Molecular detection of Trypanosoma spp. and Hepatocystis parasite infections of bats in Northern Nigeria

Molecular detection of Trypanosoma spp. and Hepatocystis parasite infections of bats in Northern Nigeria

Bats are mammalian hosts to a large diversity of eukaryotic protozoan blood parasites, including different genera of haemosporidians and diverse species of trypanosomes. Phylogenetic studies suggest that bats, particularly in Africa, have played an important role in the evolutionary histories of the...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Parasitology Vol. 149; no. 11; pp. 1460 - 1467
Main Authors: Kamani, J., Atuman, Y. J., Oche, D. A., Shekaro, A., Werb, O., Ejotre, I., Schaer, J.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01-09-2022
Subjects:
Animals
Bats
Blood
Blood parasites
Chiroptera - parasitology
Cytochrome
Eidolon helvum
Fruits
Genes
Haemosporida
Hepatocystis
Infections
Investigations
Microscopy
Nigeria - epidemiology
Nucleotides
Parasites
Parasitic Diseases
Phylogenetics
Phylogeny
Rare species
Species diversity
Trypanosoma
Trypanosoma - genetics
Trypanosoma cruzi
Trypanosome
Nigeria
Africa
Bats
Hepatocystis
Haemosporida
Trypanosoma
Chiroptera
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Bats are mammalian hosts to a large diversity of eukaryotic protozoan blood parasites, including different genera of haemosporidians and diverse species of trypanosomes. Phylogenetic studies suggest that bats, particularly in Africa, have played an important role in the evolutionary histories of these parasite groups. However, our understanding of the diversity and distribution of chiropteran haemosporidians and trypanosomes in Africa remains tenuous. We investigated the prevalence and phylogenetic relationships of the blood parasites in different bat species in Northern Nigeria using molecular methods. A low prevalence of Hepatocystis parasites was detected in a potentially rare host species, the African straw-coloured fruit bat (Eidolon helvum) confirming yet another fruit bat species in the diverse range of African bat hosts. Trypanosome infections were identified in 3 different bat species. The trypanosomes of Mops cf. pumilus were recovered as a distinct lineage that is related to Trypanosoma erneyi, a species which is closely related to Trypanosoma dionisii and Trypanosoma cruzi. Nycteris cf. macrotis bats were infected with trypanosomes that are related to the distinct lineage of Trypanosoma cf. livingstonei parasites. Further, 2 different lineages of trypanosomes in E. helvum bats share highest nucleotide identities with Trypanosoma livingstonei and a group of Trypanosoma sp. parasites that are closely related to T. cf. livingstonei and T. livingstonei, respectively. The findings of this study confirm the notion that trypanosomes of African bats are phylogenetically diverse and that African bats might harbour a variety of yet undescribed trypanosome species.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 23
ISSN:0031-1820
1469-8161
DOI:10.1017/S0031182022000890