Trypanosome diversity in small mammals in Uganda and the spread of Trypanosoma lewisi to native species.

Uganda's diverse small mammalian fauna thrives due to its rich habitat diversity, which hosts a wide range of blood parasites, including trypanosomes, particularly the subgenus Herpetosoma typical for rodent hosts. We screened a total of 711 small mammals from various habitats for trypanosomes, with 253 microscopically examined blood smears and 458 tissue samples tested by nested PCR of the 18S rRNA gene. Of 51 rodent and 12 shrew species tested, microscopic screening reaches 7% overall prevalence (with four rodent species positive out of 15 and none of the shrew species out of four), while nested PCR indicated a prevalence of 13% (17 rodent and five shrew species positive out of 49 and 10, respectively). We identified 27 genotypes representing 11 trypanosome species, of which the majority (24 genotypes/9 species) belong to the Herpetosoma subgenus. Among these, we detected 15 new genotypes and two putative new species, labeled AF24 (found in Lophuromys woosnami) and AF25 (in Graphiurus murinus). Our finding of three new genotypes of the previously detected species AF01 belonging to the subgenus Ornithotrypanum in two Grammomys species and Oenomys hypoxanthus clearly indicates the consistent occurrence of this avian trypanosome in African small mammals. Additionally, in Aethomys hindei, we detected the putative new species of the subgenus Aneza. Within the T. lewisi subclade, we detected eleven genotypes, including six new; however, only the genotype AF05b from Mus and Rattus represents the invasive T. lewisi. Our study has improved our understanding of trypanosome diversity in African small mammals. The detection of T. lewisi in native small mammals expands the range of host species and highlighting the need for a broader approach to the epidemiology of T. lewisi.

Trypanosoma lewisi in blood of Rattus rattus complex residing in human settlements, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand: Microscopic and molecular investigations.

Trypanosomes are blood parasites infected in various mammals, including rats. The presence of rats in human settlements can increase the chance of Trypanosoma transmission to humans. The molecular study of multispacer in Trypanosoma spp. in naturally infected rodents in Thailand is scanty. The objective of this study was to detect Trypanosoma in the blood of the captured rats in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand, using microscopic and molecular techniques. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in human settlement areas. Ninety-nine blood samples were collected using cardiac puncture. A blood sample was smeared on a glass slide and examined using a compound light microscope and a scanning electron microscope. Moreover, polymerase chain reaction was applied to detect Trypanosoma evansi and T. lewisi in the blood. An additional primer set was used to confirm the species of the detected trypanosome. Approximately 18% of the rats had positive Trypanosoma infections. All Trypanosoma-positive blood samples were matched with sequences of T. lewisi. The stumpy form of trypanosome had higher nucleus related parameters than the slender form. Interestingly, the partial sequences of the alpha-tubulin gene of T. lewisi were first reported in the naturally infected RrC in this study. Based on the results obtained, T. lewisi biology, particularly the virulent components and route of transmission, pathogenesis, and in vitro experiments, are strongly recommended for further study.

An atypical Trypanosoma lewisi infection in a 22-day-old neonate from India: An emergent zoonosis.

Reports on atypical human trypanosomiasis, caused by Trypanosoma lewisi, are rare and so far a total of 19 reports on human infection with animal trypanosomes, which includes nine cases from Trypanosoma lewisi exist. Trypanosoma lewisi, a Stercorarian trypanosoma of rats, is transmitted by the fecal contamination of the wound or the bite caused by rat flea Ceratophyllus fasciatus. We report here an atypical neonatal infection of T. lewisi in a 22-day-old infant from Agra. The infant presented with a history of high fever, poor appetite, and lethargy for 3 days. The hematological parameters were normal except for a low platelet count. A high C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration of 70.49 mg/L indicated marked inflammation. The Leishman-stained thin blood smears were microscopically positive for the hemoflagellate. Based on the morphological features and further confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, the hemoflagellate was identified as T. lewisi. Symptomatic treatment and antibiotic therapy helped in an uneventful recovery of the patient.

Novel insertions in the mitochondrial maxicircle of Trypanosoma musculi, a mouse trypanosome.

