TOXOPLASMA-GONDII IN VANCOUVER-ISLAND COUGARS (FELIS-CONCOLOR VANCOUVERENSIS) - SEROLOGY AND OOCYST SHEDDING

One of 12 necropsied cougars (Felis concolor vancouverensis) from Vanc ouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, shed Toxoplasma gondii oocysts confirmed by mouse bioassay. Eleven of the 12 cougars (92%) had antib odies to T. gondii by the modified agglutination test with titers of < 1:25 (1 cougar), 1:50 (8 cougars), and 1:500 (3 cougars). One addition al cougar fecal sample collected from the Victoria watershed environme nt also contained T. gondii oocysts. In 1995, the largest reported out break of human toxoplasmosis was linked to municipal drinking water in Victoria, British Columbia. This study supports the initial hypothesi s at the time of the outbreak that not only domestic cats, but also co ugars, pose a risk to Victoria's water supply.