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Keckeisen C, Šujanová A, Himmel T, Matt J, Nedorost N, Chagas CRF, Weissenböck H, Harl J. Isospora and Lankesterella Parasites (Eimeriidae, Apicomplexa) of Passeriform Birds in Europe: Infection Rates, Phylogeny, and Pathogenicity. Pathogens 2024; 13:337. [PMID: 38668292 PMCID: PMC11053544 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13040337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Wild birds are common hosts to numerous intracellular parasites such as single-celled eukaryotes of the family Eimeriidae (order Eucoccidiorida, phylum Apicomplexa). We investigated the infection rates, phylogeny, and pathogenicity of Isospora and Lankesterella parasites in wild and captive passerine birds. Blood and tissue samples of 815 wild and 15 deceased captive birds from Europe were tested using polymerase chain reaction and partial sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome b and cytochrome c oxidase I and the nuclear 18S rRNA gene. The infection rate for Lankesterella in wild birds was 10.7% compared to 5.8% for Isospora. Chromogenic in situ hybridization with probes targeting the parasites' 18S rRNA was employed to identify the parasites' presence in multiple organs, and hematoxylin-eosin staining was performed to visualize the parasite stages and assess associated lesions. Isospora parasites were mainly identified in the intestine, spleen, and liver. Extraintestinal tissue stages of Isospora were accompanied by predominantly lymphohistiocytic inflammation of varying severity. Lankesterella was most frequently detected in the spleen, lung, and brain; however, infected birds presented only a low parasite burden without associated pathological changes. These findings contribute to our understanding of Isospora and Lankesterella parasites in wild birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina Keckeisen
- Institute of Pathology, Department of Biological Sciences and Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (C.K.); (T.H.)
| | - Alžbeta Šujanová
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 845 06 Bratislava, Slovakia;
- Nature Research Centre, 084 12 Vilnius, Lithuania;
| | - Tanja Himmel
- Institute of Pathology, Department of Biological Sciences and Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (C.K.); (T.H.)
- Clinical Institutes of the MedUni Vienna, Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Julia Matt
- Institute of Pathology, Department of Biological Sciences and Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (C.K.); (T.H.)
| | - Nora Nedorost
- Institute of Pathology, Department of Biological Sciences and Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (C.K.); (T.H.)
| | | | - Herbert Weissenböck
- Institute of Pathology, Department of Biological Sciences and Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (C.K.); (T.H.)
| | - Josef Harl
- Institute of Pathology, Department of Biological Sciences and Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (C.K.); (T.H.)
- Clinical Institutes of the MedUni Vienna, Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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2
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Saravana Bhavan Venkatachalam AK, Čepička I, Hrazdilová K, Svobodová M. Host specificity of passerine Lankesterella (Apicomplexa: Coccidia). Eur J Protistol 2023; 90:126007. [PMID: 37536235 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejop.2023.126007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Lankesterella parasites are blood coccidians that have recently gained attention as their records in common passerine species emerge. To date, their occurrence has been molecularly confirmed in several passerine genera, mainly among members of the families Paridae and Acrocephalidae. Despite their relatively high prevalence in some host populations, their life cycles remain unclear, mosquitoes or mites being the proposed vectors. The aim of this study was to reveal Lankesterella host specificity, focusing mainly on parasites of tit and warbler species (families Paridae and Acrocephalidae). We have determined the 18S rRNA gene sequences of Lankesterella from 35 individuals belonging to eight different host species. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that passerine Lankesterella are host-specific, with specificity at the host genus or species level. Besides Lankesterella, Isospora sequences were obtained from avian blood as well, pointing out the need for barcoding.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ivan Čepička
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Czech Republic.
| | - Kristýna Hrazdilová
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University, Czech Republic.
| | - Milena Svobodová
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Czech Republic.
