Hemosporidians are a monophyletic group of protozoan parasites infecting all terrestrial vertebrate orders. Although Plasmodium is the most studied genus within the Haemosporidia, this research effort is heavily biased toward mammal and bird hosts. We screened 205 specimens of at least 18 reptile species from Brazil using a partial mitochondrial cytochrome b gene marker. Positive samples were sequenced and included in a phylogenetic assessment. Four positive PCR products matched others identified as Plasmodium using BLAST from 3 different host species, Ameiva ameiva, Tropidurus hispidus, and Hemidactylus mabouia. Recovery of similar haplotypes in the native T. hispidus and exotic H. mabouia (99.9%) indicate potential host-switching.
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9 December 2019
Molecular Screening of Plasmodium (Haemosporidia: Plasmodiidae) Parasites from Reptiles in Brazil
D. James Harris,
Joana L. Santos,
Diva Maria Borges-Nojosa,
Déborah Praciano de Castro
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Journal of Parasitology
Vol. 105 • No. 6
November 2019
Vol. 105 • No. 6
November 2019
Ameiva
cytochrome b
Hemidactylus
protozoa
Tropidurus