Trypanosoma lewisi: Termination of pregnancy in the infected rat

Shaw, Geneva L; Dusanic, Donald G.

doi:10.1016/0014-4894(73)90008-8

Cited by 19 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…While this absence of evidence cannot be considered decisive given the few samples available for analysis, it is plausible that long-isolated endemic rat species would have been immunologically naïve and therefore highly susceptible to common diseases carried by ectoparasites of other murines. Modern evidence shows that most R. rattus infected with T. lewisi will survive exposure, but there is nevertheless a mortality rate associated with infection [10]: depending on the time of infection, in pregnant rats T. lewisi can cause death or termination of pregnancy. It is also acknowledged that, when trypanosomes cross species boundaries in mammals, they may cause evident morbidity [17].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Historical Mammal Extinction on Christmas Island (Indian Ocean) Correlates with Introduced Infectious Disease

et al. 2008

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It is now widely accepted that novel infectious disease can be a leading cause of serious population decline and even outright extinction in some invertebrate and vertebrate groups (e.g., amphibians). In the case of mammals, however, there are still no well-corroborated instances of such diseases having caused or significantly contributed to the complete collapse of species. A case in point is the extinction of the endemic Christmas Island rat (Rattus macleari): although it has been argued that its disappearance ca. AD 1900 may have been partly or wholly caused by a pathogenic trypanosome carried by fleas hosted on recently-introduced black rats (Rattus rattus), no decisive evidence for this scenario has ever been adduced. Using ancient DNA methods on samples from museum specimens of these rodents collected during the extinction window (AD 1888–1908), we were able to resolve unambiguously sequence evidence of murid trypanosomes in both endemic and invasive rats. Importantly, endemic rats collected prior to the introduction of black rats were devoid of trypanosome signal. Hybridization between endemic and black rats was also previously hypothesized, but we found no evidence of this in examined specimens, and conclude that hybridization cannot account for the disappearance of the endemic species. This is the first molecular evidence for a pathogen emerging in a naïve mammal species immediately prior to its final collapse.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Another question concerns the status of the animals identified as morphological hybrids. If black rats were hybridizing with the local species, then survival rather than outright extinction would be expected, because trypanosome infections are common and predominantly, but not always [10], nonfatal in the former.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Historical Mammal Extinction on Christmas Island (Indian Ocean) Correlates with Introduced Infectious Disease

et al. 2008

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“…Norway. 1971197319741975 and hematocrits were determined for samples which were 0.3 ml or more where coagulation had not occurred, using a micro he mat ocrit centrifuge. The smears were air dried, fixed in absolute methanol and stained with Giemsa.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, anemias have been associated with several species of blood parasite infections such as B. microti in laboratory rats and mice (Nowell 1969), and Norwegian lemmings (Wiger 1978a). T. lewisi in laboratory rats (Shaw and •Dusanic 1973). trypanosomes in the collared lemming (Quay 1955), and with Grahamella and 7. lemmi infections in Norwegian lemmings (Wiger 1978b).…”

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confidence: 99%

Seasonal and annual variations in the prevalence of blood parasites in cyclic species of small rodents in Norway with special reference to Clethrionomys glareolus

Wiger

1979

Ecography

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An investigation of the blood parasites of Clethrionomys glareolus, Microtus agrestis and Apodemus sylvaticus from southern Norway revealed four genera, Trypanosoma, Babesia, Hepatozoon and Grahamella. C. glareolus and M. agrestis harbored all four genera, but Hepatozoon was not detected in A. sylvaticus. Babesia was fairly common in M. agrestis but rare in the other rodents. The peak prevalence of Grahamella and Hepatozoon in C. glareolus occurred in early summer whereas trypanosomes peaked near the end of the summer. Infections with trypanosomes and/or Grahamella in C. glareolus were associated with lowered hematocrit levels and enlarged spleens.

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“…In this it resembles the vole trypanosomes, T. euotomys and T. microti, and the rabbit trypanosome, T . nabiasi, and differs from 3 trypanosomes of murid rodents, T. grosi, T. lewisi, and T. musculi, which reproduce mainly in the kidneys, placenta, and blood of the host (14, 33), as well as from the jumping mouse trypanosome, T . rapi, which reproduces mainly in the lungs, heart, and liver (5).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reproduction, Structure and Host Specificity of Trypanosoma (Herpetosoma) tamiasi sp. n. from the Eastern Chipmunk, *Tamias striatus**

Riedel

1975

The Journal of Protozoology

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Trypanosoma (Herpetosoma) tamiasi sp. n. is described from blood and organs of the eastern chipmunk, Tamias striatus, and the least chipmunk, Eutamias minimus. In experimentally infected Tamias striatus and E. minimus, Trypanosoma tamiasi reproduced by equal binary fission in the trypo-, sphaero-, epi-, or amastigote form, mainly in lymphoid organs. Trypomastigotes developed from amastigotes through epimastigotes, or from sphaeromastigotes, mainly in the same organs. The mean lengths of body and flagellum of trypomastigotes increased linearly until the organisms reached a maximum length of similar to 37-39 mum. The distance between the nucleus and kinetoplast increased to a mean total length of similar to 33 mum, and thereafter remained constant. Parasitemias of up to 2.5 times 10-7 trypanosomes/ml were produced in Tamias striatus by inoculation with bloodstream, culture, or flea gut forms of Trypanosoma tamiasi; natural parasitemias in Tamias striatus peaked at up to 2.1 times 10-7 trypanosomes/ml. One E. minimus and 2 Spermophilus tridecemlineatus developed parasitemias of more than 1 times 10-6 trypanosomes/ml after inoculation of bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma tamiasi; other experimentally inoculated rodents, including mice, rats, and Spermophilus richardsonii, proved refractory. In chipmunk fleas, Megabothris acerbus, Megabothris quirini, and Tamiophila grandis, bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma tamiasi developed to metacyclic forms in 4-9 days; in rat fleas, Xenopsylla cheopis and Nosopsyllus fasciatus, they survived with little development for up to 2 days, and in kissing bugs, Rhodnius prolixus, up to 10 days. Apparently, the speciation of this trypanosome involved adaptation to certain species of both fleas and rodents.

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Trypanosoma lewisi: Termination of pregnancy in the infected rat

Cited by 19 publications

References 13 publications

Historical Mammal Extinction on Christmas Island (Indian Ocean) Correlates with Introduced Infectious Disease

Historical Mammal Extinction on Christmas Island (Indian Ocean) Correlates with Introduced Infectious Disease

Seasonal and annual variations in the prevalence of blood parasites in cyclic species of small rodents in Norway with special reference to Clethrionomys glareolus

Reproduction, Structure and Host Specificity of Trypanosoma (Herpetosoma) tamiasi sp. n. from the Eastern Chipmunk, *Tamias striatus**

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Trypanosoma lewisi: Termination of pregnancy in the infected rat

Cited by 19 publications

References 13 publications

Historical Mammal Extinction on Christmas Island (Indian Ocean) Correlates with Introduced Infectious Disease

Historical Mammal Extinction on Christmas Island (Indian Ocean) Correlates with Introduced Infectious Disease

Seasonal and annual variations in the prevalence of blood parasites in cyclic species of small rodents in Norway with special reference to Clethrionomys glareolus

Reproduction, Structure and Host Specificity of Trypanosoma (Herpetosoma) tamiasi sp. n. from the Eastern Chipmunk, Tamias striatus*

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Product

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Reproduction, Structure and Host Specificity of Trypanosoma (Herpetosoma) tamiasi sp. n. from the Eastern Chipmunk, *Tamias striatus**