Diversity of Toxoplasma gondii strains shaped by commensal communities of small mammals

Commensal rodent species are key reservoirs for Toxoplasma gondii in the domestic environment. In rodents, different T. gondii strains show variable patterns of virulence according to host species. Toxoplasma gondii strains causing non-lethal chronic infections in local hosts will be more likely to persist in a given environment, but few studies have addressed the possible role of these interactions in shaping the T. gondii population structure....