Novel piroplasmid and Hepatozoon organisms infecting the wildlife of two regions of the Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

During 2009–2012, wild animals were sampled in two areas within the Amazon biome of Brazil, in the states of Mato Grosso and Pará. Animal tissues and blood were molecularly tested for the presence of Piroplasmida (genera Babesia, Theileria, Cytauxzoon) or Hepatozoon DNA. Overall, 181 wild animals comprising 36 different species (2 reptiles, 5 birds, and 29 mammals) were sampled. The following Piroplasmida agents were detected: Cytauxzoon felis in one ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), Theileria cervi in two red brocket deer (Mazama americana), Theileria spp. in three nine-banded-armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus), one agouti (Dasyprocta sp.), and four lowland pacas (Cuniculus paca), Babesia spp. in one common opossum (Didelphis marsupialis) and one white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari). The following Hepatozoon agents were detected: Hepatozoon sp. (possibly Hepatozoon caimani) in three spectacled caimans (Caiman crocodilus), Hepatozoon felis in an ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), and Hepatozoon spp. in one scorpion mud turtle (Kinosternon scorpioides) and one lowland paca (Cuniculus paca). Phylogenetic analyses inferred by the 18S rRNA gene partial sequences supported these results, highlighting at least five novel Piroplasmida agents, and two novel Hepatozoon agents. This study screened the presence of tick-borne protozoa in a number of wildlife species from the Amazon for the first time. Our results indicate that a variety of genetically distinct Piroplasmida and Hepatozoon organisms circulate under natural conditions in the Amazonian wildlife.

Molecular survey of tick-borne pathogens in small mammals from Brazilian Amazonia

“…The piroplasmid haplotype detected in the common opossum (D. marsupialis), herein designated Babesia sp. isolate MTopossum, was identical to a Babesia haplotype reported recently in a common opossum from the state of Pará (SOARES et al, 2017b). This fact suggests that the currently detected agent could have a broad distribution within the Amazonia.…”

“…Mato Grosso clusters with two congeneric haplotypes, a Babesia sp. also detected in D. marsupialis (KY684002) from the Brazilian Amazonia (SOARES et al, 2017b) and Babesia sp. Monodelphis, characterized from M. domestica (KP757839) in the Pantanal biome (WOLF et al, 2016) (Figure 3).…”

“…Additionally, infection by the piroplasmid Babesia brasiliensis, determined through morphological characterization, was described in D. marsupialis from the Caribbean coast until the Amazon forest (DEANE & DEANE, 1961;HERRERA & URDANETA-MORALES, 1991). Soares et al (2017b) had suggested that the Babesia haplotypes detected in opossums belonging to the Amazon and Pantanal biomes (WOLF et al, 2016) could correspond to B. brasiliensis. However, until a genetic characterization of B. brasiliensis from its type host and locality is available, any comparison based on morphology should be considered as speculative.…”

Molecular Detection of Arthropod-Borne Pathogens in Eurasian Badgers (Meles meles) from the United Kingdom

“…Tick-borne hemoparasites of the genus Babesia are reported to be the second most commonly found parasites in the blood of mammals after trypanosomes. Infection has been reported globally in a great variety of wild mammal species and some birds [17,40,41], as well as in badgers and other wildlife [5,16,26,42,43]. In recent reports, Babesia parasites have been molecularly characterised and the species' descriptions in older studies have been questioned.…”

Hepatozoon caimani in Caiman crocodilus yacare (Crocodylia, Alligatoridae) from North Pantanal, Brazil

“…In fact, only recently, a molecular confirmation has been performed in a population of Caiman yacare sampled in Miranda, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, central-western Brazil (SOARES et al, 2017a) and in Cayman crocodilus in Amazon (SOARES et al, 2017b). The present work aims to detect and characterize the Hepatozoon spp.…”