Old Methods, New Insights: Reviewing Concepts on the Ecology of Trypanosomatids and Bodo sp. by Improving Conventional Diagnostic Tools

Abstract

Mixed infections by different Trypanosoma species or genotypes are a common and puzzling phenomenon. Therefore, it is critical to refine the diagnostic techniques and to understand to what extent these methods detect trypanosomes. We aimed to develop an accessible strategy to enhance the sensitivity of the hemoculture, as well as to understand the limitations of the hemoculture and the blood clot as a source of parasitic DNA. We investigated trypanosomatid infections in 472 bats by molecular characterization (18S rDNA gene) of the DNA obtained from the blood clot and, innovatively, from three hemoculture sample types: the amplified flagellates (“isolate”), the pellet of the culture harvested in its very initial growth stage (“first aliquot”), and the pellet of non-grown cultures with failure of amplification (“sediment”). We compared (a) the characterization of the flagellates obtained by first aliquots and isolates; and (b) the performance of the hemoculture and blood clot for trypanosomatid detection. We observed: (i) a putative new species of Bodo in Artibeus lituratus; (ii) the potential of Trypanosoma cruzi selection in the hemoculture; (iii) that the first aliquots and sediments overcome the selective pressure of the hemoculture; and (iv) that the blood clot technique performs better than the hemoculture. However, combining these methods enhances the detection of single and mixed infections.

The Mite Steatonyssus periblepharus Is a Novel Potential Vector of the Bat Parasite Trypanosoma dionisii

“…While the members of the clade A have been found in Europe, Africa and Australia, the representatives of the clade B originated from Europe, Asia and Americas. Although it can be argued that some areas were insufficiently sampled, this definitely cannot be a case for Brazil, wherefrom over 170 sequences were obtained in many independent studies [8][9][10][11][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43]. Thus, the two clades/species have distinct geographic ranges with the only overlap documented so far being in Europe.…”