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Santodomingo AM, Thomas RS, Quintero-Galvis JF, Echeverry-Berrio DM, la Fuente MCSD, Moreno-Salas L, Muñoz-Leal S. Apicomplexans in small mammals from Chile, with the first report of the Babesia microti group in South American rodents. Parasitol Res 2022; 121:1009-1020. [PMID: 35102466 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07452-4] [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: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Small mammals play an essential role as disseminators of pathogens because they reach high population densities and have ubiquitous distributions. In the Northern Hemisphere rodents are well recognized as reservoirs for tick-borne bacteria of the Anaplasmataceae family and also apicomplexan protozoans. In contrast, South American rodents hosting these microorganisms have been rarely identified. In this study, we collected blood from rodents and marsupials in northern Chile and screened for Anaplasmataceae bacteria and apicomplexan protozoa. Overall, 14.7% of the samples were positive for Babesia, Hepatozoon, and Sarcocystidae using conventional PCR assays targeting the structural 18S rRNA locus (18S). Phylogenetic analyses performed with amplicons derived from 18S and cytochrome c oxidase (COI) gene provided evidence of a Babesia sp. belonging to the Babesia microti group in Phyllotis darwini, and a novel Babesia genotype in P. darwini and Abrothrix jelskii. Furthermore, four novel genotypes of Hepatozoon retrieved from Abrothrix olivacea, P. darwini, and Oligoryzomys longicaudatus, formed independent lineages within a clade that includes additional Hepatozoon spp. detected in South American rodents. Moreover, an incidental finding of a previously detected apicomplexan, herein designated as Sarcocystidae sp., was recorded in Thylamys opossums with a high prevalence, indicating a possible specific association with these mammals. Phylogenetic analysis of Sarcoystidae sp. clearly demonstrated its relatedness to apicomplexans detected in Australian marsupials. Our results expand the range of mammals hosting tick-borne apicomplexans in South America, highlight a novel clade consisting of South American babesias, and report for the first time the B. microti group infecting rodents in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana M Santodomingo
- Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Chillán, Ñuble, Chile
| | - Richard S Thomas
- Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Chillán, Ñuble, Chile
| | | | | | | | - Lucila Moreno-Salas
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales Y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Sebastián Muñoz-Leal
- Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Chillán, Ñuble, Chile.
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Egan SL, Taylor CL, Austen JM, Banks PB, Northover AS, Ahlstrom LA, Ryan UM, Irwin PJ, Oskam CL. Haemoprotozoan surveillance in peri-urban native and introduced wildlife from Australia. CURRENT RESEARCH IN PARASITOLOGY & VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES 2021; 1:100052. [PMID: 35284862 PMCID: PMC8906138 DOI: 10.1016/j.crpvbd.2021.100052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Siobhon L. Egan
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
- Corresponding author.
| | - Casey L. Taylor
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Camperdown, The University of Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Jill M. Austen
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - Peter B. Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Camperdown, The University of Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Amy S. Northover
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - Liisa A. Ahlstrom
- Elanco Animal Health, Macquarie Park, New South Wales, 2113, Australia
| | - Una M. Ryan
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - Peter J. Irwin
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - Charlotte L. Oskam
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
- Corresponding author.
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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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Holz PH, Koehler AV, Gasser RB, Dobson E. Disseminated protozoal infection in a wild feathertail glider ( Acrobates pygmaeus) in Australia. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2020; 13:46-50. [PMID: 32802738 PMCID: PMC7417669 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2020.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
This is the first report of a disseminated protozoal infection in a wild feathertail glider (Acrobates pygmaeus) from south-eastern Australia. The glider was found dead in poor body condition. Histologically, large numbers of zoites were seen predominantly in macrophages in the liver, spleen and lung, with protozoal cysts present in the liver. Molecular and phylogenetic analyses inferred that the protozoan parasite belongs to the family Sarcocystidae and is closely related to previously identified apicomplexans found in yellow-bellied gliders (Petaurus australis) in Australia and southern mouse opossums (Thylamys elegans) in Chile. A novel apicomplexan parasite caused a disseminated fatal disease in a wild feathertail glider. The apicomplexan parasite is a member of the family Sarcocystidae. It is most closely related to parasites previously identified in yellow-bellied gliders in Australia and southern mouseopossums in Chile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter H. Holz
- Australian Wildlife Health Centre, Healesville Sanctuary, Zoos Victoria, Healesville, Victoria, 3777, Australia
- Corresponding author.
| | - Anson V. Koehler
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Robin B. Gasser
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Dobson
- Gribbles Veterinary Pathology, 1868 Dandenong Road, Clayton, Victoria, 3168, Australia
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Abstract
Wildlife parasitology is a highly diverse area of research encompassing many fields including taxonomy, ecology, pathology and epidemiology, and with participants from extremely disparate scientific fields. In addition, the organisms studied are highly dissimilar, ranging from platyhelminths, nematodes and acanthocephalans to insects, arachnids, crustaceans and protists. This review of the parasites of wildlife in Australia highlights the advances made to date, focussing on the work, interests and major findings of researchers over the years and identifies current significant gaps that exist in our understanding. The review is divided into three sections covering protist, helminth and arthropod parasites. The challenge to document the diversity of parasites in Australia continues at a traditional level but the advent of molecular methods has heightened the significance of this issue. Modern methods are providing an avenue for major advances in documenting and restructuring the phylogeny of protistan parasites in particular, while facilitating the recognition of species complexes in helminth taxa previously defined by traditional morphological methods. The life cycles, ecology and general biology of most parasites of wildlife in Australia are extremely poorly understood. While the phylogenetic origins of the Australian vertebrate fauna are complex, so too are the likely origins of their parasites, which do not necessarily mirror those of their hosts. This aspect of parasite evolution is a continuing area for research in the case of helminths, but remains to be addressed for many other parasitic groups.
