RESUMO
Tritrichomonas foetus is a flagellated and anaerobic parasite able to infect cattle and felines. Despite its prevalence, there is no effective standardized or legal treatment for T. foetus-infected cattle; the vaccination still has limited success in mitigating infections and reducing abortion risk; and nowadays, the diagnosis of T. foetus presents important limitations in terms of sensitivity and specificity in bovines. Here, we characterize the plasma membrane proteome of T. foetus and identify proteins that are represented in different isolates of this protozoan. Additionally, we performed a bioinformatic analysis that revealed the antigenicity potential of some of those proteins. This analysis is the first study to identify common proteins at the plasma membrane of different T. foetus isolates that could be targets for alternative diagnostic or vaccine techniques in the future.
Assuntos
Proteômica , Proteínas de Protozoários , Tritrichomonas foetus , Tritrichomonas foetus/isolamento & purificação , Proteômica/métodos , Proteínas de Protozoários/metabolismo , Proteínas de Protozoários/análise , Animais , Proteoma/análise , Membrana Celular/metabolismo , Bovinos , Proteínas de Membrana/metabolismo , Doenças dos Bovinos/parasitologia , Infecções Protozoárias em Animais/parasitologia , Infecções Protozoárias em Animais/diagnóstico , Biologia Computacional/métodosRESUMO
Cytauxzoon spp. have been detected in Brazil infecting mainly asymptomatic domestic cats and wild felids. However, the supposed genetic similarity with the pathogenic Cytauxzoon felis is questionable because it is based on analysis of short sequences of the 18S rRNA gene. Herein, we describe a novel Cytauxzoon species infecting an asymptomatic little-spotted-cat (Leopardus tigrinus) based on morphological, histopathological, and molecular analyses. The animal was attended presenting a history of a run-over with multiple traumas. Although the little-spotted-cat was stabilized, he died a few days later. Ring-shaped merozoites within erythrocytes were found on blood smears and in the abdominal effusion. In addition, schizonts were observed in histiocytes in the liver. Phylogenetic analyses based on both near-complete 18S rRNA and cytb genes positioned the obtained sequences in a unique clade, albeit closely related to Cytauxzoon felis from the USA. Genetic divergences ranging from 0.004 and 0.067-0.068 were found between the near-complete 18S rRNA and cytb sequences of Cytauxzoon sp. detected in the little-spotted-cat and C. felis, respectively. This study evidenced the circulation of a novel Cytauxzoon species, herein named Cytauxzoon brasiliensis sp. nov., in an asymptomatic wild felid species from Brazil. Further studies are necessary to identify Cytauxzoon species from domestic and wild felids in the country.
Assuntos
Filogenia , RNA Ribossômico 18S , Animais , Brasil , RNA Ribossômico 18S/genética , Especificidade da Espécie , Felidae/parasitologia , Infecções Protozoárias em Animais/parasitologia , MasculinoRESUMO
Forest regeneration is becoming a powerful tool to combat land conversion which covers 30 % of the Neotropical territory. However, little is known about the effect of forest regeneration on vector-borne diseases. Here, we describe the haemosporidian lineage composition across a successional gradient within an Atlantic Forest bird community. We test whether forest successional stages, in addition to host life history traits affect haemosporidian infection probability. We sampled birds at 16 sampling units with different successional stages between 2017 and 2018 within a forest remnant located in Antonina, Paraná, Brazil. We captured bird individuals using mist-nets, identified them to the species level, and collected blood samples to detect and identify Plasmodium and Haemoproteus lineages based on molecular analysis. We used a Bayesian phylogenetic linear model with a Bernoulli distribution to test whether the haemosporidian infection probability is affected by nest type, foraging stratum, and forest successional stage. We captured 322 bird individuals belonging to 52 species and 21 families. We found 31 parasite lineages and an overall haemosporidian prevalence of 23.9 %, with most infections being caused by Plasmodium (21.7 % of prevalence). The Plasmodium probability of infection was associated with forest successional stage and bird foraging stratum. Birds from the secondary forest in an intermediate stage of succession are more likely to be infected by the parasites than birds from the primary forests (ß = 1.21, 95 % CI = 0.11 - 2.43), birds from upper strata exhibit a lower probability of infection than birds from lower foraging strata (ß = -1.81, 95 % CI = -3.80 - -0.08). Nest type did not affect the Plasmodium probability of infection. Our results highlight the relevance of forest succession on haemosporidian infection dynamics, which is particularly relevant in a world where natural regeneration is the main tool used in forest restoration.
