the Zoo houses and visitors it receives all year-round. Muscle samples from dead animal bodies covering 171 individuals from 89 species were collected in Taipei Zoo from 1999 to 2001. DNA was extracted and the toxoplasma B1 gene was amplified using semi-nest polymerase chain reaction. Further gene sequencing and gene aligning and analysis were performed for the positive samples. There were 14 animals (8.2%) showing suspected positive PCR results, including seven nicobar pigeons (Caloenas nicobarica), one victoria crowned pigeon (Goura Victoria), one southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius), one great flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber), one lesser flamingo (Phoenicopterus minor), one Chilean flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis), one eastern gray kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) and one domestic rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Among these 14 samples, two samples, specifically from gray kangaroo and victoria crowned pigeon, were successfully sequenced and confirmed to be afflicted by Toxoplasma gondii. The study proved the occurrence of toxoplasma infection in animals in Taipei Zoo, and the result can be used as a reference for disease diagnosis and prevention.