Phylogenetic relationships of human and wildlife piroplasm isolates in the western United States inferred from the 18S nuclear small subunit RNA gene

The 18S nuclear small subunit ribosomal RNA gene of piroplasms from wildlife and human cases of babesiosis in the western USA were isolated by PCR and sequenced. Phylogenetic analyses of these sequences and comparisons with sequences from other Babesia and Theileria species revealed that piroplasm i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Parasitology 2000-05, Vol.120 (5), p.487-493
Main Authors: KJEMTRUP, A. M., THOMFORD, J., ROBINSON, T., CONRAD, P. A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Animals, Wild - parasitology
Babesia
Babesia - classification
Babesia - genetics
Babesia - isolation & purification
babesiosis
Babesiosis - parasitology
Biological and medical sciences
California
Deer - parasitology
Dogs
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Genes, rRNA
Humans
Odocoileus hemionus
Phylogeny
piroplasm
Protozoa
RNA, Ribosomal, 18S - genetics
rRNA 18S
Sequence Analysis, DNA
Sheep
Sheep Diseases - parasitology
Systematics. Geographical distribution. Morphology. Cytology
Theileria
USA, Western
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Summary:The 18S nuclear small subunit ribosomal RNA gene of piroplasms from wildlife and human cases of babesiosis in the western USA were isolated by PCR and sequenced. Phylogenetic analyses of these sequences and comparisons with sequences from other Babesia and Theileria species revealed that piroplasm isolates from the human cases were indistinguishable from some of the isolates from the western wildlife species, most notably the isolates from mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). These results suggest that large ungulates may serve as reservoirs for human piroplasm infection. The western piroplasm isolates from humans and wildlife formed a distinct clade, separate from other piroplasms found worldwide.
ISSN:0031-1820
1469-8161
DOI:10.1017/S003118209900582X