الفهرس 
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Abstract
Cats are important in the epidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii because they are the only hosts that excrete environmentally resistant oocysts in feces. In the present study, 158 feral cats from Giza, Egypt, were examined for T. gondii infection. Antibodies to T.gondii were found in 97.4% with the modified agglutination test. Viable T. gondii was isolated from tissues (brain, heart, tongue) of 115 out of 137 cats bioassayed in mice. Tissues of the 112 seropositive cats were bioassayed individually where T. gondii was isolated from the hearts of 83 (74.1%), tongues of 53 (47.3%), and brains of 36 (32.1%). Toxoplasma gondii oocysts were not detected in rectal contents of any of the 158 cats probably related to high seropositivity range of titers (chronic infection) of cats surveyed. None of these isolates was virulent to out-bred Swiss Webster mice. Hundred and fiften viable T. gondii isolates from tissues of cats from Egypt were genotyped using 10 polymeras chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) markers (SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1 and Apico) and DNA from tachyzoites. These isolates were designated TgCatEg 1–115; Eight genotypes were recognized including the clonal Type II (2 genotypes), Type III (2 genotypes) and 4 atypical genotypes. Ninety percent (103 of 115) isolates were clonal; Type II (n=61) and Type III (n=42) strains. The T.gondii isolates (n=61) were Type II stains; all had the type II alleles at all loci except 2 strains had allele I at Apico. Of the 42 Type III strains, 41 had type III alleles at all loci except one isolate that had type I allele at Apico. Eight isolates were divided into 4 atypical genotypes. One of these genotypes (with 4 isolates) was previously reported in dogs from Sri Lanka and in Sand cats from United Arab Emirates. Four isolates had mixed infection. These results revealed high prevalence of T. gondii in feral cats in Egypt indicating a high environmental contamination with oocysts and strong clonal population structure with the dominance of clonal Type II and III lineages of T. gondii in feral cats from Egypt.