Uptake and transmission of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts by migratory, filter-feeding fish

From bottlenose dolphins, to walruses, to sea otters, the parasitic protozoan Toxoplasma gondii is infecting marine mammals around the world. Whereas the terrestrial transmission pathways of T. gondii are well-described, the transmission pathway by which marine mammals are being infected is unknown. We hypothesize that migratory filter feeders, specifically northern anchovies (Engraulis mordax) and Pacific sardines (Sardinops sagax), are serving as biotic vectors for T. gondii within the marine environment. By filtering oocysts from seawater, these fishes could be transporting the oocysts from nearshore to pelagic environments. In this study, we experimentally exposed northern anchovies and Pacific sardines to T. gondii oocysts under laboratory conditions. Following exposure, the fishes' alimentary canals were harvested and assayed for the presence of T. gondii by PCR. Fish exposed to as few as 1197 oocysts/L seawater tested positive for T. gondii by PCR. In total, the PCR assay detected T. gondii DNA in 66% (40/61) of the exposed fishes. Oocyst infectivity was confirmed by mouse bioassay: 30% (7/23) of mice developed toxoplasmosis when fed fish exposed to 100,000 oocysts/L. This study demonstrates that both northern anchovies and Pacific sardines can filter T. gondii oocysts out of seawater under experimental conditions. Our experiments with anchovies demonstrated that the oocysts persisted in the fish for at least 8h post-exposure and our experiments with sardines demonstrated that the oocysts remained infectious inside the fish's alimentary canals.