First genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii infection in poultry meat intended for human consumption in eastern China.

Toxoplasma gondii can infect nearly all warm-blooded animals including birds. However, limited information on the molecular epidemiology and genotypes of T. gondii infecting poultry is available in China. Therefore, the present study characterized T. gondii genotypes in poultry meat in eastern China. During August 2015 and September 2016, muscle tissue samples collecting from 414 poultries (257 chickens, 115 ducks and 42 geese) in Shandong provinces were used to detect the T. gondii B1 gene by a semi-nested PCR, and the positive samples were genotyped at 10 nuclear loci (i.e., SAG1, alternative SAG2, 5'- and 3'-SAG2, SAG3, L358, BTUB, c22-8, GRA6, c29-2, PK1) and an apicoplast locus Apico by multi-locus PCR-RFLP technology. Thirty-two (7.37%) samples from 414 poultry meat were T. gondii B1 gene positive. Chicken had the highest T. gondii prevalence (8.17%), followed by ducks (7.83%) and geese (4.76%). Furthermore, only one genotype (ToxoDB#9) was identified. This is the first genetic characterization of T. gondii isolates from poultry meat in Shandong province, eastern China and also the first report of genotype ToxoDB#9 was found in poultry in China, which provide basic data for the surveillance and control of T. gondii infection in poultry, other animals and humans.