Assuntos
Doenças das Aves , Aves , Florestas , Haemosporida , Animais , Aves/parasitologia , Haemosporida/isolamento & purificação , Haemosporida/genética , Brasil/epidemiologia , Prevalência , Doenças das Aves/parasitologia , Doenças das Aves/epidemiologia , Plasmodium/isolamento & purificação , Plasmodium/classificação , Filogenia , Infecções Protozoárias em Animais/epidemiologia , Infecções Protozoárias em Animais/parasitologia , Teorema de BayesRESUMO
Avian haemosporidians of the genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus are a group of widely distributed blood parasites that can negatively affect the fitness of their hosts. Colombia contains the greatest diversity of birds on the planet, but knowledge about the associations between haemosporidian and its avifauna is scarce and fragmented. We collected blood samples from 255 birds (203 residents and 52 neotropical migrants) belonging to 27 families and 108 species. The study was conducted in six localities in the inter-Andean valleys of the Cauca and Magdalena rivers. Parasites of the genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus were identified in the samples by morphological and molecular analysis of a fragment of the mitochondrial gene cyt b. Among the samples, 9.3% (n = 24) were positive for Plasmodium or Haemoproteus. Co-infection with Plasmodium and Haemoproteus was found in Red-eyed Vireo. Seventeen haemosporidian lineages were identified, five of which were reported for the first time in resident birds (Common Ground Dove, Checker-throated Stipplethroat, Tropical Kingbird, Pale-breasted Thrush, and Ruddy-breasted Seedeater) and one in the Summer Tanager (neotropical migrant). The research results confirm the wide diversity of haemosporidian present in tropical lowlands and the possible role of neotropical migratory birds in dissemination on haemosporidian along their migratory routes.
Assuntos
Doenças das Aves , Aves , Haemosporida , Plasmodium , Infecções Protozoárias em Animais , Animais , Colômbia/epidemiologia , Haemosporida/classificação , Haemosporida/isolamento & purificação , Haemosporida/genética , Aves/parasitologia , Doenças das Aves/parasitologia , Doenças das Aves/epidemiologia , Plasmodium/classificação , Plasmodium/isolamento & purificação , Plasmodium/genética , Infecções Protozoárias em Animais/parasitologia , Infecções Protozoárias em Animais/epidemiologia , Citocromos b/genética , Migração Animal , Filogenia , Coinfecção/parasitologia , Coinfecção/veterinária , Coinfecção/epidemiologiaRESUMO
Canine tick-borne diseases, such as babesiosis, rangeliosis, hepatozoonosis, anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis, are of veterinarian relevance, causing mild or severe clinical cases that can lead to the death of the dog. The aim of this study was detecting tick-borne protozoan and rickettsial infections in dogs with anemia and/or thrombocytopenia in Uruguay. A total of 803 domestic dogs were evaluated, and 10% were found positive (detected by PCR) at least for one hemoparasite. Sequence analysis confirmed the presence of four hemoprotozoan species: Rangelia vitalii, Babesia vogeli, Hepatozoon canis and Hepatozoon americanum, and the rickettsial Anaplasma platys. The most detected hemoparasite was R. vitalii, followed by H. canis and A. platys. This is the first report of B. vogeli in Uruguay and the second report of H. americanum in dogs from South America. The results highlight the importance for veterinarians to include hemoparasitic diseases in their differential diagnosis of agents causing anemia and thrombocytopenia.