Trypanosoma musculi is a, globally distributed, mouse-specific haemoflagellate, of the family Trypanosomatidae, which shares similar characteristics in morphology with Trypanosoma lewisi. The kinetoplast (mitochondrial) DNA of Trypanosomatidae flagellates is comprised of catenated maxicircles and minicircles. However, genetic information on the T. musculi kinetoplast remains largely unknown. In this study, the T. musculi maxicircle genome was completely assembled, with PacBio and Illumina sequencing, and the size was confirmed at 34 606 bp. It consisted of 2 distinct parts: the coding region and the divergent regions (DRs, DRI and II). In comparison with other trypanosome maxicircles (Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma cruzi and T. lewisi), the T. musculi maxicircle has a syntenic distribution of genes and shares 73.9, 78.0 and 92.7% sequence identity, respectively, over the whole coding region. Moreover, novel insertions in MURF2 (630 bp) and in ND5 (1278 bp) were found, respectively, which are homologous to minicircles. These findings support an evolutionary scenario similar to the one proposed for insertions in Trypanosoma cruzi, the pathogen of American trypanosomiasis. These novel insertions, together with a deletion (281 bp) in ND4, question the role of Complex I in T. musculi. A detailed analysis of DRII indicated that it contains numerous repeat motifs and palindromes, the latter of which are highly conservative and contain A5C elements. The comprehensively annotated kinetoplast maxicircle of T. musculi reveals a high degree of similarity between this parasite and the maxicircle of T. lewisi and suggests that the DRII could be a valuable marker for distinguishing these evolutionarily related species.

Detection of Trypanosoma lewisi DNA from Rattus norvegicus and Rattus rattus in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Trypanosoma lewisi is a worldwide nonpathogenic parasite that is exclusively found in rats. In general, T. lewisi infection in humans is an opportunistic infection from rats to humans through fleas. However, recently, infection with T. lewisi in humans, including a fatal case, has been reported. Notably, rats living close to a human settlement showed a higher prevalence of infection with T. lewisi than those living in other places. It is possible that the urbanization is associated with the prevalence of T. lewisi in rats and enhances the risk of T. lewisi transmission to humans through fleas. In this study, a total of 88 rats were captured from hospitals, markets, and a cargo station, of which 81 were identified as Rattus norvegicus and 7 as Rattus rattus in Hanoi, the urbanizing city of Vietnam. Of these, 55 rats (62.5%) harbored T. lewisi, of which 52 were R. norvegicus and 3 were R. rattus.

Infection with Trypanosoma lewisi or Trypanosoma musculi may promote the spread of Toxoplasma gondii.

Toxoplasma gondii can infect almost all warm-blooded vertebrates with pathogensis being largely influenced by the host immune status. As important epidemiological hosts, rodents are globally distributed and are also commonly found infected with haemoflagellates, such as those in the genus Trypanosoma. We here address whether and how co-infection with trypanosomes can influence T. gondii infection in laboratory models. Rats of five strains, co-infected with T. lewisi and mice of four strains, co-infected with T. musculi, were found to be more or less susceptible to T. gondii infection, respectively, with corresponding increased or decreased brain cyst burdens. Downregulation of iNOS expression and decreased NO production or reverse were observed in the peritoneal macrophages of rats or mice, infected with trypanosomes, respectively. Trypanosoma lewisi and T. musculi can modulate host immune responses, either by enhancement or suppression and influence the outcome of Toxoplasma infection.

Novel organization of mitochondrial minicircles and guide RNAs in the zoonotic pathogen Trypanosoma lewisi.

Kinetoplastid flagellates are known for several unusual features, one of which is their complex mitochondrial genome, known as kinetoplast (k) DNA, composed of mutually catenated maxi- and minicircles. Trypanosoma lewisi is a member of the Stercorarian group of trypanosomes which is, based on human infections and experimental data, now considered a zoonotic pathogen. By assembling a total of 58 minicircle classes, which fall into two distinct categories, we describe a novel type of kDNA organization in T. lewisi. RNA-seq approaches allowed us to map the details of uridine insertion and deletion editing events upon the kDNA transcriptome. Moreover, sequencing of small RNA molecules enabled the identification of 169 unique guide (g) RNA genes, with two differently organized minicircle categories both encoding essential gRNAs. The unprecedented organization of minicircles and gRNAs in T. lewisi broadens our knowledge of the structure and expression of the mitochondrial genomes of these human and animal pathogens. Finally, a scenario describing the evolution of minicircles is presented.

