Only a small percentage of exposed adult humans or animals develop clinical signs of toxoplasmosis. Several factors can be related to the severity of toxoplasmosis in immunocompetent hosts, including parasite strain, host variability and genetic variability of the parasite. Most T. gondii isolates from humans and animals in Europe and North America have been classified into one of the three clonal lineages named Types I, II and III ( Dardé et al., 1992, Howe and Sibley, 1995 and Ajzenberg et al., 2002). However, recent studies have reported that the parasite isolates in Brazil are biologically and genetically

different ( Dubey et al., 2002, Dubey et al., 2007a, Dubey et al., 2007b and Lehmann et al., 2006). Pena PARP inhibitor et al. (2008) identified 48 RFLP (Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism) genotypes in 125 isolates from chickens, dogs and cats; four of these isolates are considered to be common clonal lineages

in Brazil, designated as Types BrI, BrII, BrIII and BrIV. Little is known about the genotypes of T. gondii circulating in wild animals in Brazil. Brazil is considered to be the country with the greatest biodiversity on the planet, accounting for the highest numbers of both terrestrial vertebrates and invertebrates in the world ( Lambertini, 2000). Recently, Yai et al. (2009) have identified 16 genotypes among 36 T. gondii isolates from capybaras (Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris) in Brazil, corroborating the previous finding that this parasite population is highly diverse in this region. In the present study, we described the genetic TGF-beta inhibitor and biological characteristics of T. gondii isolates from a red-handed howler monkey (Alouatta belzebul), a jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi), and a black-eared opossum (Didelphis aurita) from two Brazilian regions. A young male red-handed howler monkey (A. belzebul) had inhabited the Zoo of Parque Thiamine-diphosphate kinase Estadual Dois Irmãos, in the municipality of Recife, Pernambuco State, Northeastern Brazil, since January 2008. It was fed on fruits and leaves and died 5 days after showing prostration, diarrhoea and hyperthermia

in July 2009, suspected with toxoplasmosis. The heart, brain and diaphragm were collected soon after the death of the monkey. An adult male jaguarundi (P. yagouaroundi) had inhabited the same Zoo since 2001. It was fed on pre-frozen beef, chicken and viscera. This felid died of trauma in July 2009. Its heart, brain and muscles were collected for the study. A wild adult female black-eared opossum (D. aurita) was captured alive in Sorocaba municipality, São Paulo State, Southeastern Brazil. A serologic examination using the modified agglutination test (MAT) ( Dubey and Desmonts, 1987) was performed soon after the capture; the result showed that this female black-eared opossum carried antibodies to T. gondii (MAT titre 1:100). This animal was euthanised, and its tissues (brain, heart and diaphragm) were collected for bioassay analysis.