Phylogenetic relationship ofHepatozoonblood parasites found in snakes from Africa, America and Asia

Parasitology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 141 (3) ◽  
pp. 389-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. HAKLOVÁ ◽  
V. MAJLÁTHOVÁ ◽  
I. MAJLÁTH ◽  
D. J. HARRIS ◽  
V. PETRILLA ◽  
...  

SUMMARYThe blood parasites from the genusHepatozoonMiller, 1908 (Apicomplexa: Adeleida: Hepatozoidae) represent the most common intracellular protozoan parasites found in snakes. In the present study, we examined 209 individuals of snakes, from different zoogeographical regions (Africa, America, Asia and Europe), for the occurrence of blood parasites using both molecular and microscopic examination methods, and assess phylogenetic relationships of allHepatozoonparasites from snakes for the first time. In total, 178 blood smears obtained from 209 individuals, representing 40 species, were examined, from whichHepatozoonunicellular parasites were found in 26 samples (14·6% prevalence). Out of 180 samples tested by molecular method polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the presence of parasites was observed in 21 individuals (prevalence 11·6%): 14 snakes from Africa belonging to six genera (Dendroaspis, Dispholidus, Mehelya, Naja, PhilothamnusandPython), five snakes from Asia from the genusMoreliaand two snakes from America, from two genera (ColuberandCorallus). The intensity of infection varied from one to 1433 infected cells per 10 000 erythrocytes. Results of phylogenetic analyses (Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood) revealed the existence of five haplotypes divided into four main lineages. The present data also indicate neither geographical pattern of studiedHepatozoonsp., nor congruency in the host association.

Author(s):  
Ivan Pavlovic ◽  
Ivana Kovacevic ◽  
Radoje Doder ◽  
Branislav Rangelov ◽  
Ivana Nikic ◽  
...  

Prevalence of blood parasites in dogs in the Belgrade area has been investigated continuously during the last 20 years, especially in clinically suspicious dogs. In the period from 2014 to 2015, 249 blood samples of pets (182) and shelter dogs (67) were examined. Using Giemsa-stained blood smears, the presence of Babesia spp. was examined in erythrocytes and the presence of morulae of Ehrlichia spp. and Anaplasma spp. in circu?lating monocytes and granulocytes. To confirm positive findings of ehrlichiosis and ana?plasmosis in blood smears, CaniV-4 Test Kit or IDEXX SNAP 4DX test was used. Infection with two pathogens was found in 78/249 (31.32%) cases; in all cases, the infection with one of the protozoa or bacteria was in combination with heartworms. In blood-smears, babesiosis was found in 39.75% of pet dogs and in 71.64% of shelter dogs, ehrlichiosis in 15.93% and 28.35%, and anaplasmosis in 6.04% and 19.40%, respectivelly. From colected ticks, relative abundance analysis revealed that the species Ixodes ricinus was absolutely dominant and found in 50.53% (47/93), followed by Rhipicephalus sanguineus ? 38.70% (36/93), Derma?centor marginatus ? 9.67% (9/93), D. reticulatus, and Ixodes persulcatus found in 3.22% (3/93), which for the first time occurred in dogs in the Belgrade area and in Serbia.


2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-21
Author(s):  
Shadan Hassan Abdullah

Hemosporidians are intracellular protozoan parasites found in blood cells and tissues of their avian hosts. They are worldwide distributed and occur in a variety of avian species, including domestic chicken. Blood parasites among village chickens in Qaradagh district, Sulaimani Province in Kurdistan region Iraq, were surveyed during the period of March-June for the year 2012. Haemoparasites investigation was done by microscopic examination of stained blood films which prepared from 170 local chickens (Gallus domesticus).The overall prevalence of all species of haemosporidian parasites over the studied period in tested individuals was 133 (78.2%) with 114 (85.7%) single and 19 (14.3%) mixed genera infections. Plasmodiumspp. was the most prevalent haemoparasite (52.6%) followed by Haemoproteus spp., (19.5 %) and Leucocytozoon spp. (13.5%).The study has reported high prevalence rate of haemoparasites. There isn't enough information about prevalence of avian blood parasites in the studied area, the present study detect for the first time existent of haemoparasites.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1414-1416
Author(s):  
Philippe Brasseur

Babesia are intraerythrocytic, tick-transmitted, protozoan parasites that infect a broad range of wild and domesticated mammals including cattle, horses, dogs, and rodents. Human babesial infection is uncommon, mainly caused by B. microti in North America and B. divergens in Europe, with most infections occurring in asplenic people. Presentation is typically with non-specific ‘viral-type’ symptoms. Haemolytic anaemia is a characteristic feature and can be severe, particularly with B. divergens. Diagnosis is by discovering babesia organisms in Giemsa-stained blood smears, or detection of its DNA in blood by polymerase chain reaction. Aside from supportive care, treatment is usually with combinations of clindamycin and quinine or atovaquone and azithromycin. Mortality ranges from 5 to 40%. Prevention is by use of repellents, removing ticks from the skin, and avoidance of exposure in asplenic and immunocompromised individuals: there is no vaccine.


