Molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of Trypanosoma spp. detected from striped leaf-nosed bats (Hipposideros vittatus) in Zambia

Yongjin Qiu; Masahiro Kajihara; Hayato Harima; Bernard Mudenda Hang'ombe; Ryo Nakao; Kyoko Hayashida; Akina Mori-Kajihara; Katendi Changula; Yoshiki Eto; Joseph Ndebe; Reiko Yoshida; Yoshihiro Takadate; Daniel Mwizabi; Hiroki Kawabata; Martin Simuunza; Aaron Mweene; Hirofumi Sawa; Ayato Takada; Chihiro Sugimoto

doi:10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.04.009

Molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of Trypanosoma spp. detected from striped leaf-nosed bats (Hipposideros vittatus) in Zambia

Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl. 2019 Apr 27:9:234-238. doi: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.04.009. eCollection 2019 Aug.

Authors

Yongjin Qiu¹, Masahiro Kajihara², Hayato Harima¹, Bernard Mudenda Hang'ombe^{3

4

5}, Ryo Nakao⁶, Kyoko Hayashida⁷, Akina Mori-Kajihara², Katendi Changula³, Yoshiki Eto², Joseph Ndebe⁸, Reiko Yoshida², Yoshihiro Takadate², Daniel Mwizabi⁹, Hiroki Kawabata¹⁰, Martin Simuunza⁸, Aaron Mweene^{4

5

8}, Hirofumi Sawa^{4

5

8

11

12

13}, Ayato Takada^{2

8

11}, Chihiro Sugimoto^{7

8

11}

Affiliations

¹ Hokudai Center for Zoonosis Control in Zambia, School of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Zambia, PO Box 32379, Lusaka, 10101, Zambia.
² Division of Global Epidemiology, Hokkaido University Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Kita-20 Nishi-10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 001-0020, Japan.
³ Department of Para-clinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Zambia, P.O. Box 32379, Lusaka, 10101, Zambia.
⁴ Global Virus Network Affilate Center of Excellence, The University of Zambia, P.O. Box 32379, Lusaka, 10101, Zambia.
⁵ African Center of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Humans and Animals, P.O. Box 32379, Lusaka, 10101, Zambia.
⁶ Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology, Graduate School of Infectious Diseases, Hokkaido University, Kita-18 Nishi-9, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0818, Japan.
⁷ Division of Collaboration and Education, Hokkaido University Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Kita-20 Nishi-10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 001-0020, Japan.
⁸ Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, P.O. Box 32379, Lusaka, 10101, Zambia.
⁹ Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Ministry of Tourism and Arts, Chilanga, 101010, Zambia.
¹⁰ Department of Bacteriology-I, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Toyama 1-23-1, Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan.
¹¹ Global Station for Zoonosis Control, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GI-CoRE), Hokkaido University, Kita-20 Nishi-10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 001-0020, Japan.
¹² Global Virus Network, 725 West Lombard St, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
¹³ Division of Molecular Pathology, Hokkaido University Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Kita-20 Nishi-10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 001-0020, Japan.

Abstract

Bat trypanosomes consist of more than 30 trypanosome species from over 70 species of bats. Recent studies suggest that bats play a role in disseminating trypanosomes from African continent to the terrestrial mammals both in the Afrotropic-Palearctic Ecozones and Nearctic Ecozone. However, the diversity, distribution, and evolution of bat trypanosomes are still unclear. To better understand their evolution, more genetic data of bat trypanosomes from a variety of locations are required. During a survey of Borrelia spp. of bats inhabiting a cave in Zambia, we observed flagellate parasites from 5 of 43 hemocultures. Sequence and phylogenetic analyses of the glycosomal glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene (gGAPDH; 572 bp) and the 18S ribosomal RNA gene (18S rRNA gene; 1,079-1,091 bp) revealed that all were Trypanosoma spp. belonged to the Trypanosoma cruzi clade. Three and two of them exhibited the similarity with T. conorhini and T. dionisii, respectively. The present study provides the first genetic data on Trypanosoma spp. of bats inhabiting Zambia.

Keywords: Bat; Trypanosoma conorhini; Trypanosoma cruzi clade; Trypanosoma dionisii; Zambia.