Ndossi Barakaeli Abdieli, Mjingo Eblate Ernest, Zebedayo Mary Wokusima, Choe Seongjun, Park Hansol, Dongmin Lee, Eom Keeseon S, Bia Mohammed Mebarek
Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, Arusha P.O. Box 661, Tanzania.
International Parasite Resource Bank, Cheongju 28644, Republic of Korea.
Pathogens. 2025 Apr 30;14(5):443. doi: 10.3390/pathogens14050443.
(1) Background: Limited information on species among the wildlife in Tanzania has created a significant knowledge gap regarding their distribution, host range, and zoonotic potential. This study aimed to enhance the understanding of transmission dynamics within the great Serengeti ecosystem. (2) Methods: A total of 37 adult specimens were collected from a leopard () (n = 1) in Maswa Game Reserve and 7 from a lion () (n = 1) in Loliondo. Two hydatid cysts were also obtained from warthogs (n = 2) in the Serengeti National Park. (3) Results: Morphological examination revealed infertile cysts in warthogs that were molecularly identified as . This marks the first molecular evidence of in leopards and warthogs in Tanzania. Pairwise similarity analysis showed 98.7%-99.5% identity between Tanzanian, Ugandan, and South African isolates. Thirteen unique haplotypes were identified, with a haplotype diversity of (Hd = 0.9485) indicating genetic variability. Phylogenetic analysis grouped into a single lineage, with the leopard isolate forming a distinct haplotype, suggesting leopards as an emerging host. Lion and warthog isolates shared multiple mutational steps, suggesting possible genetic divergence. (4) Conclusions: This study confirms African lions and leopards as definitive hosts and warthogs as potential intermediate hosts of in the Serengeti ecosystem. Our findings highlight disease spillover risks and stress the importance of ecosystem-based conservation in wildlife-livestock overlap areas. Although is believed to be confined to wildlife, the proximity of infected animals to pastoralist communities raises concerns for spillover. These findings highlight the importance of ecosystem-based surveillance, especially in wildlife-livestock-human interface areas.
(1) 背景：坦桑尼亚野生动物物种信息有限，导致在其分布、宿主范围和人畜共患病潜力方面存在重大知识空白。本研究旨在加深对塞伦盖蒂大生态系统内传播动态的理解。(2) 方法：从马苏阿野生动物保护区的一只豹（n = 1）身上采集了37个成虫样本，从洛利昂多的一只狮子（n = 1）身上采集了7个样本。还从塞伦盖蒂国家公园的疣猪（n = 2）身上获得了两个包虫囊肿。(3) 结果：形态学检查发现疣猪体内的囊肿不育，经分子鉴定为细粒棘球绦虫。这是坦桑尼亚豹和疣猪体内细粒棘球绦虫的首个分子证据。成对相似性分析显示，坦桑尼亚、乌干达和南非分离株之间的同一性为98.7%-99.5%。鉴定出13个独特的单倍型，单倍型多样性（Hd = 0.9485）表明存在遗传变异性。系统发育分析将细粒棘球绦虫分为一个单一谱系，豹的分离株形成一个独特的单倍型，表明豹是新出现的宿主。狮子和疣猪分离株有多个突变步骤相同，表明可能存在遗传分化。(4) 结论：本研究证实非洲狮和豹是塞伦盖蒂生态系统中细粒棘球绦虫的终末宿主，疣猪是潜在的中间宿主。我们的研究结果突出了疾病溢出风险，并强调了在野生动物与家畜重叠区域基于生态系统的保护的重要性。尽管细粒棘球绦虫被认为仅限于野生动物，但受感染动物与牧民社区的接近引发了对溢出的担忧。这些发现突出了基于生态系统监测的重要性，特别是在野生动物-家畜-人类界面区域。
