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Robleto-Quesada J, Umaña-Blanco F, Solano-Barquero A, Allen J, Levi T, Gori F, Schnyder M, Rojas A. Seek, and you will find: Cryptic diversity of the cardiopulmonary nematode Angiostrongylus vasorum in the Americas. Acta Trop 2024; 258:107337. [PMID: 39098751 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107337] [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: 04/11/2024] [Revised: 07/17/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
Angiostrongylus vasorum is a metastrongylid parasite infecting wild canids and domestic dogs. Its patchy distribution, high pathogenicity and taxonomical classification makes the evolutionary history of A. vasorum intriguing and important to study. First larval stages of A. vasorum were recovered from feces of two grey foxes, Urocyon cinereoargenteus, from Costa Rica. Sequencing and phylogenetic and haplotypic analyses of the ITS2, 18S and cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) fragments were performed. Then p- and Nei´s genetic distance, nucleotide substitution rates and species delimitation analyses were conducted with cox1 data of the specimens collected herein and other Angiostrongylus spp. Cophylogenetic congruence and coevolutionary events of Angiostrongylus spp. and their hosts were evaluated using patristic and phenetic distances and maximum parsimony reconciliations. Specimens from Costa Rica clustered in a separate branch from European and Brazilian A. vasorum sequences in the phylogenetic and haplotype network analyses using the ITS2 and cox1 data. In addition, cox1 p-distance of the sequences derived from Costa Rica were up to 8.6 % different to the ones from Europe and Brazil, a finding mirrored in Nei´s genetic distance PCoA. Species delimitation analysis supported a separate group with the sequences from Costa Rica, suggesting that these worms may represent cryptic variants of A. vasorum, a new undescribed taxon or Angiocaulus raillieti, a synonym species of A. vasorum described in Brazil. Moreover, nucleotide substitution rates in A. vasorum were up to six times higher than in the congener Angiostrongylus cantonensis. This finding and the long time elapsed since the last common ancestor between both species may explain the larger diversity in A. vasorum. Finally, cophylogenetic congruence was observed between Angiostrongylus spp. and their hosts, with cospeciation events occurring at deeper taxonomic branching of host order. Altogether, our data suggest that the diversity of the genus Angiostrongylus is larger than expected, since additional species may be circulating in wild canids from the Americas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joby Robleto-Quesada
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica 11501-2060
| | - Fabián Umaña-Blanco
- Laboratory of Helminthology, Faculty of Microbiology, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica 11501-2060
| | - Alberto Solano-Barquero
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica 11501-2060; Laboratory of Helminthology, Faculty of Microbiology, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica 11501-2060
| | - Jennifer Allen
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences Oregon State University, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Taal Levi
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences Oregon State University, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Francesca Gori
- Institute of Parasitology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 266a, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Manuela Schnyder
- Institute of Parasitology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 266a, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alicia Rojas
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica 11501-2060; Laboratory of Helminthology, Faculty of Microbiology, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica 11501-2060.
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Ramos RA, Hakimi H, Salomon J, Busselman RE, Curtis-Robles R, Hodo CL, Hamer SA, Verocai GG. Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria striata (Spirurida: Onchocercidae) detected in wild carnivores from Texas, United States. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2024; 24:100954. [PMID: 39022402 PMCID: PMC11253277 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2024.100954] [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] [Received: 05/10/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria striata (Spirurida: Onchocercidae) are epidemiologically important filarial nematodes detected in wild carnivores sympatric to domestic animals and humans. In this study we surveyed for Dirofilaria species among previous studies archived blood samples (n = 202) of wild carnivores sourced across Texas between the years of 2014-2016 and 2020 to 2023. In total, 117 coyotes (Canis latrans), 67 raccoons (Procyon lotor), 12 gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), five bobcats (Lynx rufus), and one striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) were tested through the amplification of the partial cytochrome oxidase c subunit 1 (COI) gene followed by sequencing. Dirofilaria immitis was detected in 11.39% (95% CI = 7.71-16.51) of the samples (21 coyotes and two raccoons), while D. striata was detected in a single bobcat. Dirofilaria immitis sequences had 99.85%-100% (99.92% ± 0.08) similarity with other D. immitis sequences in GenBank. The sequence of D. striata from the bobcat was 100% similar to the single COI sequence available in GenBank. Data from this study reinforce the role of coyotes as a wild reservoir for D. immitis and suggest that raccoons may also play a role in the epidemiology of this parasite. This study additionally provides molecular data on D. striata, an understudied filarioid of felids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael A.N. Ramos
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Federal University of the Agreste of Pernambuco, Garanhuns, PE, 55282-278, Brazil
| | - Hassan Hakimi
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Jordan Salomon
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Rachel E. Busselman
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Rachel Curtis-Robles
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Carolyn L. Hodo
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
- Department of Comparative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, TX, 78601, USA
| | - Sarah A. Hamer
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Guilherme G. Verocai
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
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Occurrence of Ancylostoma Caninum from a Gray Fox Urocyon Cinereoargenteus in Southeastern Mexico. Helminthologia 2022; 59:204-209. [PMID: 36118373 PMCID: PMC9444201 DOI: 10.2478/helm-2022-0016] [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] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The hookworm Ancylostoma caninum is a common nematode of wild and domestic canids worldwide. In Mexico, there are few records of helminths in wild canids, especially in the southeastern region. The aim of the present study was to examine the helminths from a gray fox Urocyon cinereoargenteus in southeastern Mexico. A road-killed female gray fox found in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, was examined for helminths. Only nematodes were found in the intestine of the gray fox and identified using morphological studies and molecular analysis of 28S rRNA gene fragments. The characteristics exhibited by the nematode specimens were in accordance with descriptions of A. caninum: e. g. oral opening with a pair of prominent chitinous plates bearing three pairs of ventral teeth, lateral rays with a common trunk, dorsal ray divided into two branches with each branch terminating in three digitations. BLAST analysis of the 28S sequence showed similarity and coverage values of 99.8 % and 100 %, respectively, with a sequence of A. caninum from the domestic dog Canis familiaris in Australia. The genetic distance between the Australian specimen and the Yucatan specimen of A. caninum was 0.1 %, that is, they were only different in a single nucleotide. The gray fox examined in this study was found close to a rural community where A. caninum has been recorded from domestic dogs, which could be the source of infection. Our study increases the distribution of this nematode parasitizing the gray fox in Mexico and provides the first nucleotide sequence of A. caninum from the gray fox.
