Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Parasitology 1735-7020 15 2 2020 06 07 158 167 Beheshteh HAGHPARAST-KENARI Student Research Committee, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran AND Toxoplasmosis Research Center (TRC), Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran Shahabeddin SARVI Toxoplasmosis Research Center (TRC), Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran AND Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Sari Medical School, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran Mehdi SHARIF Toxoplasmosis Research Center (TRC), Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran AND Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Sari Medical School, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran Ehsan AHMADPOUR Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran Seyed Abdollah HOSSEINI Student Research Committee, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran AND Toxoplasmosis Research Center (TRC), Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran Ahmad DARYANI Toxoplasmosis Research Center (TRC), Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran AND Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Sari Medical School, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran 2020 06 07 Background: Soil is one of the environmental sources of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts. The other hand, genotype of the parasite is one of the important factors for its pathogenicity. Due to the importance of toxoplasmosis on public health, this study aimed to isolation and genotyping of T. gondii in environmental soil samples of Mazandaran Province, north of Iran. Methods: Overall, 192 soil samples were collected from different areas in Mazandaran Province from Apr to Sep 2014. The flotation method was used for recovering oocysts. Then, soil samples were investigated for DNA detection of T. gondii using nested PCR of RE gene, genotyping with Semi-nested PCR of GRA6 gene and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. Results were analyzed using Chi-squared test. A significant difference was considered with a P<0.05. Results: From 192 soil samples, T. gondii DNA was detected in 150 samples (78.1%). Then genotype of 23 samples was determined (91.3% type I and 8.7% type II). Conclusion: Prevalence of T. gondii in soil samples of Mazandaran province, north of Iran is high and T. gondii GRA6 type I is predominant. Soil can be the most important source of severe toxoplasmosis in this province. https://ijpa.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijpa/article/view/2934 https://ijpa.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijpa/article/download/2934/1027