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3
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Bilhalva LC, de Almeida BA, Colombo P, de Faria Valle S, Soares JF. Hematologic variables of free-living Leptodactylus luctator with and without hemoparasites and thrombidiform mites in southern Brazil. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports 2023; 38:100834. [PMID: 36725158 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2023.100834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
It has been suggested that anuran amphibian parasites can cause clinical signs in situations of environmental imbalance. In the family Leptodactylidae, information about hematology is scarce, although these are well-known tools for the diagnosis and prognosis in clinical practice and potential bioindicators of environmental stress. The objective of this study is to describe Leptodactylus luctator hematology, to report the occurrence of hemoparasites and thrombidiform mites, and to compare the hematological variables under the presence and absence of these organisms. Ectoparasites and heparinized blood samples from 40 free-living specimens of L. luctator were collected for analysis. Hematologic variables and total plasma protein were compared between groups with and without hemoparasites and intradermal mites. As results, structures compatible with hemogregarines, Lankesterella sp., five morphotypes of Trypanosoma spp., microfilaria, Aegyptianella sp., an unidentified intraleukocytic hemoparasite, and frog erythrocytic virus (FEV) inclusion bodies were identified in the blood samples, besides Hannemania spp. intradermal mites. The hemoparasite occurrence was higher than previously reported in other anuran families and locations. Also, L. luctator has smaller red blood cells (RBCs) and white blood cells (WBCs), and a hyposegmentation of the neutrophil nucleus, when compared to many other amphibians. White blood cell, neutrophil, and monocyte counts were higher in animals parasitized by mites. There was no correlation between the number of parasitized RBCs and hematologic variables. This study provides anuran hematologic information, in addition to indicating a host reaction to infestation by Hannemania spp. mites, besides constituting the first record of the distribution of hemoparasites and intradermal mites in L. luctator of the study region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Crespo Bilhalva
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Pathology, Veterinary Medicine College, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), 9090 Bento Gonçalves Ave., Porto Alegre 91540-000, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Bruno Albuquerque de Almeida
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Pathology, Veterinary Medicine College, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), 9090 Bento Gonçalves Ave., Porto Alegre 91540-000, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Patrick Colombo
- Zoobotanical Foundation of Rio Grande do Sul (FZB-RS), 1427 Dr. Salvador França Ave., Porto Alegre 90690-000, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Stella de Faria Valle
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Pathology, Veterinary Medicine College, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), 9090 Bento Gonçalves Ave., Porto Alegre 91540-000, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
| | - João Fabio Soares
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Pathology, Veterinary Medicine College, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), 9090 Bento Gonçalves Ave., Porto Alegre 91540-000, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
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Doolin ML, Weinstein SB, Dearing MD. PINWORMS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH TAXONOMIC BUT NOT FUNCTIONAL DIFFERENCES IN THE GUT MICROBIOME OF WHITE-THROATED WOODRATS (NEOTOMA ALBIGULA). J Parasitol 2022; 108:408-418. [PMID: 36066907 DOI: 10.1645/22-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrates rely on their gut microbiome for digestion, and changes to gut microbial communities can impact host health. Past work, primarily in model organisms, has revealed that endoparasites disrupt the gut microbiome. Here, using wild-caught white-throated woodrats (Neotoma albigula), we tested whether naturally acquired parasite infections are associated with different microbiome structure and function. We surveyed wild N. albigula in eastern Utah for gastrointestinal parasites in the spring and fall of 2019, using traditional fecal float methods and testing a PCR-based approach to detect infection. We tested whether the host gut microbiome structure and function differed based on infection with the most prevalent parasite, the pinworm Lamotheoxyuris ackerti. In spring, infected and uninfected animals had significantly different microbiomes, but these differences were not detected in the fall. However, for both sampling periods, infection was associated with differences in particular microbial taxa determined by differential abundance analysis. As N. albigula rely on their microbiomes to digest both fiber and the plant defensive compound oxalate, we compared microbiome function by measuring dry matter digestibility and oxalate intake in infected and uninfected animals. Although we expected infected animals to have reduced fiber degradation and oxalate intake, we found no difference in microbiome function using these assays. This work suggests that parasite effects on the microbiome may be difficult to detect in complex natural systems, and more studies in wild organisms are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret L Doolin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112
| | - Sara B Weinstein
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112
| | - M Denise Dearing
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112
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Ekawasti F, Kitagawa K, Domae H, Wardhana AH, Nagasawa J, Shibahara T, Tokoro M, Sasai K, Matsubayashi M. Phylogenetic characterization of Isospora jaracimrmani oocysts from a veiled chameleon (family Chamaeleonidae; Chamaeleo calyptratus) reared at a zoo in Ishikawa, Japan. J Vet Med Sci 2021; 83:1240-1243. [PMID: 34135210 PMCID: PMC8437735 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.21-0152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Oocysts of Isospora sp. were detected in the feces of a veiled chameleon
(family Chamaeleonidae; Chamaeleo calyptratus) kept at a zoo in Ishikawa,
Japan. Phylogenetic analysis placed the sequence in the cluster of
Isospora spp. isolated from reptiles. Based on a comparison of
morphological data of ten previously reported Isospora species from the
Chamaeleonidae family, this isolate was morphologically similar to I.