Assuntos
Anemia , Doenças do Cão , Piroplasmida , Trombocitopenia , Animais , Uruguai , Cães , Doenças do Cão/parasitologia , Doenças do Cão/diagnóstico , Doenças do Cão/epidemiologia , Trombocitopenia/veterinária , Trombocitopenia/parasitologia , Anemia/veterinária , Anemia/parasitologia , Piroplasmida/isolamento & purificação , Piroplasmida/genética , Feminino , Anaplasmataceae/isolamento & purificação , Anaplasmataceae/genética , Masculino , Infecções por Anaplasmataceae/veterinária , Infecções por Anaplasmataceae/epidemiologia , Anaplasma/isolamento & purificação , Anaplasma/genética , Babesiose/parasitologia , Babesiose/diagnóstico , Coccidiose/veterinária , Coccidiose/parasitologia , Eucoccidiida/isolamento & purificação , Eucoccidiida/genética , Doenças Transmitidas por Carrapatos/veterinária , Doenças Transmitidas por Carrapatos/parasitologia , Doenças Transmitidas por Carrapatos/microbiologia , Doenças Transmitidas por Carrapatos/epidemiologia , Babesia/isolamento & purificação , Infecções Protozoárias em Animais/parasitologia , Infecções Protozoárias em Animais/epidemiologia , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase/veterináriaRESUMO
There are no recommended drugs to treat cattle infected with the protozoan Tritrichomonas foetus (TF). Ivermectin, widely used in the treatment of intestinal parasites, was found effective against some protozoa growing in vitro. Here, its effectiveness against a TF line was investigated. Trophozoites were incubated in media with increasing concentrations of ivermectin and mortality was determined after 24 h. Ivermectin killed cells with a mean maximum effective concentration (EC50) of 2.47 µg mL-1. The effective concentration of ivermectin was rather high for a formulation suitable for systemic treatment. However, topical treatment of animals against TF could still be considered and tested.
Assuntos
Doenças dos Bovinos , Infecções Protozoárias em Animais , Tritrichomonas foetus , Animais , Bovinos , Infecções Protozoárias em Animais/tratamento farmacológico , Infecções Protozoárias em Animais/parasitologia , Ivermectina/farmacologia , Trofozoítos , Doenças dos Bovinos/parasitologiaRESUMO
The order Procellariiformes includes several species of seabirds that perform long-distance migrations crossing all the oceans. These movements may contribute to the dispersal and exchange of hemoparasites, such as haemosporidians. There is a lack of studies regarding the order Haemosporida in Procellariiformes, and, to date, only the genus Plasmodium has been reported. This survey investigated the occurrence of the three genera of haemosporidians, Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon, in samples collected between 2013 and 2022 from 95 individuals of 14 species of Procellariiformes from southern Brazil, including live animals in rehabilitation centers, individuals caught as incidental bycatch, and carcasses found along the coast. A total of 171 samples of blood and fragments of liver and spleen were analyzed, with extracted DNA being subjected to a nested PCR followed by phylogeny analysis. All animals were negative for Plasmodium spp. and Leucocytozoon spp., but one Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophris) and one Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus) specimen were positive for Haemoproteus spp. The sequences obtained from positive seabirds did not show 100% similarity with other known lineages available in the MalAvi database and thus were probably novel lineages. However, one sequence clustered together with Haemoproteus noctuae, a parasite from Strigiformes, while the other was grouped with Haemoproteus columbae, which is classically related to Columbiformes. These results suggest that both positive animals may have become infected when beached or in rehabilitation centers by a spillover of vectors from local birds. This highlights the importance of surveillance of the health of Procellariiformes regarding the possibility of dissemination of new pathogens in different bird populations.
