Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in retail venison in Montreal detected using a nested PCR method
Toxoplasma gondii is a globally significant zoonotic pathogen responsible for congenital disorders and opportunistic infections, primarily transmitted through foodborne pathways. Deer are considered high-risk hosts for T. gondii infection; however, data on its prevalence in their muscle tissues rema...
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| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Journal of Agriculture and Food Research |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154325000626 |
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| author | Chi Zhao Mengyu Zhang Jiaxuan Lan Xiaoqi Mi Xiaonan Lu Qian Liu |
| author_facet | Chi Zhao Mengyu Zhang Jiaxuan Lan Xiaoqi Mi Xiaonan Lu Qian Liu |
| author_sort | Chi Zhao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Toxoplasma gondii is a globally significant zoonotic pathogen responsible for congenital disorders and opportunistic infections, primarily transmitted through foodborne pathways. Deer are considered high-risk hosts for T. gondii infection; however, data on its prevalence in their muscle tissues remain limited. This study assessed the prevalence of T. gondii in 168 fresh venison samples collected in Montreal in 2024. The sensitivity of conventional PCR and nested PCR methods for detecting the RE-529 fragment was compared. Nested PCR exhibited a detection limit of 2 fg/μL, which is 100 times more sensitive than that of conventional PCR. Using nested PCR, T. gondii DNA was detected in 73 out of 168 samples, indicating a high positivity rate of 43.45 %. These findings reveal the widespread prevalence of T. gondii in venison sold in Montreal and emphasize the importance of freezing or thoroughly cooking venison to mitigate the risk of foodborne toxoplasmosis. This study provides baseline data for health risk assessments and contributes to the development of food safety policies in Canada. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d9038b5d04464bb0bf32bb2193cf0ab8 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2666-1543 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Agriculture and Food Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-d9038b5d04464bb0bf32bb2193cf0ab82025-01-31T05:12:25ZengElsevierJournal of Agriculture and Food Research2666-15432025-03-0119101691Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in retail venison in Montreal detected using a nested PCR methodChi Zhao0Mengyu Zhang1Jiaxuan Lan2Xiaoqi Mi3Xiaonan Lu4Qian Liu5Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, H9X 3V9, Canada; School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, PR ChinaInstitute of Parasitology, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, H9X 3V9, CanadaDepartment of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, H9X 3V9, CanadaDepartment of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, H9X 3V9, CanadaDepartment of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, H9X 3V9, Canada; Corresponding author.Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, H9X 3V9, Canada; McGill Centre for Viral Diseases, Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, 3999 Chem. de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1E2, Canada; Corresponding author. Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, H9X 3V9, Canada.Toxoplasma gondii is a globally significant zoonotic pathogen responsible for congenital disorders and opportunistic infections, primarily transmitted through foodborne pathways. Deer are considered high-risk hosts for T. gondii infection; however, data on its prevalence in their muscle tissues remain limited. This study assessed the prevalence of T. gondii in 168 fresh venison samples collected in Montreal in 2024. The sensitivity of conventional PCR and nested PCR methods for detecting the RE-529 fragment was compared. Nested PCR exhibited a detection limit of 2 fg/μL, which is 100 times more sensitive than that of conventional PCR. Using nested PCR, T. gondii DNA was detected in 73 out of 168 samples, indicating a high positivity rate of 43.45 %. These findings reveal the widespread prevalence of T. gondii in venison sold in Montreal and emphasize the importance of freezing or thoroughly cooking venison to mitigate the risk of foodborne toxoplasmosis. This study provides baseline data for health risk assessments and contributes to the development of food safety policies in Canada.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154325000626Toxoplasma gondiiVenisonPrevalenceNested PCRRE-529 geneFoodborne parasite |
| spellingShingle | Chi Zhao Mengyu Zhang Jiaxuan Lan Xiaoqi Mi Xiaonan Lu Qian Liu Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in retail venison in Montreal detected using a nested PCR method Journal of Agriculture and Food Research Toxoplasma gondii Venison Prevalence Nested PCR RE-529 gene Foodborne parasite |
| title | Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in retail venison in Montreal detected using a nested PCR method |
| title_full | Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in retail venison in Montreal detected using a nested PCR method |
| title_fullStr | Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in retail venison in Montreal detected using a nested PCR method |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in retail venison in Montreal detected using a nested PCR method |
| title_short | Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in retail venison in Montreal detected using a nested PCR method |
| title_sort | prevalence of toxoplasma gondii in retail venison in montreal detected using a nested pcr method |
| topic | Toxoplasma gondii Venison Prevalence Nested PCR RE-529 gene Foodborne parasite |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154325000626 |
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