jaracimrmani, which has been considered to be a virulent species. This case
study suggests the possibility that species of Isospora might not always
cause disease because the animal that shed these oocysts showed no symptoms for more than
two months.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fitrine Ekawasti
- Indonesian Research Center for Veterinary Science, Bogor 16114, Indonesia.,Department of Veterinary Science, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka 598-8531, Japan
| | | | | | - April Hari Wardhana
- Indonesian Research Center for Veterinary Science, Bogor 16114, Indonesia.,Department of Veterinary Science, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka 598-8531, Japan.,Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Airlangga University, Surabaya 60115, Indonesia
| | - Junki Nagasawa
- Department of Veterinary Science, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka 598-8531, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Shibahara
- Department of Veterinary Science, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka 598-8531, Japan.,Division of Pathology and Pathophysiology, National Institute of Animal Health, NARO, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan
| | - Masaharu Tokoro
- Department of Parasitology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Kazumi Sasai
- Department of Veterinary Science, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka 598-8531, Japan.,Asian Health Science Research Institute, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka 598-8531, Japan
| | - Makoto Matsubayashi
- Department of Veterinary Science, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka 598-8531, Japan.,Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Airlangga University, Surabaya 60115, Indonesia.,Asian Health Science Research Institute, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka 598-8531, Japan
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6
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Liu D, Brice B, Elliot A, Yang R. Morphological and molecular characterization of Isospora amphiboluri (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae), a coccidian parasite, in a central netted dragon (Ctenophorus nuchalis) (De Vis, 1884) in Australia. Parasitol Int 2021; 84:102386. [PMID: 34019996 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2021.102386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
An Isospora species, Isospora amphiboluri, originally described by Canon in 1967 and later by McAllister et al. (1995), was isolated from a central netted dragon (Ctenophorus nuchalis) housed at a wildlife rehabilitation centre in Perth, Western Australia. Sporulated oocysts of Isospora amphiboluri (n = 30) are spherical, 24.2 (26.5-23.0) μm in length and 23.9 (22.4-25.9) μm in width, with a shape index of 1.01. The bilayered oocyst wall is smooth and light-yellow in color. Polar granule, oocyst residuum and micropyle are absent. The sporocysts are lemon-shaped, 15.7 (15.2-18.0) × 10.2 (8.9-11.2) μm, with a shape index (length/width) of 1.53. Stieda and substieda bodies are present, the Stieda body being small and hemidome-shaped and the substieda half-moon-shaped. Each sporocyst contains four vermiform sporozoites arranged head to tail. The sporozoites are 11.7 (9.9-16.2) × 3.0 (2.4-3.5) μm, with a shape index (length/width) of 3.87. A sporocyst residuum is present. Sporozoites contain a central nucleus with a finely distributed granular residuum. Comparison of oocyst measurements and their features with other valid Isospora species from hosts in the Agamid family confirmed that this Isospora species is Isospora amphiboluri. Molecular characterization of I. amphiboluri at the 18S rRNA and MTCOI loci showed the highest similarity with I. amphiboluri from the central bearded dragon, 99.8% and 99.7% respectively. This is the first report of I. amphiboluri from a central netted dragon in Australia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Liu
- College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia; Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, PR China
| | - Belinda Brice
- Kanyana Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, 120 Gilchrist Road, Lesmurdie, Western Australia, 6076, Australia
| | - Aileen Elliot
- College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - Rongchang Yang
- College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia; Australian National Phenome Centre, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Harry Perkins Building, Perth, Western Australia, 6150, Australia.
