TOXOPLASMA GONDII ANTIBODY PREVALENCE AND TWO NEW GENOTYPES OF THE PARASITE IN ENDANGERED HAWAIIAN GEESE (NENE: BRANTA SANDVICENSIS).

Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite transmitted by domestic cats ( Felis catus ) that has historically caused mortality in native Hawaiian birds. To estimate how widespread exposure to the parasite is in nene (Hawaiian Geese, Branta sandvicensis), we did a serologic survey for T. gondii antibody and genetically characterized parasite DNA from the tissues of dead birds that had confirmed infections by immunohistochemistry.