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Neotoma Micropus) ECOLOGY OF TRYPANOSOMA CRUZI AND A SURVEY OF OTHER PARASITES IN THE SOUTHERN PLAINS WOODRAT (NEOTOMA MICROPUS) by ROXANNE ALBERTHA CHARLES (Under the Direction of Michael J. Yabsley) ABSTRACT Trypanosoma cruzi, a flagellated, protozoan parasite in the class Kinetoplastida, is the causative agent of Chagas’ disease or American Trypanosomiasis in humans and dogs. Human cases of Chagas’ disease are rare in the United States (only seven autochthonous cases), but domestic dogs and wildlife are frequently infected. To date, T. cruzi has been detected in more than 20 wildlife species including various species of woodrats (Neotoma spp.). The goal of this thesis was to determine the ecology of T. cruzi in various mammalian species with emphasis on the southern plains woodrat (Neotoma micropus) and to better understand the ecto- and endoparasitic fauna of these rodents in Uvalde County, Texas. INDEX WORDS: Trypanosoma cruzi, Chagas’ disease, United States, wildlife, southern plains woodrat, Neotoma spp., parasites ECOLOGY OF TRYPANOSOMA CRUZI AND A SURVEY OF OTHER PARASITES IN THE SOUTHERN PLAINS WOODRAT (NEOTOMA MICROPUS) by ROXANNE ALBERTHA CHARLES DVM, The University of the West Indies, Trinidad, 2007 A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF SCIENCE ATHENS, GEORGIA 2011 © 2011 Roxanne Albertha Charles All Rights Reserved ECOLOGY OF TRYPANOSOMA CRUZI AND A SURVEY OF OTHER PARASITES IN THE SOUTHERN PLAINS WOODRAT (NEOTOMA MICROPUS) by ROXANNE ALBERTHA CHARLES Major Professor: Michael J. Yabsley Committee: Sonia Hernandez David S. Peterson Electronic Version Approved: Maureen Grasso Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia August 2011 iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would first like to acknowledge God, for granting me with strength, guidance and good health throughout this project and my life thus far. I would also like to extend a special thank you to Dr. Michael Yabsley for serving as my major advisor in this project. Your support, patience and academic guidance are greatly appreciated. My other committee members, Dr. David Peterson and Dr. Sonia Hernandez, thank you also for your academic advice. I would also like to thank my academic mentors throughout my academic journey for encouraging me to always do my best. I would especially like to thank my high school biology teacher, Miss Chotai and lecturers (Dr. G. Brown, Professor A. A. Adesiyun and Dr. A. Mutani) from the School of Veterinary Medicine, the University of the West Indies, for help in guiding me along the path I have chosen. I would like to thank my family and friends for all your prayers and support. Special thanks to my mom, Ann Charles and fiancé, Alden Henry for your constant support and friendship. To all the staff and students at the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Diseases, thank you for making my stay in a foreign country an enjoyable one. I would especially like to thank Letitia Saunders, Jessica Edwards, and Shamus Keeler for your assistance in the lab or just making me laugh. Finally, I would like to thank the Fulbright Program (LASPAU) for choosing me and supporting me financially throughout my Masters program. Thank you for granting me an opportunity of a lifetime. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS........................................................................................................... iv LIST OF TABLES....................................................................................................................... viii LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................1 References................................................................................................................3 2 LITERATURE REVIEW..............................................................................................6 History of Trypanosoma cruzi .................................................................................6 Life cycle and transmission .....................................................................................7 Disease ...................................................................................................................10 Trypanosoma cruzi in the United States ................................................................11 Diagnostic testing for Trypanosoma cruzi infections ............................................23 Trypanosoma cruzi genotypes in the United States...............................................24 Other parasites of the southern plains woodrat (Neotoma micropus)....................25 References..............................................................................................................30 3 SOUTHERN PLAINS WOODRAT (NEOTOMA MICROPUS) FROM SOUTHERN TEXAS ARE IMPORTANT RESERVOIRS OF TWO GENOTYPES OF TRYPANOSOMA CRUZI AND HOST OF A PUTATIVE NOVEL TRYPANOSOMA SPECIES......................................................................................................................46 vi Abstract..................................................................................................................47 Introduction............................................................................................................48 Materials and Methods...........................................................................................50 Results....................................................................................................................54 Discussion..............................................................................................................58 Acknowledgements................................................................................................63 References..............................................................................................................63 4 SOUTHERN PLAINS WOODRATS (NEOTOMA MICROPUS) FROM UVALDE COUNTY, TEXAS ARE HOSTS TO A HIGH DIVERSITY OF PARASITES, SOME OF WHICH ARE OF VETERINARY OR MEDICAL SIGNIFICANCE......75 Abstract..................................................................................................................76 Introduction............................................................................................................77 Materials and Methods...........................................................................................78 Results....................................................................................................................80 Discussion..............................................................................................................83 Acknowledgements................................................................................................88 References..............................................................................................................89 5 BESNOTIOSIS FROM A SOUTHERN PLAINS WOODRAT (NEOTOMA MICROPUS) FROM UVALDE, TEXAS..................................................................100 Abstract................................................................................................................101 Introduction..........................................................................................................101 vii Materials and Methods.........................................................................................102 Results..................................................................................................................103 Discussion............................................................................................................105 Acknowledgements..............................................................................................108 References............................................................................................................108 6 CONCLUSIONS........................................................................................................112 Study 1 (Chapter 3)..............................................................................................112 Study 2 (Chapter 4)..............................................................................................113 Study 3 (Chapter 5)..............................................................................................113 References............................................................................................................114 viii LIST OF TABLES Page Table 2.1: Studies of Trypanosoma cruzi in procyonids in the United States...............................16 Table 2.2: Studies of Trypanosoma cruzi in marsupials in the United States ...............................17 Table 2.3: Studies of Trypanosoma cruzi in various mesomammals in the Unites States ............18 Table 2.4: Studies of Trypanosoma cruzi in various rodent species in the United States .............19 Table 2.5: Review of genotypes of T. cruzi detected in the United States ....................................26 Table 2.6: Reported parasites of southern plains woodrats (Neotoma micropus) in the United States............................................................................................................................27 Table 3.1: Blood smear, hemoculture, and polymerase chain reaction assay results for Trypanosoma
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