Survey for Babesia spp. in wildlife in the eastern United States
Babesia is a diverse genus of piroplasms that parasitize the red blood cells of a wide variety of mammals and avian species, including humans. There is a lack of knowledge on the Babesia species of carnivores and mesomammals in the eastern United States and the potential impacts of these species on...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2024-12-01
|
| Series: | International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213224424001111 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850060818879610880 |
|---|---|
| author | Eliza Baker Michelle Dennis Alex Jensen Kayla Buck Garrett Christopher A. Cleveland Michael J. Yabsley Justin D. Brown Kyle Van Why Richard Gerhold |
| author_facet | Eliza Baker Michelle Dennis Alex Jensen Kayla Buck Garrett Christopher A. Cleveland Michael J. Yabsley Justin D. Brown Kyle Van Why Richard Gerhold |
| author_sort | Eliza Baker |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Babesia is a diverse genus of piroplasms that parasitize the red blood cells of a wide variety of mammals and avian species, including humans. There is a lack of knowledge on the Babesia species of carnivores and mesomammals in the eastern United States and the potential impacts of these species on the health of humans and domestic animals. We surveyed 786 wild mammals in the eastern United States by testing blood, spleen, and heart samples with PCR targeting the 18S rRNA region of apicomplexan parasites. We also performed PCR targeting the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) region of each unique clade identified with 18S rRNA sequencing. We found a high positivity of Babesia spp. infection in raccoons (Procyon lotor), foxes (Vulpes vulpes and Urocyon cinereoargenteus), and striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), and low positivity in Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana). No Babesia infections were detected in coyotes (Canis latrans), black bears (Ursus americanus), groundhogs (Marmota monax), muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus), or mink (Neovison vison). Skunks carried a diverse number of strains including a potential novel species of Babesia related to B. gibsoni, a strain closely related to a B. microti-like species known to cause disease in river otters, as well as a separate B. microti-like strain. Raccoons primarily carried B. microti-like strains, though there was a high diversity of sequences including Babesia lotori, Babesia sensu stricto MA230, and Babesia sp. ‘Coco.’ Foxes exclusively carried B. vulpes. In addition to Babesia spp., a high positivity of Hepatozoon spp. infection was found in mink, while low positivity was found in raccoons and muskrats. Wildlife in the eastern United States carry a diverse range of Babesia species including several novel strains of unknown clinical significance. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4f7784d21ade436187c189ea02f6e17e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2213-2244 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife |
| spelling | doaj-art-4f7784d21ade436187c189ea02f6e17e2025-08-20T02:50:27ZengElsevierInternational Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife2213-22442024-12-012510101510.1016/j.ijppaw.2024.101015Survey for Babesia spp. in wildlife in the eastern United StatesEliza Baker0Michelle Dennis1Alex Jensen2Kayla Buck Garrett3Christopher A. Cleveland4Michael J. Yabsley5Justin D. Brown6Kyle Van Why7Richard Gerhold8Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, Knoxville, TN, USA; Corresponding author.Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, Knoxville, TN, USADepartment of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University Clemson, SC, USA; North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC, USASoutheastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA; Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USASoutheastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USASoutheastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA; Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA; Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USADepartment of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, College of Agricultural Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USAUnited States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Harrisburg, PA, USADepartment of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, Knoxville, TN, USABabesia is a diverse genus of piroplasms that parasitize the red blood cells of a wide variety of mammals and avian species, including humans. There is a lack of knowledge on the Babesia species of carnivores and mesomammals in the eastern United States and the potential impacts of these species on the health of humans and domestic animals. We surveyed 786 wild mammals in the eastern United States by testing blood, spleen, and heart samples with PCR targeting the 18S rRNA region of apicomplexan parasites. We also performed PCR targeting the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) region of each unique clade identified with 18S rRNA sequencing. We found a high positivity of Babesia spp. infection in raccoons (Procyon lotor), foxes (Vulpes vulpes and Urocyon cinereoargenteus), and striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), and low positivity in Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana). No Babesia infections were detected in coyotes (Canis latrans), black bears (Ursus americanus), groundhogs (Marmota monax), muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus), or mink (Neovison vison). Skunks carried a diverse number of strains including a potential novel species of Babesia related to B. gibsoni, a strain closely related to a B. microti-like species known to cause disease in river otters, as well as a separate B. microti-like strain. Raccoons primarily carried B. microti-like strains, though there was a high diversity of sequences including Babesia lotori, Babesia sensu stricto MA230, and Babesia sp. ‘Coco.’ Foxes exclusively carried B. vulpes. In addition to Babesia spp., a high positivity of Hepatozoon spp. infection was found in mink, while low positivity was found in raccoons and muskrats. Wildlife in the eastern United States carry a diverse range of Babesia species including several novel strains of unknown clinical significance.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213224424001111BabesiosisHepatozoonosisHepatozoon ophisauriTick-borne protozoan diseaseZoonosis |
| spellingShingle | Eliza Baker Michelle Dennis Alex Jensen Kayla Buck Garrett Christopher A. Cleveland Michael J. Yabsley Justin D. Brown Kyle Van Why Richard Gerhold Survey for Babesia spp. in wildlife in the eastern United States International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife Babesiosis Hepatozoonosis Hepatozoon ophisauri Tick-borne protozoan disease Zoonosis |
| title | Survey for Babesia spp. in wildlife in the eastern United States |
| title_full | Survey for Babesia spp. in wildlife in the eastern United States |
| title_fullStr | Survey for Babesia spp. in wildlife in the eastern United States |
| title_full_unstemmed | Survey for Babesia spp. in wildlife in the eastern United States |
| title_short | Survey for Babesia spp. in wildlife in the eastern United States |
| title_sort | survey for babesia spp in wildlife in the eastern united states |
| topic | Babesiosis Hepatozoonosis Hepatozoon ophisauri Tick-borne protozoan disease Zoonosis |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213224424001111 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT elizabaker surveyforbabesiasppinwildlifeintheeasternunitedstates AT michelledennis surveyforbabesiasppinwildlifeintheeasternunitedstates AT alexjensen surveyforbabesiasppinwildlifeintheeasternunitedstates AT kaylabuckgarrett surveyforbabesiasppinwildlifeintheeasternunitedstates AT christopheracleveland surveyforbabesiasppinwildlifeintheeasternunitedstates AT michaeljyabsley surveyforbabesiasppinwildlifeintheeasternunitedstates AT justindbrown surveyforbabesiasppinwildlifeintheeasternunitedstates AT kylevanwhy surveyforbabesiasppinwildlifeintheeasternunitedstates AT richardgerhold surveyforbabesiasppinwildlifeintheeasternunitedstates |