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7
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Tomé B, Maia J, Perera A, Carranza S, Vasconcelos R. Parasites in a hotspot: diversity and specificity patterns of apicomplexans infecting reptiles from the Socotra Archipelago. Parasitology 2021; 148:42-52. [PMID: 33070783 PMCID: PMC11010208 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182020002000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Although parasites represent a major component of biodiversity, they remain poorly assessed, especially in remote regions. In this study, we screened 461 reptiles from Socotra, the largest and most biologically diverse archipelago in Arabia. Using 18S rRNA primers, we detected various apicomplexan parasites, namely haemogregarines, sarcocystids and eimeriids. Haemogregarines were the most common and genetically diverse, followed by sarcocystids (genus Sarcocystis) and eimeriids (genera Isospora and Lankesterella). All were related to parasites of other reptiles, including species from Arabia, Northern Africa and Asia. Like their 29 endemic reptile hosts, almost all Socotran parasites presented high genetic divergence and ecological differences from those found elsewhere, and probably represent undescribed endemic species. Among hosts, skinks were the most parasitized, which contrasted with similar studies from other areas, probably due to their more generalist diet and habitat use. As expected due to its high species richness, geckos harboured the highest parasite diversity in the archipelago. Parasite diversity also seemed to be correlated to island size, as the largest island harboured most haplotypes. This study emphasizes the importance of screening parasites in wild hosts from remote regions and of considering host ecology to understand disease transmission across taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Tomé
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
| | - João Maia
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
- IBE, Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana Perera
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Salvador Carranza
- IBE, Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raquel Vasconcelos
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- IBE, Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain
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Stacy BA, Chapman PA, Stockdale-Walden H, Work TM, Dagenais J, Foley AM, Wideroff M, Wellehan JFX, Childress AL, Manire CA, Rodriguez M, Zachariah TT, Staggs L, Zirkelbach B, Nahvi N, Crowder W, Boylan SM, Marquardt S, Pelton C, Norton TM. Caryospora-Like Coccidia Infecting Green Turtles ( Chelonia mydas): An Emerging Disease With Evidence of Interoceanic Dissemination. Front Vet Sci 2019; 6:372. [PMID: 31696124 PMCID: PMC6817580 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2019.00372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Protozoa morphologically consistent with Caryospora sp. are one of the few pathogens associated with episodic mass mortality events involving free-ranging sea turtles. Parasitism of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) by these coccidia and associated mortality was first reported in maricultured turtles in the Caribbean during the 1970s. Years later, epizootics affecting wild green turtles in Australia occurred in 1991 and 2014. The first clinical cases of Caryospora-like infections reported elsewhere in free-ranging turtles were from the southeastern US in 2012. Following these initial individual cases in this region, we documented an epizootic and mass mortality of green turtles along the Atlantic coast of southern Florida from November 2014 through April 2015 and continued to detect additional, sporadic cases in the southeastern US in subsequent years. No cases of coccidial disease were recorded in the southeastern US prior to 2012 despite clinical evaluation and necropsy of stranded sea turtles in this region since the 1980s, suggesting that the frequency of clinical coccidiosis has increased here. Moreover, we also recorded the first stranding associated with infection by a Caryospora-like organism in Hawai'i in 2018. To further characterize the coccidia, we sequenced part of the 18S ribosomal and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I genes of coccidia collected from 62 green turtles found in the southeastern US and from one green turtle found in Hawai'i. We also sequenced the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer regions from selected cases and compared all results with those obtained from Caryospora-like coccidia collected from green turtles found in Australia. Eight distinct genotypes were represented in green turtles from the southeastern US. One genotype predominated and was identical to that of coccidia collected from the green turtle found in Hawai'i. We also found a coccidian genotype in green turtles from Florida and Australia with identical 18S and mitochondrial sequences, and only slight inter-regional differences in the internal transcribed spacer 2. We found no evidence of geographical structuring based on phylogenetic analysis. Low genetic variability among the coccidia found in green turtle populations with minimal natural connectivity suggests recent interoceanic dissemination of these parasites, which could pose a risk to sea turtle populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian A Stacy
- National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources, University of Florida (Duty Station), Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Phoebe A Chapman
