Toxoplasma gondii in Vancouver Island cougars (Felis concolor vancouverensis): serology and oocyst shedding

Abstract

One of 12 necropsied cougars (Felis concolor vancouverensis) from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, shed Toxoplasma gondii oocysts confirmed by mouse bioassay. Eleven of the 12 cougars (92%) had antibodies to T. gondii by the modified agglutination test with titers of <1:25 (1 cougar), 1:50 (8 cougars), and 1:500 (3 cougars). One additional cougar fecal sample collected from the Victoria watershed environment also contained T. gondii oocysts. In 1995, the largest reported outbreak of human toxoplasmosis was linked to municipal drinking water in Victoria, British Columbia. This study supports the initial hypothesis at the time of the outbreak that not only domestic cats, but also cougars, pose a risk to Victoria's water supply.