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Molecular characterization of Babesia and Cytauxzoon species in wild South-African meerkats

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 November 2014

SARAH LECLAIRE ,
SANDIE MENARD  and
ANTOINE BERRY
SARAH LECLAIRE*
Affiliation:
Department of zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK Laboratoire Evolution & Diversité Biologique, UMR 5174 (CNRS, Université Paul Sabatier, ENFA), 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175, CNRS, 1919 route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France Kalahari Meerkat Project, Kuruman River Reserve, 8467 Van Zylsrus, Northern Cape, South Africa
SANDIE MENARD
Affiliation:
Centre de Physiopathologie de Toulouse-Purpan, INSERM UMR1043–CNRS UMR5282 – Université de Toulouse III, BP 3028, 31024 Toulouse cedex 3, France
ANTOINE BERRY
Affiliation:
Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Purpan, 31059 Toulouse, France Centre de Physiopathologie de Toulouse-Purpan, INSERM UMR1043–CNRS UMR5282 – Université de Toulouse III, BP 3028, 31024 Toulouse cedex 3, France
*
*Corresponding author. CEFE-CNRS, 1919 Rte de Mende, 34293 Montpellier cedex 5, France. E-mail: sarah.leclaire@free.fr
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Summary

Piroplasms, including Babesia, Cytauxzoon and Theileria species, frequently infect domestic and wild mammals. At present, there is no information on the occurrence and molecular identity of these tick-borne blood parasites in the meerkat, one of South Africa's most endearing wildlife celebrities. Meerkats live in territorial groups, which may occur on ranchland in close proximity to humans, pets and livestock. Blood collected from 46 healthy meerkats living in the South-African Kalahari desert was screened by microscopy and molecular methods, using PCR and DNA sequencing of 18S rRNA and ITS1 genes. We found that meerkats were infected by 2 species: one species related to Babesia sp. and one species related to Cytauxzoon sp. Ninety one percent of the meerkats were infected by the Cytauxzoon and/or the Babesia species. Co-infection occurred in 46% of meerkats. The pathogenicity and vectors of these two piroplasm species remains to be determined.

Keywords

piroplasmsBabesiaCytauxzoonmeerkatsmolecular phylogeny
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 142 , Issue 4 , April 2015 , pp. 543 - 548
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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