- Veterinary-Marine Animal Research Teaching and Investigation Unit, School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD, Australia
| | - Heather Stockdale-Walden
- Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Thierry M Work
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Julie Dagenais
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Allen M Foley
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Jacksonville Field Laboratory, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Jacksonville, FL, United States
| | - Morgan Wideroff
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Jacksonville Field Laboratory, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Jacksonville, FL, United States
| | - James F X Wellehan
- Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - April L Childress
- Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | | | | | | | - Lydia Staggs
- Veterinary Services, Zoological Operations, SeaWorld Orlando, Orlando, FL, United States
| | | | - Nina Nahvi
- Sea Turtle, Inc., South Padre Island, TX, United States
| | - Whitney Crowder
- Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Facility, Boca Raton, FL, United States
| | | | | | - Craig Pelton
- Volusia Marine Science Center, Ponce Inlet, FL, United States
| | - Terry M Norton
- The Turtle Hospital, Marathon, FL, United States.,Georgia Sea Turtle Center, Jekyll Island, GA, United States
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9
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McAllister CT, Duszynski DW. The Coccidia (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) of Legless Lizards (Squamata: Lacertoidea: Amphisbaenia) of the World. J Parasitol 2019. [DOI: 10.1645/18-104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Chris T. McAllister
- Science and Mathematics Division, Eastern Oklahoma State College, Idabel, Oklahoma 74745
| | - Donald W. Duszynski
- Professor Emeritus of Biology, 76 Homesteads Rd., Placitas, New Mexico 87043
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10
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Quillfeldt P, Romeike T, Masello JF, Reiner G, Willems H, Bedolla-Guzmán Y. Molecular survey of coccidian infections of the side-blotched lizard Uta stansburiana on San Benito Oeste Island, Mexico. Parasite 2018; 25:43. [PMID: 30109981 PMCID: PMC6092949 DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2018043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2017] [Accepted: 07/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Blood parasites are found in many vertebrates, but the research on blood parasites of lizards is still at its onset. We analyzed blood samples from side-blotched lizards Uta stansburiana from San Benito Oeste Island, Mexico, to test for the presence of hemoparasites. We found a high prevalence (23 out of 27 samples) of a blood parasite of the genus Lankesterella (Coccidia, Eimeriorina, Lankesterellidae) according to phylogenetic analyses of the parasite 18S rRNA gene. Similar parasites (97-99% similarity) have recently been described for Uta stansburiana from California. The parasite 18S rRNA gene showed high variability, both within San Benito and compared to California. The next closest matches of the parasite DNA with 97-98% similarity included a range of different genera (Lankesterella, Schellackia, Eimeria, Isospora and Caryospora). A high uncertainty in the deeper branches of the phylogenetic trees, and many missing links in genetic network analysis, were in line with previous suggestions that the coccidians are an understudied group with large knowledge gaps in terms of their diversity and taxonomy. Further studies are needed to resolve the evolutionary relationships within the Eimeriorina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Quillfeldt
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Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32 35392
Giessen Germany
| | - Tanja Romeike
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Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32 35392
Giessen Germany
| | - Juan F. Masello
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Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32 35392
Giessen Germany
| | - Gerald Reiner
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Department of Clinical Veterinary Sciences, Justus Liebig University Giessen Frankfurter Str. 112 35392
Giessen Germany
| | - Hermann Willems
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Department of Clinical Veterinary Sciences, Justus Liebig University Giessen Frankfurter Str. 112 35392
Giessen Germany
| | - Yuliana Bedolla-Guzmán
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Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32 35392
Giessen Germany
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Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas, A.C. Moctezuma 836, Zona Centro 22800 Ensenada Baja California Mexico
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11