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López-Pérez AM, Gage K, Rubio AV, Montenieri J, Orozco L, Suzan G. Drivers of flea (Siphonaptera) community structure in sympatric wild carnivores in northwestern Mexico. JOURNAL OF VECTOR ECOLOGY : JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR VECTOR ECOLOGY 2018; 43:15-25. [PMID: 29757526 DOI: 10.1111/jvec.12278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 10/13/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Host identity, habitat type, season, and interspecific interactions were investigated as determinants of the community structure of fleas on wild carnivores in northwestern Mexico. A total of 540 fleas belonging to seven species was collected from 64 wild carnivores belonging to eight species. We found that the abundances of some flea species are explained by season and host identity. Pulex irritans and Echidnophaga gallinacea abundances were significantly higher in spring than in fall season. Flea communities on carnivore hosts revealed three clusters with a high degree of similarity within each group that was explained by the flea dominance of E. gallinacea, P. simulans, and P. irritans across host identity. Flea abundances did not differ statistically among habitat types. Finally, we found a negative correlation between the abundances of three flea species within wild carnivore hosts. Individual hosts with high loads of P. simulans males usually had significantly lower loads of P. irritans males or tend to have lower loads of E. gallinacea fleas and vice-versa. Additionally, the logistic regression model showed that the presence of P. simulans males is more likely to occur in wild carnivore hosts in which P. irritans males are absent and vice-versa. These results suggest that there is an apparent competitive exclusion among fleas on wild carnivores. The study of flea community structure on wild carnivores is important to identify the potential flea vectors for infectious diseases and provide information needed to design programs for human health and wildlife conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés M López-Pérez
- Departamento de Etología, Fauna Silvestre y Animales de Laboratorio, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, México D.F., México
- Fundación para el Manejo y la Conservación de la Vida Silvestre FMCOVIS A.C. Ciudad de México, México
| | - Kenneth Gage
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, U.S.A
| | - Andre V Rubio
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile
| | - John Montenieri
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, U.S.A
| | - Libertad Orozco
- Fundación para el Manejo y la Conservación de la Vida Silvestre FMCOVIS A.C. Ciudad de México, México
| | - Gerardo Suzan
- Departamento de Etología, Fauna Silvestre y Animales de Laboratorio, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, México D.F., México
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Rust MK. The Biology and Ecology of Cat Fleas and Advancements in Their Pest Management: A Review. INSECTS 2017; 8:E118. [PMID: 29077073 PMCID: PMC5746801 DOI: 10.3390/insects8040118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2017] [Revised: 10/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The cat flea Ctenocephalides felis felis (Bouché) is the most important ectoparasite of domestic cats and dogs worldwide. It has been two decades since the last comprehensive review concerning the biology and ecology of C. f. felis and its management. Since then there have been major advances in our understanding of the diseases associated with C. f. felis and their implications for humans and their pets. Two rickettsial diseases, flea-borne spotted fever and murine typhus, have been identified in domestic animal populations and cat fleas. Cat fleas are the primary vector of Bartonella henselae (cat scratch fever) with the spread of the bacteria when flea feces are scratched in to bites or wounds. Flea allergic dermatitis (FAD) common in dogs and cats has been successfully treated and tapeworm infestations prevented with a number of new products being used to control fleas. There has been a continuous development of new products with novel chemistries that have focused on increased convenience and the control of fleas and other arthropod ectoparasites. The possibility of feral animals serving as potential reservoirs for flea infestations has taken on additional importance because of the lack of effective environmental controls in recent years. Physiological insecticide resistance in C. f. felis continues to be of concern, especially because pyrethroid resistance now appears to be more widespread. In spite of their broad use since 1994, there is little evidence that resistance has developed to many of the on-animal or oral treatments such as fipronil, imidacloprid or lufenuron. Reports of the perceived lack of performance of some of the new on-animal therapies have been attributed to compliance issues and their misuse. Consequentially, there is a continuing need for consumer awareness of products registered for cats and dogs and their safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael K Rust
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
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