Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular apicomplexan parasite that infects a wide range of warm-blooded vertebrate hosts, including birds. The present study was undertaken to isolate and genotype T. gondii from free-range chickens (Gallus domesticus) in Qassim, Saudi Arabia. A total of 244 chickens were examined for T. gondii infection. Antibodies to T. gondii were detected in 29 (11.9%) chickens using the direct agglutination test (DAT). The brains of 29 chickens were bioassayed in mice. Four (13.8%) bioassayed mouse samples were positive for T. gondii DNA. Genotyping using the surface membrane antigen 3 (SAG3) locus indicated that all four isolates were type III. This is the first report on the genetic characterization of T. gondii isolated from chickens in Saudi Arabia.