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Megía-Palma R, Martínez J, Cuervo JJ, Belliure J, Jiménez-Robles O, Gomes V, Cabido C, Pausas JG, Fitze PS, Martín J, Merino S. Molecular evidence for host-parasite co-speciation between lizards and Schellackia parasites. Int J Parasitol 2018; 48:709-718. [PMID: 29738739 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2018.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Revised: 02/25/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Current and past parasite transmission may depend on the overlap of host distributions, potentially affecting parasite specificity and co-evolutionary processes. Nonetheless, parasite diversification may take place in sympatry when parasites are transmitted by vectors with low mobility. Here, we test the co-speciation hypothesis between lizard final hosts of the Family Lacertidae, and blood parasites of the genus Schellackia, which are potentially transmitted by haematophagous mites. The effects of current distributional overlap of host species on parasite specificity are also investigated. We sampled 27 localities on the Iberian Peninsula and three in northern Africa, and collected blood samples from 981 individual lizards of seven genera and 18 species. The overall prevalence of infection by parasites of the genus Schellackia was ∼35%. We detected 16 Schellackia haplotypes of the 18S rRNA gene, revealing that the genus Schellackia is more diverse than previously thought. Phylogenetic analyses showed that Schellackia haplotypes grouped into two main monophyletic clades, the first including those detected in host species endemic to the Mediterranean region and the second those detected in host genera Acanthodactylus, Zootoca and Takydromus. All but one of the Schellackia haplotypes exhibited a high degree of host specificity at the generic level and 78.5% of them exclusively infected single host species. Some host species within the genera Podarcis (six species) and Iberolacerta (two species) were infected by three non-specific haplotypes of Schellackia, suggesting that host switching might have positively influenced past diversification of the genus. However, the results supported the idea that current host switching is rare because there existed a significant positive correlation between the number of exclusive parasite haplotypes and the number of host species with current sympatric distribution. This result, together with significant support for host-parasite molecular co-speciation, suggests that parasites of the genus Schellackia co-evolved with their lizard hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Megía-Palma
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, E-28006 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Javier Martínez
- Departamento de Biomedicina y Biotecnología, Área de Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, E-28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - José J Cuervo
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, E-28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Josabel Belliure
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Sección de Ecología, Universidad de Alcalá, E-28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Octavio Jiménez-Robles
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, E-28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Verónica Gomes
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos - Universidade de Évora, 7004-516 Évora, Portugal
| | - Carlos Cabido
- Departamento de Herpetología, Sociedad de Ciencias Aranzadi, Alto de Zorroaga 11, E-20014 San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Juli G Pausas
- Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación (CIDE-CSIC), Ctra. CV-315, Km 10.7 (IVIA), E-46113 Moncada, Valencia, Spain
| | - Patrick S Fitze
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, E-28006 Madrid, Spain; Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Av. Nuestra Señora de la Victoria 16, E-22700 Jaca, Spain
| | - José Martín
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, E-28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Santiago Merino
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, E-28006 Madrid, Spain
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12
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Xavier R, Santos JL, Veríssimo A. Phylogenetic evidence for an ancestral coevolution between a major clade of coccidian parasites and elasmobranch hosts. Syst Parasitol 2018; 95:367-371. [PMID: 29549563 DOI: 10.1007/s11230-018-9790-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 03/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Cartilaginous fishes are the oldest jawed vertebrates and are also reported to be the hosts of some of the most basal lineages of Cestoda and Aporocotylidae (Digenea) parasites. Recently a phylogenetic analysis of the coccidia (Apicomplexa) infecting marine vertebrates revealed that the lesser spotted dogfish harbours parasite lineages basal to Eimeria Schneider, 1875 and the group formed by Schellackia Reichenow, 1919, Lankesterella Ames, 1923, Caryospora Leger, 1904 and Isospora Schneider, 1881. In the present study we have found additional lineages of coccidian parasites infecting the cownose ray Rhinoptera bonasus Mitchill and the blue shark Prionace glauca Linnaeus. These lineages were also found as basal to species from the genera Lankesterella, Schellackia, Caryospora and Isospora infecting higher vertebrates. These results confirm previous phylogenetic assessments and suggest that these parasitic lineages first evolved in basal vertebrate hosts (i.e. Chondrichthyes), and that the more derived lineages infect higher vertebrates (e.g. birds and mammals) conforming to the evolution of their hosts. We hypothesise that elasmobranchs might host further ancestral parasite lineages harbouring unknown links of parasite evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Xavier
- CIBIO/INBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.