Parasitology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 146 (13) ◽  
pp. 1690-1698
Author(s):  
Kristína Zechmeisterová ◽  
Joëlle Goüy de Bellocq ◽  
Pavel Široký

AbstractApicomplexan haemoparasites of the genera Schellackia Reichenow, 1919, and Karyolysus Labbé, 1894, seem to be common in lizards and widespread across the world. For decades, their identification has been based on morphological descriptions and life cycle patterns, with molecular characterizations, applied only recently. We used molecular characterization to confirm the identification of haemoparasites detected by microscopy in blood smears of Lacerta schreiberi Bedriaga, 1878, a lizard of the Iberian Peninsula. Since blood samples other than blood smears were not available from the studied lizards, 264 engorged ticks Ixodes ricinus (Linneaus, 1758) collected from them were used as an alternative non-invasive source of haemoparasite DNA for molecular genetic analyses. Of the 48 blood smears microscopically examined, 31 were positive for blood parasites (64.6% prevalence). We identified trophozoites and gamonts similar to Karyolysus lacazei (Labbé, 1894) (24/48; 50%) and Schellackia-like sporozoites (20/48; 41.7%). Mixed infections with both species occurred in 13 blood smears (27.1%). Sequence data were obtained for both parasites from engorged ticks. Phylogenetic analyses placed our unique haemogregarine sequence within the Karyolysus clade, nevertheless, within substantial polytomy. Thus, according to its morphology and effect on the host cell, we refer to this haemogregarine as Karyolysus cf. lacazei. Besides the Schellackia sequences being identical to a previously identified haplotype, we also obtained sequences of three new closely related haplotypes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 478
Author(s):  
Xue-Wei Wang ◽  
Tom W. May ◽  
Shi-Liang Liu ◽  
Li-Wei Zhou

Hyphodontia sensu lato, belonging to Hymenochaetales, accommodates corticioid wood-inhabiting basidiomycetous fungi with resupinate basidiocarps and diverse hymenophoral characters. Species diversity of Hyphodontia sensu lato has been extensively explored worldwide, but in previous studies the six accepted genera in Hyphodontia sensu lato, viz. Fasciodontia, Hastodontia, Hyphodontia, Kneiffiella, Lyomyces and Xylodon were not all strongly supported from a phylogenetic perspective. Moreover, the relationships among these six genera in Hyphodontia sensu lato and other lineages within Hymenochaetales are not clear. In this study, we performed comprehensive phylogenetic analyses on the basis of multiple loci. For the first time, the independence of each of the six genera receives strong phylogenetic support. The six genera are separated in four clades within Hymenochaetales: Fasciodontia, Lyomyces and Xylodon are accepted as members of a previously known family Schizoporaceae, Kneiffiella and Hyphodontia are, respectively, placed in two monotypic families, viz. a previous name Chaetoporellaceae and a newly introduced name Hyphodontiaceae, and Hastodontia is considered to be a genus with an uncertain taxonomic position at the family rank within Hymenochaetales. The three families emerged between 61.51 and 195.87 million years ago. Compared to other families in the Hymenochaetales, these ages are more or less similar to those of Coltriciaceae, Hymenochaetaceae and Oxyporaceae, but much older than those of the two families Neoantrodiellaceae and Nigrofomitaceae. In regard to species, two, one, three and 10 species are newly described from Hyphodontia, Kneiffiella, Lyomyces and Xylodon, respectively. The taxonomic status of additional 30 species names from these four genera is briefly discussed; an epitype is designated for X. australis. The resupinate habit and poroid hymenophoral configuration were evaluated as the ancestral state of basidiocarps within Hymenochaetales. The resupinate habit mainly remains, while the hymenophoral configuration mainly evolves to the grandinioid-odontioid state and also back to the poroid state at the family level. Generally, a taxonomic framework for Hymenochaetales with an emphasis on members belonging to Hyphodontia sensu lato is constructed, and trait evolution of basidiocarps within Hymenochaetales is revealed accordingly.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1149
Author(s):  
Dina M. Metwally ◽  
Isra M. Al-Turaiki ◽  
Najwa Altwaijry ◽  
Samia Q. Alghamdi ◽  
Abdullah D. Alanazi

