Although Babesia represents an important worldwide veterinary threat and an emerging risk to humans, this parasite has been poorly studied as compared to Plasmodium, its malaria-causing relative. In fact, Babesia employs highly specific survival strategies during its intraerythrocytic development and its intricate journey through the tick vector. This review introduces a substantially extended molecular phylogeny of the order Piroplasmida, challenging previous taxonomic classifications. The intriguing developmental proficiencies of Babesia are highlighted and compared with those of other haemoparasitic Apicomplexa. Molecular mechanisms associated with distinctive events in the Babesia life cycle are emphasized as potential targets for the development of Babesia-specific treatments.
- MeSH
- Babesia klasifikace genetika růst a vývoj MeSH
- babezióza parazitologie MeSH
- fylogeneze * MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- Piroplasmida klasifikace genetika růst a vývoj MeSH
- protozoální geny genetika MeSH
- stadia vývoje genetika MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- přehledy MeSH
Although apicomplexan parasites of the group Piroplasmida represent commonly identified global risks to both animals and humans, detailed knowledge of their life cycles is surprisingly limited. Such a discrepancy results from incomplete literature reports, nomenclature disunity and recently, from large numbers of newly described species. This review intends to collate and summarize current knowledge with respect to piroplasm phylogeny. Moreover, it provides a comprehensive view of developmental events of Babesia, Theileria, and Cytauxzoon representative species, focusing on uniform consensus of three consecutive phases: (i) schizogony and merogony, asexual multiplication in blood cells of the vertebrate host; (ii) gamogony, sexual reproduction inside the tick midgut, later followed by invasion of kinetes into the tick internal tissues; and (iii) sporogony, asexual proliferation in tick salivary glands resulting in the formation of sporozoites. However, many fundamental differences in this general consensus occur and this review identifies variables that should be analyzed prior to further development of specific anti-piroplasm strategies, including the attractive targeting of life cycle stages of Babesia or Theileria tick vectors.
Parasitic protists of the genus Cytauxzoon are detected in a wide range of wild and domestic felids. Bobcats are a confirmed reservoir of Cytauxzoon felis in North America while domestic cats are susceptible hosts suffering from severe or fatal illness. Cytauxzoon infections are mainly reported from American felids and, recently, several sub-clinical and clinical findings were reported from European, Asian, and African felids. In 2014, the collection of organs of 4 Eurasian lynx and 12 wild cats from 11 Romanian localities was carried out to determine the prevalence and genetic diversity of Cytauxzoon spp. We detected an overall high prevalence of 62.5% in both species of wild felids; 50% in wild cats and 100% in Eurasian lynx. The phylogenetic analysis indicates 2 distinct clades of Cytauxzoon in felids, with all of our sequences clustering with sequences of Cytauxzoon sp./Cytauxzoon manul from Palaearctic felids. Further studies, development of new genetic markers, and experimental transmission studies are required for clarifying the taxonomy and life cycle of feline Cytauxzoon in the Old World.
- MeSH
- arachnida jako vektory parazitologie MeSH
- Bayesova věta MeSH
- divoká zvířata parazitologie MeSH
- Felidae parazitologie MeSH
- Felis parazitologie MeSH
- fylogeneze MeSH
- klíšťata parazitologie MeSH
- Lynx parazitologie MeSH
- Piroplasmida klasifikace patogenita MeSH
- prevalence MeSH
- protozoální infekce zvířat epidemiologie parazitologie přenos MeSH
- zdroje nemoci veterinární MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Evropa epidemiologie MeSH
- Rumunsko epidemiologie MeSH