| | - Joana L Santos
- CIBIO/INBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Ana Veríssimo
- CIBIO/INBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- College of William and Mary, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Route 1208, Greate Road, Gloucester Point, VA, 23062, USA
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13
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Xavier R, Severino R, Pérez-Losada M, Gestal C, Freitas R, Harris DJ, Veríssimo A, Rosado D, Cable J. Phylogenetic analysis of apicomplexan parasites infecting commercially valuable species from the North-East Atlantic reveals high levels of diversity and insights into the evolution of the group. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:63. [PMID: 29370873 PMCID: PMC5785827 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-2645-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Apicomplexa from aquatic environments are understudied relative to their terrestrial counterparts, and the seminal work assessing the phylogenetic relations of fish-infecting lineages is mostly based on freshwater hosts. The taxonomic uncertainty of some apicomplexan groups, such as the coccidia, is high and many genera were recently shown to be paraphyletic, questioning the value of strict morphological and ecological traits for parasite classification. Here, we surveyed the genetic diversity of the Apicomplexa in several commercially valuable vertebrates from the North-East Atlantic, including farmed fish. Results Most of the sequences retrieved were closely related to common fish coccidia of Eimeria, Goussia and Calyptospora. However, some lineages from the shark Scyliorhinus canicula were placed as sister taxa to the Isospora, Caryospora and Schellakia group. Additionally, others from Pagrus caeruleostictus and Solea senegalensis belonged to an unknown apicomplexan group previously found in the Caribbean Sea, where it was sequenced from the water column, corals, and fish. Four distinct parasite lineages were found infecting farmed Dicentrarchus labrax or Sparus aurata. One of the lineages from farmed D. labrax was also found infecting wild counterparts, and another was also recovered from farmed S. aurata and farm-associated Diplodus sargus. Conclusions Our results show that marine fish apicomplexans are diverse, and we highlight the need for a more extensive assessment of parasite diversity in this phylum. Additionally, parasites recovered from S. canicula were recovered as basal to their piscine counterparts reflecting hosts phylogeny. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-018-2645-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Xavier
- CIBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4486-661, Vairão, Portugal.
