The haematozoa of Australian mammals

Abstract

Seven species of trypanosomes are known, of which Trypanosoma binneyi from Ornithorhynchus anatinus, T. thylacis from Thylacis obesulus, and T. hipposideri from Hipposideros bicolor albanensis are new. These are the first trypanosomes to be described from a monotreme, a marsupial, and an insectivorous bat in Australia. Six species of haemogregarines are known, of which Hepatozoon dasyuroides from Dasyuroides byrnei and H. pseudocheiri from Pseudocheirus laniginosus are new. One species of Hepatocystis is known from flying foxes, and one species of Polychromophilus from insectivorous bats. Four species of Babesia are known, of which B. thylacis from Thylacis obesulus is new. Four species of Theileria are known, of which Th. ornithorhynchi from Ornithorhynchus anatinus and Th. peramelis from bandicoots are new. The ox is the only domestic mammal harbouring sporozoan blood protozoa, three species being known, of which two are certainly pathogenic. Blood parasites, which appear to be related to bacteria or viruses, occur in cattle, rodents, and bandicoots. These include species of Anaplasma, Haemobartonella, and Eperythrozoon. Spirochaetes belonging to the genus Borrelia occur in the blood of cattle, rodents, kangaroos, and bandicoots.

Novel genotypes of Trypanosoma binneyi from wild platypuses (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) and identification of a leech as a potential vector

“…As was been reported decades ago (Mackerras, 1959;McMillan 402 and Bancroft, 1974;Owen undated, ca. 1934-5), these apparently ited differences with sequences already available from this species.…”

“…60 The detection rate of the parasite-specific 18S rDNA in platypus blood was 85.7% (n = 24/28), and the 61 leech was also positive at both loci. Microscopically, high parasitaemia and the presence of abundant try-62 pomastigotes, morphologically consistent with Trypanosoma binneyi Mackerras (1959), were observed in 63 the blood films. Phylogenetic analyses at the 18S locus revealed the existence of four trypanosomatid-like 64 genotypes, with variable similarity to two previously-described genotypes of T. binneyi (range of genetic 65 p-distance: 0.0-0.5%).…”

Kinetoplastid phylogenetics, with special reference to the evolution of parasitic trypanosomes

“…There are no reliable dates for the origins of most extant groups of blood-sucking insects; the earliest date is approximately 370 million years ago after the first land vertebrates appeared (Kardong, 2002). Intriguingly, T. binneyi, the trypanosome of the amphibious platypus, appears in the "aquatic clade"; this is a large trypanosome, similar in morphology to the trypanosomes of fish and amphibia Mackerras, (1959). It is thus plausible that the trypanosome species found in this primitive mammal has been acquired from aquatic leeches carrying fish trypanosomes (Stevens et al, 2001).…”

Ghosts of Christmas past?: absence of trypanosomes in feral cats and black rats from Christmas Island and Western Australia

“…in the Shark Bay mouse (16.7%) (Averis et al 2009). Introduced rodents infected with T. lewisi in Australia include the house mouse, brown rat and the black rat (Mackerras, 1959). Several novel Trypanosoma spp.…”