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

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 May 2000

A. M. KJEMTRUP ,
J. THOMFORD ,
T. ROBINSON  and
P. A. CONRAD
A. M. KJEMTRUP
Affiliation:
University of California, School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, One, Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616-8736
J. THOMFORD
Affiliation:
University of California, School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, One, Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616-8736 Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, Mira Costa College, Oceanside, CA, USA.
T. ROBINSON
Affiliation:
University of California, School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, One, Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616-8736
P. A. CONRAD
Affiliation:
University of California, School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, One, Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616-8736
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Abstract

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.

Keywords

piroplasmBabesiaTheileriaphylogeny
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 120 , Issue 5 , May 2000 , pp. 487 - 493
Copyright
2000 Cambridge University Press

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