ESTIMATINGTOXOPLASMA GONDIIEXPOSURE IN ARCTIC FOXES (VULPES LAGOPUS) WHILE NAVIGATING THE IMPERFECT WORLD OF WILDLIFE SEROLOGY

• DOI: 10.7589/2015-03-075
• Publication Date: 2016-01-09T04:37:59Z
• Authors: Stacey A. Elmore; Gustaf Samelius; Batol Al-Adhami; Kathryn P. Huyvaert; Larissa L. Bailey; Ray T. Alisauskas; Alvin A. Gajadhar; Emily J. Jenkins
• Keywords: Arctic fox; Direct agglutination test; Toxoplasmosis

Although the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is ubiquitous in birds and mammals worldwide, full suite of hosts transmission routes not completely understood, especially Arctic. occurrence humans wildlife can be high Arctic regions, despite apparently limited opportunities for oocysts shed by felid definitive hosts. foxes (Vulpes lagopus) are under increasing anthropogenic ecologic pressure, leading to population declines parts their range. Our understanding T. arctic only a few but mortality events caused this have been reported. We investigated exposure Karrak Lake goose colony, Queen Maud Gulf Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Nunavut, Canada. Following an occupancy-modeling framework, we performed replicated antibody testing on serum samples direct agglutination test (DAT), indirect fluorescent (IFAT), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that used multiple mammalian host species. As metric performance, then estimated probability detecting antibodies each tests. Occupancy estimates framework were between 0.430 0.758. Detection was highest IFAT (0.716) lower DAT (0.611) ELISA (0.464), indicating choice detection might IFAT. document new geographic record demonstrate emerging application modeling techniques account imperfect performance diagnostic tests