Molecular identification of the Trypanosoma (Herpetosoma) lewisi clade in black rats (Rattus rattus) from Australia.

Invasive rodent species are known hosts for a diverse range of infectious microorganisms and have long been associated with the spread of disease globally. The present study describes molecular evidence for the presence of a Trypanosoma sp. from black rats (Rattus rattus) in northern Sydney, Australia. Sequences of the 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) locus were obtained in two out of eleven (18%) blood samples with subsequent phylogenetic analysis confirming the identity within the Trypanosoma lewisi clade.

Zoonotic Trypanosomes in Rats and Fleas of Venezuelan Slums.

Rattus spp. are reservoirs of many human zoonoses, but their role in domestic transmission cycles of human trypanosomiasis is underestimated. In this study, we report trypanosome-infected Rattus norvegicus and Rattus rattus in human dwellings in slums neighboring Maracay, a large city near Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. Blood samples of R. norvegicus and R. rattus examined by PCR and FFLB (fluorescent fragment length barcoding) revealed a prevalence of 6.3% / 31.1% for Trypanosoma lewisi (agent of rat- and flea-borne human emergent zoonosis), and 10.5% / 24.6% for Trypanosoma cruzi (agent of Chagas disease). Detection in flea guts of T. lewisi (76%) and, unexpectedly, T. cruzi (21.3%) highlighted the role of fleas as carriers and vectors of these trypanosomes. A high prevalence of rats infected with T. lewisi and T. cruzi and respective flea and triatomine vectors poses a serious risk of human trypanosomiasis in Venezuelan slums. Anthropogenic activities responsible for growing rat and triatomine populations within human dwellings drastically increased human exposure to trypanosomes. This scenario has allowed for the reemergence of Chagas disease as an urban zoonosis in Venezuela and can propitiate the emergence of atypical T. lewisi infection in humans.

Spatio-temporal survey of small mammal-borne Trypanosoma lewisi in Cotonou, Benin, and the potential risk of human infection.

Human trypanosomoses are the sleeping sickness in Africa and Chagas disease in Latin America. However, atypical human infections by animal trypanosomes have been described, but poorly investigated. Among them, the supposed rat-specific T. lewisi was shown to be responsible for a few severe cases. In Africa, the scarcity of data and the null awareness about the atypical human trypanosomoses suggest that the number of cases may be higher that currently thought. Furthermore, T. lewisi is resistant to normal human serum and therefore a potential human pathogen. In order to document T. lewisi distribution and ecology, a qPCR- and 16DNA sequencing-based survey was conducted in 369 rodents from three urban districts of Cotonou city, Benin, during three different periods of the same year. Our study demonstrated very high prevalence (57.2%) even when considering only individuals identified as positive through DNA sequencing (39.2%). Black rats represented the most dominant as well as the most T. lewisi-parasitized species. No difference was retrieved neither between seasons nor districts, suggesting a large infestation of rodents by trypanosomes throughout the year and the city. Our results suggest that conditions are gathered for rat to human transmission of T. lewisi in these socio-environmentally degraded urban areas, thus pointing towards the rapidly urbanizing Abidjan-Lagos corridor as a region at particular risk.

The spatio-temporal analysis of the incidence of tuberculosis and the associated factors in mainland China, 2009-2015.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis is still one of the most infectious diseases in China. This study aimed to explore the spatio-temporal distribution of TB and the associated factors in mainland China from 2009 to 2015. METHODS: A Bayesian spatio-temporal model was utilized to analyse the correlation of socio-economic, healthcare, demographic and meteorological factors with the population level number of TB. RESULTS: The Bayesian spatio-temporal analysis showed that for the population level number of TB, the estimated parameters of the ratio of males to females, the number of beds in medical institutions, the population density, the proportion of the population that is rural, the amount of precipitation, the largest wind speed and the sunshine duration were 0.556, 0.197, 0.199, 29.03,0.1958, 0.0854 and 0.2117, respectively, demonstrating positive associations. However, health personnel, per capita annual gross domestic product, minimum temperature and humidity indicated negative associations, and the corresponding parameters were -0.050, -0.095, -0.0022 and -0.0070, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Socio-economic, number of health personnel, demographic and meteorological factors could affect the case notification number of TB to different degrees and in different directions.

