Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences (FCAV), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil.
Laboratório de Mamíferos, Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB), João Pessoa, PB, Brazil.
Exp Parasitol. 2024 Jul;262:108786. doi: 10.1016/j.exppara.2024.108786. Epub 2024 May 17.
Piroplasmids and Hepatozoon spp. Are apicomplexan protozoa that may cause disease in several canid species. The present study aimed to expand the knowledge on the diversity of piroplasmids and Hepatozoon in crab-eating foxes (Cerdocyon thous; n = 12) sampled in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso do Sul State, central-western Brazil. PCR assays based on the 18S rRNA were used as screening. Three (25%) and 11 (91.7%) were positive for piroplasmids and Hepatozoon spp., respectively. Co-infection was found in three C. thous. Phylogenetic analyses based on the near-complete 18S rRNA, cox-1 and hsp70 genes evidenced the occurrence of a novel of Babesia spp. (namely Babesia pantanalensis nov. sp.) closely related to Rangelia vitalii and Babesia sp. 'Coco'. This finding was supported by the genetic divergence analysis which showed (i) high divergence, ranging from 4.17 to 5.62% for 18 S rRNA, 6.16% for hps70 and 4.91-9.25% for cox-1 and (ii) the genotype network (which displayed sequences separated from the previously described Piroplasmida species by median vectors and several mutational events). Also, phylogenetic analysis based on the 18S rRNA gene of Hepatozoon spp. positioned the sequences obtained herein in a clade phylogenetically related to Hepatozoon sp. 'Curupira 2', Hepatozoon sp. detected in domestic and wild canids from Uruguay and Hepatozoon americanum. The present study described Babesia pantanalensis nov sp. and Hepatozoon closely related to H. americanum in crab-eating foxes from Brazil. Moreover, the coinfection by piroplasmids and Hepatozoon sp. for the first time in crab-eating foxes strongly suggesting that this wild canid species potentially acts as a bio-accumulate of hemoprotozoan in wild environment.
梨形虫和肝孢虫属是顶复门原生动物，可能会导致几种犬科物种患病。本研究旨在扩大对巴西北部潘塔纳尔地区食蟹狐（Cerdocyon thous；n=12）中梨形虫和肝孢虫属多样性的认识。基于 18S rRNA 的 PCR 检测被用作筛选方法。有 3 只（25%）和 11 只（91.7%）食蟹狐的检测结果为梨形虫和肝孢虫属阳性。在 3 只食蟹狐中发现了混合感染。基于近全长 18S rRNA、cox-1 和 hsp70 基因的系统发育分析证实了一种新的巴贝斯虫属（即巴贝斯虫 pantanalensis nov. sp.）的发生，该种与兰氏锥虫和巴贝斯虫属 '可可' 密切相关。这一发现得到了遗传分化分析的支持，该分析表明（i）高分化，18S rRNA 为 4.17-5.62%，hsp70 为 6.16%，cox-1 为 4.91-9.25%；（ii）基因型网络（显示序列与先前描述的梨形虫物种通过中值向量和几个突变事件分离）。此外，基于 Hepatozoon spp. 的 18S rRNA 基因的系统发育分析将本文获得的序列定位于与 Hepatozoon sp. 'Curupira 2'、在乌拉圭的家养和野生犬科动物中检测到的 Hepatozoon sp. 和 Hepatozoon americanum 密切相关的进化枝中。本研究在巴西的食蟹狐中描述了巴贝斯虫 pantanalensis nov. sp. 和与 Hepatozoon americanum 密切相关的 Hepatozoon。此外，食蟹狐中首次发现了梨形虫和肝孢虫属的混合感染，这强烈表明这种野生犬科动物可能在野生环境中充当血液原生动物的生物蓄积物。