Assuntos
Doenças das Aves , Haemosporida , Parasitos , Plasmodium , Infecções Protozoárias em Animais , Estrigiformes , Humanos , Animais , Brasil/epidemiologia , Doenças das Aves/epidemiologia , Doenças das Aves/parasitologia , Haemosporida/genética , Plasmodium/genética , Filogenia , Infecções Protozoárias em Animais/epidemiologia , Infecções Protozoárias em Animais/parasitologiaRESUMO
IMPORTANCE: Nowadays, the routine herd diagnosis is usually performed exclusively on bulls, as they remain permanently infected, and prevention and control of Tritrichomonas foetus transmission are based on identifying infected animals and culling practices. The existence of other forms of transmission and the possible role of pseudocysts or cyst-like structures as resistant forms requires rethinking the current management and control of this parasitic disease in the future in some livestock regions of the world.
Assuntos
Doenças dos Bovinos , Parasitos , Infecções Protozoárias em Animais , Tritrichomonas foetus , Animais , Bovinos , Masculino , Infecções Protozoárias em Animais/parasitologia , Água , Doenças dos Bovinos/prevenção & controle , Trato GastrointestinalRESUMO
The distribution of avian haemosporidians of the genus Leucocytozoon in the Neotropics remains poorly understood. Recent studies confirmed their presence in the region using molecular techniques alone, but evidence for gametocytes and data on putative competent hosts for Leucocytozoon are still lacking outside highland areas. We combined morphological and molecular data to characterize a new Leucocytozoon species infecting a non-migratory red-legged seriema (Cariama cristata), the first report of a competent host for Leucocytozoon in Brazil. Leucocytozoon cariamae n. sp. is distinguished from the Leucocytozoon fringillinarum group by its microgametocytes that are not strongly appressed to the host cell nucleus. The bird studied was coinfected with Haemoproteus pulcher, and we present a Bayesian phylogenetic analysis based on nearly complete mitochondrial genomes of these 2 parasites. Leucocytozoon cariamae n. sp. morphology is consistent with our phylogenetic analysis indicating that it does not share a recent common ancestor with the L. fringillinarum group. Haemoproteus pulcher and Haemoproteus catharti form a monophyletic group with Haemocystidium parasites of Reptilia, supporting the polyphyly of the genus Haemoproteus. We also discussed the hypothesis that H. pulcher and H. catharti may be avian Haemocystidium, highlighting the need to study non-passerine parasites to untangle the systematics of Haemosporida.
Assuntos
Doenças das Aves , Coinfecção , Genoma Mitocondrial , Haemosporida , Parasitos , Infecções Protozoárias em Animais , Animais , Filogenia , Brasil/epidemiologia , Teorema de Bayes , Infecções Protozoárias em Animais/parasitologia , Doenças das Aves/parasitologia , Haemosporida/genética , Parasitos/genética , AvesRESUMO
The relationships between host phylogenetics, functional traits and parasites in wildlife remain poorly understood in the Neotropics, especially in habitats with marked seasonal variation. Here, we examined the effect of seasonality and host functional traits on the prevalence of avian haemosporidians (Plasmodium and Haemoproteus) in the Brazilian Caatinga, a seasonally dry tropical forest. 933 birds were evaluated for haemosporidian infections. We found a high parasitism prevalence (51.2%), which was correlated with phylogenetic relatedness among avian species. Prevalence varied drastically among the 20 well-sampled species, ranging from 0 to 70%. Seasonality was the main factor associated with infections, but how this abiotic condition influenced parasite prevalence varied according to the host-parasite system. Plasmodium prevalence increased during the rainy season and, after excluding the large sample size of Columbiformes (n = 462/933), Plasmodium infection rate was maintained high in the wet season and showed a negative association with host body mass. No association was found between non-Columbiform bird prevalence and seasonality or body mass when evaluating both Plasmodium and Haemoproteus or only Haemoproteus infections. Parasite community was composed of 32 lineages including 7 new lineages. We evidenced that even dry domains can harbour a high prevalence and diversity of vector-borne parasites and pointed out seasonality as a ruling factor.