TY - JOUR
T1 - Molecular prevalence and characterization of Hepatozoon ursi infection in Indian sloth bears (Melursus ursinus)
AU - Pawar, Rahul Mohanchandra
AU - Poornachandar, Anantula
AU - Arun, Attur Shanmugam
AU - Manikandan, Santhanam
AU - Shivaji, Sisinthy
N1 - Funding Information:
We would like to thank the CSIR , Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India and Central Zoo Authority (CZA ), Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt. of India, for financial assistance. We would also like to thank the Deputy Conservator of Forests of the respective states from where the blood samples were collected. We would also like to thank Dr. S. Ilayaraja and Dr. K.K. Jadav and other veterinary colleagues of Wildlife SOS for their valuable support.
PY - 2011/12/15
Y1 - 2011/12/15
N2 - Hepatozoon species are parasites that infect a wide variety of domestic and wild animals. The objective of the study was to detect the occurrence of Hepatozoon ursi in Indian sloth bears and to characterize the parasite based on phylogenetic analysis of the partial 18S rRNA gene sequence. Hepatozoon infection could be detected in 38 (70%) out of fifty-four blood samples of Indian sloth bears (captive and wild), suggestive of high prevalence of Hepatozoon infection in Indian sloth bears. Sequencing of partial 18S rRNA gene of the positive samples and BLAST analysis indicated that the nearest phylogenetic neighbour was H. ursi with which they exhibited 99-100% similarity. Additionally, Hepatozoon sp. isolated from wild sloth bears of India were identical to those in captive sloth bears and phylogenetically related to H. ursi reported from Japanese black bears from Japan. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the molecular characterization of H. ursi infection in Indian sloth bears.
AB - Hepatozoon species are parasites that infect a wide variety of domestic and wild animals. The objective of the study was to detect the occurrence of Hepatozoon ursi in Indian sloth bears and to characterize the parasite based on phylogenetic analysis of the partial 18S rRNA gene sequence. Hepatozoon infection could be detected in 38 (70%) out of fifty-four blood samples of Indian sloth bears (captive and wild), suggestive of high prevalence of Hepatozoon infection in Indian sloth bears. Sequencing of partial 18S rRNA gene of the positive samples and BLAST analysis indicated that the nearest phylogenetic neighbour was H. ursi with which they exhibited 99-100% similarity. Additionally, Hepatozoon sp. isolated from wild sloth bears of India were identical to those in captive sloth bears and phylogenetically related to H. ursi reported from Japanese black bears from Japan. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the molecular characterization of H. ursi infection in Indian sloth bears.
KW - 18S rRNA gene
KW - Hepatozoon ursi
KW - India
KW - Sloth bear
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=80755153308&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.vetpar.2011.06.005
DO - 10.1016/j.vetpar.2011.06.005
M3 - Article
C2 - 21723665
AN - SCOPUS:80755153308
SN - 0304-4017
VL - 182
SP - 329
EP - 332
JO - Veterinary Parasitology
JF - Veterinary Parasitology
IS - 2-4
ER -