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Phylogenetic relationship of Hepatozoon blood parasites found in snakes from Africa, America and Asia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 October 2013

B. HAKLOVÁ ,
V. MAJLÁTHOVÁ ,
I. MAJLÁTH ,
D. J. HARRIS ,
V. PETRILLA ,
T. LITSCHKA-KOEN ,
M. OROS  and
B. PEŤKO
B. HAKLOVÁ*
Affiliation:
Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovak Republic
V. MAJLÁTHOVÁ
Affiliation:
Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovak Republic
I. MAJLÁTH
Affiliation:
Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovak Republic Institute of Biology and Ecology, University of P.J. Šafárik in Košice, Moyzesova 11, 040 01 Košice, Slovak Republic
D. J. HARRIS
Affiliation:
CI BIO-UP, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos da Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
V. PETRILLA
Affiliation:
Department of Anatomy, Histology and Physiology, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, Komenského 73, 041 81 Košice, Slovak Republic
T. LITSCHKA-KOEN
Affiliation:
Country club Simunye, P.O. Box 30, Simunye, Swaziland, Africa
M. OROS
Affiliation:
Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovak Republic
B. PEŤKO
Affiliation:
Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovak Republic
*
* Corresponding author: Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovak Republic. E-mail: haklova@saske.sk
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Summary

The blood parasites from the genus Hepatozoon Miller, 1908 (Apicomplexa: Adeleida: Hepatozoidae) represent the most common intracellular protozoan parasites found in snakes. In the present study, we examined 209 individuals of snakes, from different zoogeographical regions (Africa, America, Asia and Europe), for the occurrence of blood parasites using both molecular and microscopic examination methods, and assess phylogenetic relationships of all Hepatozoon parasites from snakes for the first time. In total, 178 blood smears obtained from 209 individuals, representing 40 species, were examined, from which Hepatozoon unicellular parasites were found in 26 samples (14·6% prevalence). Out of 180 samples tested by molecular method polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the presence of parasites was observed in 21 individuals (prevalence 11·6%): 14 snakes from Africa belonging to six genera (Dendroaspis, Dispholidus, Mehelya, Naja, Philothamnus and Python), five snakes from Asia from the genus Morelia and two snakes from America, from two genera (Coluber and Corallus). The intensity of infection varied from one to 1433 infected cells per 10 000 erythrocytes. Results of phylogenetic analyses (Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood) revealed the existence of five haplotypes divided into four main lineages. The present data also indicate neither geographical pattern of studied Hepatozoon sp., nor congruency in the host association.

Keywords

Hepatozoonsnakesvectorsphylogenetic analysesAfricaAmericaAsiaEurope
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 141 , Issue 3 , March 2014 , pp. 389 - 398
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

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