Cell cycle and cleavage events during in vitro cultivation of bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma lewisi, a zoonotic pathogen.

Trypanosoma (Herpetosoma) lewisi is a globally distributed rat trypanosome, currently considered as a zoonotic pathogen; however, a detailed understanding of the morphological events occurring during the cell cycle is lacking. This study aimed to investigate the cell cycle morphology and cleavage events of Trypanosoma lewisi (T. lewisi) during in vitro cultivation. By establishing in vitro cultivation of T. lewisi at 37°C, various cell morphologies and stages could be observed. We have provided a quantitative analysis of the morphological events during T. lewisi proliferation. We confirmed a generation time of 12.14 ± 0.79 hours, which is similar to that in vivo (12.21 ± 0.14 hours). We also found that there are two distinct cell cycles, with a two-way transformation connection in the developmental status of this parasite, which was contrasted with the previous model of multiple division patterns seen in T. lewisi. We quantified the timing of cell cycle phases (G1n, 0.56 U; Sn, 0.14 U; G2n, 0.16 U; M, 0.06 U; C, 0.08 U; G1k, 0.65 U; Sk, 0.10 U; G2k, 0.17 U; D, 0.03 U; A, 0.05 U) and their morphological characteristics, particularly with respect to the position of kinetoplast(s) and nucleus/nuclei. Interestingly, we found that both nuclear synthesis initiation and segregation in T. lewisi occurred prior to kinetoplast, different to the order of replication found in Trypanosoma brucei and Trypanosoma cruzi, implicating a distinct cell cycle control mechanism in T. lewisi. We characterized the morphological events during the T. lewisi cell cycle and presented evidence to support the existence of two distinct cell cycles with two-way transformation between them. These results provide insights into the differentiation and evolution of this parasite and its related species.

Integrative taxonomic approach of trypanosomes in the blood of rodents and soricids in Asian countries, with the description of three new species.

Trypanosoma lewisi (Kinetoplastea: Trypanosomatida: Trypanosomatidae) with a cosmopolitan distribution is the type species of the subgenus Herpetosoma, which includes ca. 50 nominal species isolated mainly from rodents. Since members of Herpetosoma in different host species have an almost identical morphology of bloodstream forms, these trypanosomes are referred to as 'T. lewisi-like', and the molecular genetic characterization of each species is necessary to verify their taxonomy. In the present study, we collected blood samples from 89 murid rodents of 15 species and 11 soricids of four species in Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, and mainland China for the detection of hemoprotozoan infection. T. lewisi and T. lewisi-like trypanosomes were found in the blood smears of 10 murid animals, which included Bandicota indica (two rats), Rattus argentiventer (one rat), and Rattus tiomanicus (two rats) in Indonesia; Rattus rattus (one rat) in the Philippines; and Niviventer confucianus (four rats) in mainland China. Furthermore, large- or medium-sized non-T. lewisi-like trypanosomes were detected in two soricids, Crocidura dracula in Vietnam and Anourosorex yamashinai in Taiwan, respectively. Molecular genetic characterization of the small subunit (SSU) ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA) and glycosomal glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gGAPDH) gene indicated that the trypanosomes from all the murid hosts had identical SSU rDNA or gGAPDH gene nucleotide sequences except for those in N. confucianus in mainland China. These N. confucianus-infecting trypanosomes also showed several unique morphological features such as smaller bodies, anteriorly positioned nuclei, and larger rod-shaped kinetoplasts when compared with T. lewisi trypomastigotes. Trypanosoma (Herpetosoma) niviventerae n. sp. is erected for this new species. Similarly, based on morphological and molecular genetic characterization, Trypanosoma sapaensis n. sp. and Trypanosoma anourosoricis n. sp. are proposed for the trypanosomes in C. dracula in Vietnam and A. yamashinai in Taiwan, respectively. More effort directed toward the morphological and molecular genetic characterization of the trypanosomes of rodents and soricids is required to fully understand the real biodiversity of their hemoflagellates.

