Journal Article

High prevalence of trypanosome co-infections in freshwater fishes

Grybchuk-Ieremenko, A., University of Ostrava (Czech Republic). Life Science Research Centre, Losev, A., University of Ostrava (Czech Republic). Life Science Research Centre, Kostygov, A.Y., University of Ostrava (Czech Republic). Life Science Research Centre, Lukes, J., Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic). Institute of Parasitology, Yurchenko, V., University of Ostrava (Czech Republic). Life Science Research Centre

2014

Overview

One thousand three hundred seventy three fish specimens of eight different species from the vicinity of Kyiv, Ukraine, were examined for the presence of trypanosomes and 921 individuals were found to be infected. The prevalence of infection ranged from 24% in freshwater bream, Abramis brama, to 100 % in spined loach, Cobitis taenia. The level of parasitaemia also varied significantly between generally mild infections in pikeperch, Sander lucioperca, and heavy ones in C. taenia. In most cases the infections with trypanosomes were asymptomatic. Cases of co-infection with species of Trypanoplasma were documented for five out of eight examined host species. Molecular analysis of the 18S rDNA sequences revealed that four hosts, namely northern pike, Esox lucius, freshwater bream, spined loach and European perch, Perca fluviatilis, were simultaneously infected with two different trypanosome species. Our findings advocate the view that to avoid the risk posed by mixed infections, subsequent molecular taxonomic studies should be performed on clonal lines derived from laboratory cultures of fish trypanosomes.

• Publisher: Parazitologický ústav, Akademie ved Ceské republiky
• Subject: ABRAMIS BRAMA / ANATOMIA ANIMAL / ANATOMIE ANIMALE / ANIMAL ECOLOGY / ANIMAL MORPHOLOGY / Animals / BLOOD / BODY MEASUREMENTS / BODY PARTS / BONY FISHES / CARASSIUS CARASSIUS / COBITIS TAENIA / Coinfection - veterinary / ECOLOGIA ANIMAL / ECOLOGIE ANIMALE / ESOX LUCIUS / FILOGENIA / Fish Diseases - parasitology / Fishes - classification / Fresh Water / FRESHWATER FISHES / GENOMAS / GENOME / GENOMES / HOST PARASITE RELATIONS / MEDICION DEL CUERPO / MENSURATION CORPORELLE / PARASITE / PARASITES / PARASITISM / PARASITISME / PARASITISMO / PARASITOS / PARTES DEL CUERPO / PARTIE DU CORPS / PECES DE AGUA DULCE / PECES OSEOS / PHYLOGENIE / PHYLOGENY / POISSON D'EAU DOUCE / POISSON OSSEUX / RELACIONES HUESPED PARASITO / RELATION HOTE PARASITE / SANG / SANGRE / SCARDINIUS ERYTHROPHTHALMUS / SILURUS GLANIS / Species Specificity / TRYPANOSOMA / Trypanosoma - classification / Trypanosoma - genetics / Trypanosoma - isolation & purification / Trypanosomiasis - parasitology / Trypanosomiasis - veterinary / UCRANIA / UKRAINE