Molecular taxonomic position of the elephant schistosome, Bivitellobilharzia nairi, newly discovered in Sri Lanka

Agatsuma, Takeshi; Rajapakse, Jayanthe; Kuruwita, V.Y.; Iwagami, Moritoshi; Rajapakse, R. C.

doi:10.1016/j.parint.2003.11.003

Cited by 14 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Bivitellobilharzia loxodontae Vogel & Minning, 1940 occurs in African forest elephants Loxodonta cyclotis Matschie, 1900 (Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic). Bivitellobilharzia nairi (Mudaliar & Ramanujachary, 1945) Dutt & Srivastava, 1955 occurs in Asian elephants Elephas maximus Linnaeus, 1758 (India, Sri Lanka, Republic of the Union of Myanmar) (Vogel & Minning, 1940; Mudaliar & Ramanujachary, 1945; Rao & Hiregauder, 1953; Sundaram et al , 1972; Agatsuma et al , 2004; Kinsella et al , 2004; Brant et al , 2006). Thus far there have been no definitive reports of schistosomes from the African savanna elephant, Loxodonta africana (Blumenbach, 1797).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular phylogenetics of the elephant schistosome Bivitellobilharzia loxodontae (Trematoda: Schistosomatidae) from the Central African Republic

et al. 2012

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One of the most poorly known of all schistosomes infecting mammals is Bivitellobilharzia loxodontae. Nearly all of our available information about this species comes from the original description of worms that were obtained from an animal park-maintained elephant in Germany, probably a forest elephant Loxodonta cyclotis, originating from the present-day Democratic Republic of Congo. We obtained schistosome eggs from faecal samples from wild forest elephants from the Central African Republic. The eggs, which were similar in size and shape to those of described B. loxodontae, were sequenced for the 28S nuclear ribosomal gene and the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (cox1) gene. In a phylogenetic analysis of 28S sequences, our specimens grouped closely with B. nairi, the schistosome from the Indian elephant Elephas maximus, to the exclusion of schistosomes from other genera. However, the eggs were genetically distinct (12% distance cox1) from those of B. nairi. We conclude the specimens we recovered were of B. loxodontae and confirm this is a distinct Bivitellobilharzia species. In addition to providing the first sequence data for B. loxodontae, this report also supports Bivitellobilharzia as a monophyletic group and gives the relative phylogenetic position of the genus within the Schistosomatidae. We also provide a review of the biology of this poorly known schistosome genus.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular phylogenetics of the elephant schistosome Bivitellobilharzia loxodontae (Trematoda: Schistosomatidae) from the Central African Republic

et al. 2012

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“…1945; Rao & Hiregauder, 1953;Dutt & Srivastava, 1961;Sundaram et al, 1972;Agatsuma et al, 2004). Domestic elephants have a relatively low prevalence of B. nairi, perhaps because they spend relatively little time in natural snail habitats compared to wild elephants or rhinoceroses.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In molecular phylogenetic reconstructions, Bivitellobilharzia is basal to the prominent Schistosoma þ Orientobilharzia Dutt and Srivastava, 1955 clade of schistosomes that occurs predominately in ruminants, primates and rodents (Brant et al, 2006(Brant et al, , 2012. Until recently, most of our current molecular knowledge of B. nairi has been from elephants in Sri Lanka (Agatsuma et al, 2004;Brant et al, 2006) but very little is known about this species in other parts of its range. A recent study has provided the first molecular sequence data for B. loxodontae, confirming that the two species in the genus are distinct from one another and united within a monophyletic group, thus upholding Bivitellobilharzia as a distinct schistosome genus (Brant et al, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sharing schistosomes: the elephant schistosome Bivitellobilharzia nairi also infects the greater one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) in Chitwan National Park, Nepal

et al. 2012

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Because the digenetic trematode fauna of Nepal is poorly known, we began to search for schistosomes in and around Chitwan National Park (CNP) of southern Nepal. Both domestic and wild Indian elephants (Elephus maximus) are present, and we found one of two dung samples from wild elephants and 1 of 22 (4.5%) dung samples from domestic elephants to be positive for schistosome eggs. The morphology of the eggs and both cox1 and 28S sequences derived from the eggs/miracidia were consistent with Bivitellobilharzia nairi, reported here for the first time from Nepal. Also, 7 of 14 faecal samples from the Asian or greater one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) contained viable eggs indistinguishable from those of B. nairi. This identification was confirmed by comparison with both cox1 and 28S sequences from B. nairi eggs/miracidia derived from Nepalese and Sri Lankan elephants. This represents the first sequence-verified identification of a schistosome from any species of rhinoceros, and the first verified occurrence of a representative of Bivitellobilharzia (a genus of 'elephant schistosomes') in mammals other than elephants. Our work suggests that elephants and rhinos share B. nairi in CNP, even though these two members of the 'charismatic megafauna' belong to unrelated mammalian families. Their shared life style of extensive contact with freshwater habitats likely plays a role, although the snail intermediate host and mode of definitive host infection for B. nairi have yet to be documented. This report also supports Bivitellobilharzia as a monophyletic group and its status as a distinct genus within Schistosomatidae.

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“…Identification of schistosomes is based on morphological features and biometrical characteristics of eggs and cercariae, characteristics of the life cycle (prepatent periods, number of eggs produced, growth rate, host specificity) and, more recently, through DNA analysis (Agatsuma et al, 2002(Agatsuma et al, , 2004. The paucity of visible morphological features has left the taxonomy of many still in doubt.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphology and surface topography of the schistosome Bivitellobilharzia nairi from the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus maximus) in Sri Lanka

et al. 2012

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Bivitellobilharzia nairi was first recorded from an Indian elephant (Elephas maximus) in Berlin. Infections with this parasite have become increasingly important in E. maximus maximus populations in Sri Lanka. The present work is the first morphological description of this schistosome from Sri Lanka. A number of adult worms were recovered from a dead Asian elephant near the elephant orphanage, Pinnawala, in Sri Lanka. The observed clinical features of the infected elephant included emaciation, subventral oedema and anaemia. Post-mortem results indicated that the liver was enlarged and adult schistosomes were found in the blood vessels of the liver parenchyma. The total number of worms recovered from a portion of the liver was 129,870, which is an average of 22 worms per 100 g of liver. The present study uses both light microscopic and scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques for the morphological and topographical characterization of this parasite and to permit comparison with other species of schistosomes. Morphologically, these worms correspond very well to the description of B. nairi by Dutt & Srivastava (1955). Moreover, it is clear that B. nairi is a distinctive species easily differentiated from other schistosomes. The SEM study of the tegument of male worms shows that the surface of B. nairi is smoother than in other schistosomes.

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Molecular taxonomic position of the elephant schistosome, Bivitellobilharzia nairi, newly discovered in Sri Lanka

Cited by 14 publications

References 8 publications

Molecular phylogenetics of the elephant schistosome Bivitellobilharzia loxodontae (Trematoda: Schistosomatidae) from the Central African Republic

Molecular phylogenetics of the elephant schistosome Bivitellobilharzia loxodontae (Trematoda: Schistosomatidae) from the Central African Republic

Sharing schistosomes: the elephant schistosome Bivitellobilharzia nairi also infects the greater one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) in Chitwan National Park, Nepal

Morphology and surface topography of the schistosome Bivitellobilharzia nairi from the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus maximus) in Sri Lanka

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