We analyzed the blood from 400 one-humped camels, Camelus dromedarius (C. dromedarius), in Riyadh and Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia to determine if they were infected with the parasite Trypanosoma spp. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) gene was used to detect the prevalence of Trypanosoma spp. in the camels. Trypanosoma evansi (T. evansi) was detected in 79 of 200 camels in Riyadh, an infection rate of 39.5%, and in 92 of 200 camels in Al-Qassim, an infection rate of 46%. Sequence and phylogenetic analyses revealed that the isolated T. evansi was closely related to the T. evansi that was detected in C. dromedarius in Egypt and the T. evansi strain B15.1 18S ribosomal RNA gene identified from buffalo in Thailand. A BLAST search revealed that the sequences are also similar to those of T. evansi from beef cattle in Thailand and to T. brucei B8/18 18S ribosomal RNA from pigs in Nigeria.


2015 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaspar PENICHE-LARA ◽  
Karla DZUL-ROSADO ◽  
Carlos PÉREZ-OSORIO ◽  
Jorge ZAVALA-CASTRO

Rickettsia typhi is the causal agent of murine typhus; a worldwide zoonotic and vector-borne infectious disease, commonly associated with the presence of domestic and wild rodents. Human cases of murine typhus in the state of Yucatán are frequent. However, there is no evidence of the presence of Rickettsia typhi in mammals or vectors in Yucatán. The presence of Rickettsia in rodents and their ectoparasites was evaluated in a small municipality of Yucatán using the conventional polymerase chain reaction technique and sequencing. The study only identified the presence of Rickettsia typhi in blood samples obtained from Rattus rattus and it reported, for the first time, the presence of R. felis in the flea Polygenis odiosus collected from Ototylomys phyllotis rodent. Additionally, Rickettsia felis was detected in the ectoparasite Ctenocephalides felis fleas parasitizing the wild rodent Peromyscus yucatanicus. This study’s results contributed to a better knowledge of Rickettsia epidemiology in Yucatán.


Phytotaxa ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 239 (1) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Larissa Bernardino Moro ◽  
Gregorio Delgado ◽  
Iracema Helena SCHOENLEIN-CRUSIUS

Clathrosporium retortum sp. nov., collected on submerged mixed leaf litter samples at Ilha do Cardoso State Park, São Paulo state, Brazil, is described based on morphological and molecular data. The fungus is characterized by forming whitish, dense, subglobose to irregular propagules, hyaline to subhyaline when young, subhyaline to dark brown at maturity, that are formed by densely interwoven conidial filaments with each conidial cell repeatedly branching bilaterally or occasionally unilaterally. Phylogenetic analyses using partial LSU nrDNA sequence data suggest that C. retortum belongs in the Sordariomycetes (Ascomycota) where it forms a well-supported clade with Clohesia corticola in the Sordariomycetidae, but its ordinal or familial placement remains unresolved. Its phylogenetic placement confirms the polyphyletic nature of aeroaquatic fungi like Clathrosporium, as it was distantly related to one available sequence in GenBank named as C. intricatum, the type species, which is phylogenetically related to the Helotiales (Leotiomycetes). However, due to lack of authenticity of the identity of this sequence with the type specimen of C. intricatum, a broad concept of Clathrosporium is tentatively adopted here to accommodate the present fungus instead of introducing a new genus. Beverwykella clathrata, Helicoön septatissimum and Peyronelina glomerulata are recorded for the first time from Brazil. Cancellidium applanatum and Candelabrum brocchiatum are new records for the state of São Paulo.


2012 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabiane Sebaio ◽  
Érika Martins Braga ◽  
Felipe Branquinho ◽  
Alan Fecchio ◽  
Miguel Ângelo Marini

Parasites may lead bird species to extinction, affect host temporal and spatial population dynamics, alter community structure and alter individuals’ social status. We evaluated blood parasite prevalence and intensity according to bird families and species, among 925 birds that were caught in 2000 and 2001, in the Atlantic Forest in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. We applied Giemsa staining to thin blood smears, to detect blood parasites. The birds (n = 15.8%) in 11 families, were infected by at least one parasite genus, especially Muscicapidae (28.3%) and Conopophagidae (25%). Among the 146 infected birds, Plasmodium was detected in all bird families and had the highest prevalence (54.8%). Trypanosoma, Haemoproteus and microfilaria had lower prevalence rates (23.3, 23.3 and 2.1%, respectively). Birds caught during the rainy season were more infected than birds caught during the dry season. The overall low prevalence of blood parasites in birds is similar to the patterns found elsewhere in the Neotropical region.


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