Leishmania major and Trypanosoma lewisi infection in invasive and native rodents in Senegal.

Bioinvasion is a major public health issue because it can lead to the introduction of pathogens in new areas and favours the emergence of zoonotic diseases. Rodents are prominent invasive species, and act as reservoirs in many zoonotic infectious diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the link between the distribution and spread of two parasite taxa (Leishmania spp. and Trypanosoma lewisi) and the progressive invasion of Senegal by two commensal rodent species (the house mouse Mus musculus domesticus and the black rat Rattus rattus). M. m. domesticus and R. rattus have invaded the northern part and the central/southern part of the country, respectively. Native and invasive rodents were caught in villages and cities along the invasion gradients of both invaders, from coastal localities towards the interior of the land. Molecular diagnosis of the two trypanosomatid infections was performed using spleen specimens. In the north, neither M. m. domesticus nor the native species were carriers of these parasites. Conversely, in the south, 17.5% of R. rattus were infected by L. major and 27.8% by T. lewisi, while very few commensal native rodents were carriers. Prevalence pattern along invasion gradients, together with the knowledge on the geographical distribution of the parasites, suggested that the presence of the two parasites in R. rattus in Senegal is of different origins. Indeed, the invader R. rattus could have been locally infected by the native parasite L. major. Conversely, it could have introduced the exotic parasite T. lewisi in Senegal, the latter appearing to be poorly transmitted to native rodents. Altogether, these data show that R. rattus is a carrier of both parasites and could be responsible for the emergence of new foci of cutaneous leishmaniasis, or for the transmission of atypical human trypanosomiasis in Senegal.

Predictors of Trypanosoma lewisi in Rattus norvegicus from Durban, South Africa.

This study investigated associations between Trypanosoma lewisi and Xenopsylla cheopis, a common cyclical vector of T. lewisi; Polyplax spinulosa, a reported mechanical vector; and Laelaps echidnina and Laelaps lamborni, 2 rodent mites of Rattus norvegicus in Durban, South Africa. In total, 379 R. norvegicus individuals were live-trapped at 48 sites in 4 locality types around Durban during a 1-yr period. Rats were euthanized, cardiac blood was taken to check for hemoparasites, and ectoparasites were removed for identification. Parasite species richness was higher in pups (2.11) and juveniles (1.02) than adults (0.87). Most rats in the study harbored 1 or 2 of the 5 parasites surveyed. Rats with trypanosomes and fleas were more prevalent in the city center and harbor, where juveniles were most affected. Rats with lice were more prevalent in informal settlements and urban/peri-urban areas, where pups had the highest infestations. There was a significant positive association between rats with fleas and trypanosomes and a negative association between rats with lice and trypanosomes. Location and rat age were significant predictors of T. lewisi, X. cheopis, and P. spinulosa. Mites showed no strong association with trypanosomes. Ectoparasite associations are possibly habitat and life-cycle related. We conclude that Durban's city center, which offers rats harborage, an unsanitary environment, and availability of food, is a high-transmission area for fleas and trypanosomes, and consequently a potential public health risk.

Trypanosomiasis in a Young Infant from Rural Gujarat, India.

BACKGROUND: Human trypansomiasis due to infection by animal trypanosomes is rarely reported from India. CASE CHARACTERISTICS: We describe clinical presentation of a 2-month-old boyfrom a rat infested house in rural Gujarat who was diagnosed to be havinginfection with the rodent parasite Trypanosoma lewisi. OBSERVATION: The fever and parasitemia resolved on treatment with liposomal amphotericin B, Ceftriaxone and Amikacin, and there was no recurrence of parasitemia over a 2 month follow-up. MESSAGE: The case highlights the need for increased awareness and heightened surveillance for this rare zoonotic infection.

