Piroplasms in brown hyaenas (Parahyaena brunnea) and spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta) in Namibia and South Africa are closely related to Babesia lengau

dc.contributor.authorBurroughs, Richard E.J.
dc.contributor.authorPenzhorn, Barend Louis
dc.contributor.authorWiesel, Ingrid
dc.contributor.authorBarker, Nancy
dc.contributor.authorVorster, Ilse
dc.contributor.authorOosthuizen, Marinda C.
dc.contributor.emailbanie.penzhorn@up.ac.zaen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2017-03-07T07:08:28Z
dc.date.issued2017-02
dc.description.abstractThe objective of our study was identification and molecular characterisation of piroplasms and rickettsias occurring in brown (Parahyaena brunnea) and spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta) from various localities in Namibia and South Africa. Whole blood (n=59) and skin (n=3) specimens from brown (n=15) and spotted hyaenas (n=47) were screened for the presence of Babesia, Theileria, Ehrlichia and Anaplasma species using the Reverse Line Blot (RLB) hybridization technique. PCR products of 52/62 (83.9%) of the specimens hybridized only with the Theileria/Babesia genus-specific probes and not with any of the species-specific probes, suggesting the presence of a novel species or variant of a species. No Ehrlichia and/or Anaplasma species DNA could be detected. Parasite 18S rRNA gene of brown (n=3) and spotted hyaena (n=6) specimens was subsequently amplified, cloned and the recombinants sequenced. Homologous sequence searches of databases indicated that the obtained sequences were most closely related to B. lengau, originally described from cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus). Observed sequence similarities were subsequently confirmed by phylogenetic analyses which showed that the obtained hyaena sequences formed a monophyletic group with B. lengau, B. conradae and sequences previously isolated from humans and wildlife in the western USA. Within the B. lengau clade, the obtained sequences and the published B. lengau sequences grouped into six distinct groups, of which groups I to V represented novel B. lengau genotypes and/or gene variants. We suggest that these genotypes cannot be classified as new Babesia species, but rather as variants of B. lengau. This is the first report of occurrence of piroplasms in brown hyaenas.en_ZA
dc.description.departmentCentre for Veterinary Wildlife Studiesen_ZA
dc.description.departmentVeterinary Tropical Diseasesen_ZA
dc.description.embargo2018-02-28
dc.description.librarianhb2017en_ZA
dc.description.urihttp://link.springer.com/journal/436en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationBurroughs, R.E.J., Penzhorn, B.L., Wiesel, I., Barker, N., Vorster, I. & Oosthuizen, M.C. Piroplasms in brown hyaenas (Parahyaena brunnea) and spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta) in Namibia and South Africa are closely related to Babesia lengau. Parasitology Research (2017) 116: 685-692. doi:10.1007/s00436-016-5334-5.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn0932-0113 (print)
dc.identifier.issn1432-1955(online)
dc.identifier.other10.1007/s00436-016-5334-5
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/59295
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherSpringeren_ZA
dc.rights© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2016. The original publication is available at : http://link.springer.comjournal/436.en_ZA
dc.subjectBabesia lengauen_ZA
dc.subjectHyaenaen_ZA
dc.subjectNamibiaen_ZA
dc.subjectBrown hyaena (Parahyaena brunnea)en_ZA
dc.subjectSpotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta)en_ZA
dc.subjectSouth Africa (SA)en_ZA
dc.subjectPiroplasmsen_ZA
dc.titlePiroplasms in brown hyaenas (Parahyaena brunnea) and spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta) in Namibia and South Africa are closely related to Babesia lengauen_ZA
dc.typePostprint Articleen_ZA

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