| | - Ricardo Severino
- Piscicultura Vale da Lama, Sapal do Vale da Lama, Odiáxere, Lagos, 8600-258, Nigeria
| | - Marcos Pérez-Losada
- CIBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4486-661, Vairão, Portugal.,Department of Invertebrate Zoology, US National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20013, USA
| | - Camino Gestal
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IIM-CSIC), Eduardo Cabello, 6, 36208, Vigo, Spain
| | - Rita Freitas
- CIBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4486-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - D James Harris
- CIBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4486-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Ana Veríssimo
- CIBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4486-661, Vairão, Portugal.,Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, Route 1208, Greate Road, 23062 Gloucester Point, Virginia, USA
| | - Daniela Rosado
- CIBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4486-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Joanne Cable
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
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Megía-Palma R, Martínez J, Paranjpe D, D’Amico V, Aguilar R, Palacios MG, Cooper R, Ferri-Yáñez F, Sinervo B, Merino S. Phylogenetic analyses reveal that Schellackia parasites (Apicomplexa) detected in American lizards are closely related to the genus Lankesterella: is the range of Schellackia restricted to the Old World? Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:470. [PMID: 29017602 PMCID: PMC5633878 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2405-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Species of Schellackia Reichenow, 1919 have been described from the blood of reptiles distributed worldwide. Recently, Schellackia spp. detected in European and Asian lizards have been molecularly characterised. However, parasites detected in American lizard hosts remain uncharacterised. Thus, phylogenetic affinities between the Old and New World parasite species are unknown. METHODS In the present study, we characterised morphologically and molecularly the hemococcidian parasites (sporozoites) that infect three lizard hosts from North America and two from South America. RESULTS In total, we generated 12 new 18S rRNA gene sequences of hemococcidian parasites infecting New World lizard hosts. By the microscopic examination of the smears we identified Schellackia golvani Rogier & Landau, 1975 (ex Anolis carolinensis Voigt) and Schellackia occidentalis Bonorris & Ball, 1955 (ex Uta stansburiana Baird & Girard and Sceloporus occidentalis Baird & Girard) in some samples, but the phylogenetic analysis indicated that all 18S rDNA sequences are distant from Schellackia species found in Old World lizards. In fact, the hemococcidian parasites detected in the New World lizards (including S. occidentalis and S. golvani) were closely related to the genus Lankesterella Labbé, 1899. Consequently, we suggest these two species to be included within the genus Lankesterella. CONCLUSIONS Life history traits of hemococcidian parasites such as the type of host blood cells infected, host species or number of refractile bodies are not valid diagnostic characteristics to differentiate the parasites between the genera Schellackia and Lankesterella. Indeed, lankesterellid parasites with a different number of refractile bodies had a close phylogenetic origin. Based on the phylogenetic results we provide a systematic revision of the North American hemococcidians. Our recommendation is to include the species formerly described in the genus Schellackia that infect American lizards into Lankesterella (Lankesterellidae) as Lankesterella golvani (Rogier & Landau, 1975) n. comb and L. occidentalis (Bonorris & Ball, 1955) n. comb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Megía-Palma
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Martínez
- Departamento de Biomedicina y Biotecnología, Área de Parasitología, Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Dhanashree Paranjpe
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95064 USA
- Department of Biodiversity, Abasaheb Garware College, Pune, India
| | - Verónica D’Amico
- Grupo de Ecofisiología Aplicada al Manejo y Conservación de la Fauna Silvestre, Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos, Centro Nacional Patagónico, Puerto Madryn, Chubut Argentina
| | - Rocío Aguilar
- Instituto Argentino de Zonas Áridas, Grupo de Investigaciones de la Biodiversidad CONICET MENDOZA, Mendoza, Argentina
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC Australia
| | - María Gabriela Palacios
- Grupo de Ecofisiología Aplicada al Manejo y Conservación de la Fauna Silvestre, Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos, Centro Nacional Patagónico, Puerto Madryn, Chubut Argentina
| | - Robert Cooper
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95064 USA
| | - Francisco Ferri-Yáñez
- Departamento de Biogeografía y Cambio Global, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Barry Sinervo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95064 USA
| | - Santiago Merino
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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15
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Characterization of two complete Isospora mitochondrial genomes from passerine birds: Isospora serinuse in a domestic canary and Isospora manorinae in a yellow-throated miner. Vet Parasitol 2017; 237:137-142. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2017.01.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2016] [Revised: 01/23/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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16
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Schuster RK, Woo PCY, Poon RWS, Lau SKP, Sivakumar S, Kinne J. Chlamydotis macqueenii and C. undulata (Aves: Otididae) are new hosts for Caryospora megafalconis (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) and proposal of the genus Avispora gen. nov. Parasitol Res 2016; 115:4389-4395. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-016-5224-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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