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Chapman PA, Owen H, Flint M, Traub RJ, Cribb TH, Mills PC. Molecular Characterization of Coccidia Associated with an Epizootic in Green Sea Turtles (Chelonia mydas) in South East Queensland, Australia. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0149962. [PMID: 26901786 PMCID: PMC4763108 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0149962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2015] [Accepted: 02/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In the spring of 2014, mass mortalities among wild green sea turtles occurred off the coast of south-east Queensland, Australia. The suspected causative agent was Caryospora cheloniae, an eimeriid coccidian implicated in previous epizootics. Necropsies were undertaken on a subset of 11 dead turtles, with subsequent histopathology and molecular analyses. All turtles returned positive PCR results for coccidial infection in various tissues; these included the brain, gastrointestinal tract, lung, kidney and thyroid. Granulomatous encephalitis was consistently observed, as well as enteritis and, less frequently, thyroiditis and nephritis. Sequencing and phylogenetic analyses indicated the presence of two distinct coccidian genotypes, presumably separate species—one associated with the brain, gastrointestinal tract and lung, and the second with the thyroid and kidney. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses placed the first genotype closest to the lankesterellid genus Schellackia, rather than in the Eimeriidae, while the second was paraphyletic to the eimeriids. Presence of coccidial stages in extra-intestinal tissues of the primary host raises questions about the potential presence of intermediate or paratenic hosts within the life cycles, as well as their current placement relative to the genus Caryospora. This study represents the first genetic characterization of this emerging disease agent in green sea turtles, an endangered species, and has relevance for life-cycle elucidation and future development of diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phoebe A. Chapman
- Veterinary-Marine Animal Research Teaching and Investigation Unit, School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Helen Owen
- Veterinary-Marine Animal Research Teaching and Investigation Unit, School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia
| | - Mark Flint
- Veterinary-Marine Animal Research Teaching and Investigation Unit, School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia
- School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, The Florida Aquarium’s Center for Conservation, Apollo Beach, Florida, United States of America
| | - Rebecca J. Traub
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Thomas H. Cribb
- School of Biological Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Paul C. Mills
- Veterinary-Marine Animal Research Teaching and Investigation Unit, School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia
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El-Morsey A, El-Seify M, Desouky ARY, Abdel-Aziz MM, Sakai H, Yanai T. Morphologic identification of a new Sarcocystis sp. in the common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) (Aves: Gruiformes: Rallidae) from Brolos Lake, Egypt. Parasitol Res 2014; 113:391-7. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-013-3667-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2013] [Accepted: 10/23/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Šlapeta J. Next generation sequencing in single cell parasite disease investigations. MICROBIOLOGY AUSTRALIA 2013. [DOI: 10.1071/ma13067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Barta JR, Ogedengbe JD, Martin DS, Smith TG. Phylogenetic Position of the Adeleorinid Coccidia (Myzozoa, Apicomplexa, Coccidia, Eucoccidiorida, Adeleorina) Inferred Using 18S rDNA Sequences. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2012; 59:171-80. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1550-7408.2011.00607.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2011] [Accepted: 11/14/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John R. Barta
- Department of Pathobiology; Ontario Veterinary College; University of Guelph; Guelph; N1G 2W1; Ontario; Canada
| | - Joseph D. Ogedengbe
- Department of Pathobiology; Ontario Veterinary College; University of Guelph; Guelph; N1G 2W1; Ontario; Canada
| | - Donald S. Martin
- Parasitology; IDEXX Reference Laboratories Ltd.; 1345 Denison St.; Markham; L3R 5V2; Ontario; Canada
| | - Todd G. Smith
- Department of Biology; Acadia University; Wolfville; B4P 2R6; Nova Scotia; Canada
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Sarcocystis tupaia, sp. nov., a new parasite species employing treeshrews (Tupaiidae, Tupaia belangeri chinensis) as natural intermediate hosts. Parasitol Int 2010; 59:128-32. [DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2009.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2009] [Revised: 12/10/2009] [Accepted: 12/10/2009] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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MERINO SANTIAGO, VÁSQUEZ RODRIGOA, MARTÍNEZ JAVIER, CELIS-DIEZ JUANLUIS, GUTIÉRREZ-JIMÉNEZ LETICIA, IPPI SILVINA, SÁNCHEZ-MONSALVEZ INOCENCIA, MARTÍNEZ-DE LA PUENTE JOSUÉ. Molecular characterization of an ancient Hepatozoon species parasitizing the ‘living fossil’ marsupial ‘Monito del Monte’ Dromiciops gliroides from Chile. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2009.01302.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Monophyly of marsupial intraerythrocytic apicomplexan parasites from South America and Australia. Parasitology 2009; 137:37-43. [PMID: 19725999 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182009990710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Intraerythrocytic parasites (Apicomplexa: Sarcocystidae) of the South American mouse opossum (Thylamys elegans) from Chile, South America, and of the yellow-bellied glider (Petaurus australis) from Australia were found to be monophyletic using SSU rDNA and partial LSU rDNA sequences. Phylogenetic reconstruction placed both species within the family Sarcocystidae. These intraerythrocytic parasites of marsupials represent an as yet unnamed genus predicted to have bisporocystic oocysts and tetrazoic sporocysts, which is a characteristic feature of all members of the family Sarcocystidae. These results show that erythrocytic parasites share a common ancestor and suggest co-evolution with their vertebrate host.
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