scholarly journals Sharing roosts but not ectoparasites: high host-specificity in bat flies and wing mites of Miniopterus schreibersii and Rhinolophus ferrumequinum (Mammalia: Chiroptera)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pejić Brankaa ◽  
Budinski Ivana ◽  
van Schaik Jaap ◽  
Blagojević Jelena
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Host Specificity ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Small Subunit ◽  
Mite Species ◽  
Morphological Identification ◽  
Rhinolophus Ferrumequinum ◽  
Bat Flies ◽  
High Host Specificity ◽  
Horseshoe Bat

Abstract Schreiber’s bent-winged bat Miniopterus schreibersii and the greater horseshoe bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum are widespread and common cavernicolous species across southern Europe that host numerous specialized ectoparasite species. The objective of this study was to characterize the species assemblage, genetic diversity and host specificity of bat flies (Nycteribiidae, Diptera) and wing mites (Spinturnicidae, Acari) found on these bat hosts in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Notably, while bat flies lay puparia on the cave walls and can thus be transmitted indirectly, wing mites require direct body contact for transmission. Morphological identification and sequencing of a 710-bp fragment of cytochrome oxidase I gene of 207 bat flies yielded four species, three on M. schreibersii and one on R. ferrumequinum. Sequencing of a 460-bp small subunit ribosomal RNA fragment, in all 190 collected wing mites revealed two species, one per host. In no case was a parasite associated with one host found on the other host. Species and genetic diversity of flies were higher in M. schreibersii, likely reflecting their host’s larger colony sizes and migratory potential. Mite species of both hosts showed similarly low diversity, likely due to their faster life history and lower winter survival. Our findings highlight a remarkably high host-specificity and segregation of ectoparasite species despite direct contact among their hosts in the roost, suggesting a defined host preference in the investigated ectoparasite species. Furthermore, the differences in ectoparasite genetic diversity exemplify the interplay between host and parasite life histories in shaping parasite population genetic structure.

scholarly journals Assessing Host-Virus Codivergence for Close Relatives of Merkel Cell Polyomavirus Infecting African Great Apes

2016 ◽  
Vol 90 (19) ◽  
pp. 8531-8541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadège F. Madinda ◽  
Bernhard Ehlers ◽  
Joel O. Wertheim ◽  
Chantal Akoua-Koffi ◽  
Richard A. Bergl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Host Specificity ◽  
Viral Evolution ◽  
Great Apes ◽  
Merkel Cell Polyomavirus ◽  
Merkel Cell ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Animal Hosts ◽  
African Great Apes

ABSTRACTIt has long been hypothesized that polyomaviruses (PyV; familyPolyomaviridae) codiverged with their animal hosts. In contrast, recent analyses suggested that codivergence may only marginally influence the evolution of PyV. We reassess this question by focusing on a single lineage of PyV infecting hominine hosts, the Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) lineage. By characterizing the genetic diversity of these viruses in seven African great ape taxa, we show that they exhibit very strong host specificity. Reconciliation analyses identify more codivergence than noncodivergence events. In addition, we find that a number of host and PyV divergence events are synchronous. Collectively, our results support codivergence as the dominant process at play during the evolution of the MCPyV lineage. More generally, our results add to the growing body of evidence suggesting an ancient and stable association of PyV and their animal hosts.IMPORTANCEThe processes involved in viral evolution and the interaction of viruses with their hosts are of great scientific interest and public health relevance. It has long been thought that the genetic diversity of double-stranded DNA viruses was generated over long periods of time, similar to typical host evolutionary timescales. This was also hypothesized for polyomaviruses (familyPolyomaviridae), a group comprising several human pathogens, but this remains a point of controversy. Here, we investigate this question by focusing on a single lineage of polyomaviruses that infect both humans and their closest relatives, the African great apes. We show that these viruses exhibit considerable host specificity and that their evolution largely mirrors that of their hosts, suggesting that codivergence with their hosts played a major role in their diversification. Our results provide statistical evidence in favor of an association of polyomaviruses and their hosts over millions of years.

scholarly journals Genetic Diversity of Cryptosporidium in Bactrian Camels (Camelus bactrianus) in Xinjiang, Northwestern China

Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 946
Author(s):  
Yangwenna Cao ◽  
Zhaohui Cui ◽  
Qiang Zhou ◽  
Bo Jing ◽  
Chunyan Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Sequence Analysis ◽  
Small Subunit ◽  
Cryptosporidium Species ◽  
Northwestern China ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Cryptosporidium Spp ◽  
Gene Sequence Analysis ◽  
Bactrian Camels ◽  
Ssu Rrna Gene Sequence

Cryptosporidium species are ubiquitous enteric protozoan pathogens of vertebrates distributed worldwide. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the zoonotic potential and genetic diversity of Cryptosporidium spp. in Bactrian camels in Xinjiang, northwestern China. A total of 476 fecal samples were collected from 16 collection sites in Xinjiang and screened for Cryptosporidium by PCR. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium was 7.6% (36/476). Six Cryptosporidium species, C. andersoni (n = 24), C. parvum (n = 6), C. occultus (n = 2), C. ubiquitum (n = 2), C. hominis (n = 1), and C. bovis (n = 1), were identified based on sequence analysis of the small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene. Sequence analysis of the gp60 gene identified six C. parvum isolates as subtypes, such as If-like-A15G2 (n = 5) and IIdA15G1 (n = 1), two C. ubiquitum isolates, such as subtype XIIa (n = 2), and one C. hominis isolate, such as Ixias IkA19G1 (n = 1). This is the first report of C. parvum, C. hominis, C. ubiquitum, and C. occultus in Bactrian camels in China. These results indicated that the Bactrian camel may be an important reservoir for zoonotic Cryptosporidium spp. and these infections may be a public health threat in this region.

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