Diagnosis and genetic analysis of the worldwide distributed Rattus-borne Trypanosoma (Herpetosoma) lewisi and its allied species in blood and fleas of rodents.

Trypanosoma (Herpetosoma) lewisi is a cosmopolitan parasite of rodents strongly linked to the human dispersal of Rattus spp. from Asia to the rest of the world. This species is highly phylogenetically related to trypanosomes from other rodents (T. lewisi-like), and sporadically infects other mammals. T. lewisi may opportunistically infect humans, and has been considered an emergent rat-borne zoonosis associated to poverty. We developed the THeCATL-PCR based on Cathepsin L (CATL) sequences to specifically detect T. (Herpetosoma) spp., and assess their genetic diversity. This method exhibited high sensitivity using blood samples, and is the first molecular method employed to search for T. lewisi in its flea vectors. THeCATL-PCR surveys using simple DNA preparation from blood preserved in ethanol or filter paper detected T. lewisi in Rattus spp. from human dwellings in South America (Brazil and Venezuela), East Africa (Mozambique), and Southeast Asia (Thailand, Cambodia and Lao PDR). In addition, native rodents captured in anthropogenic and nearby human settlements in natural habitats harbored T. (Herpetosoma) spp. PCR-amplified CATL gene fragments (253bp) distinguish T. lewisi and T. lewisi-like from other trypanosomes, and allow for assessment of genetic diversity and relationships among T. (Herpetosoma) spp. Our molecular surveys corroborated worldwide high prevalence of T. lewisi, incriminating Mastomys natalensis as an important carrier of this species in Africa, and supported its spillover from invader Rattus spp. to native rodents in Brazil and Mozambique. THeCATL-PCR provided new insights on the accurate diagnosis and genetic repertoire of T. (Herpetosoma) spp. in rodent and non-rodent hosts, revealing a novel species of this subgenus in an African gerbil. Phylogenetic analysis based on CATL sequences from T. (Herpetosoma) spp. and other trypanosomes (amplified using pan-trypanosome primers) uncovered rodents harboring, beyond mammal trypanosomes of different subgenera, some species that clustered in the lizard-snake clade of trypanosomes.

Landscape epidemiology in urban environments: The example of rodent-borne Trypanosoma in Niamey, Niger.

Trypanosomes are protozoan parasites found worldwide, infecting humans and animals. In the past decade, the number of reports on atypical human cases due to Trypanosoma lewisi or T. lewisi-like has increased urging to investigate the multiple factors driving the disease dynamics, particularly in cities where rodents and humans co-exist at high densities. In the present survey, we used a species distribution model, Maxent, to assess the spatial pattern of Trypanosoma-positive rodents in the city of Niamey. The explanatory variables were landscape metrics describing urban landscape composition and physiognomy computed from 8 land-cover classes. We computed the metrics around each data location using a set of circular buffers of increasing radii (20m, 40m, 60m, 80m and 100m). For each spatial resolution, we determined the optimal combination of feature class and regularization multipliers by fitting Maxent with the full dataset. Since our dataset was small (114 occurrences) we expected an important uncertainty associated to data partitioning into calibration and evaluation datasets. We thus performed 350 independent model runs with a training dataset representing a random subset of 80% of the occurrences and the optimal Maxent parameters. Each model yielded a map of habitat suitability over Niamey, which was transformed into a binary map implementing a threshold maximizing the sensitivity and the specificity. The resulting binary maps were combined to display the proportion of models that indicated a good environmental suitability for Trypanosoma-positive rodents. Maxent performed better with landscape metrics derived from buffers of 80m. Habitat suitability for Trypanosoma-positive rodents exhibited large patches linked to urban features such as patch richness and the proportion of landscape covered by concrete or tarred areas. Such inferences could be helpful in assessing areas at risk, setting of monitoring programs, public and medical staff awareness or even vaccination campaigns.

Endoparasites of Small Mammals in Edo State, Nigeria: Public Health Implications

Some small mammals occur as household pests and harbour a number of parasites that could be of public health importance. This study profiled the helminth and protozoan parasites in trapped small mammals within and around human dwelling places (houses) located across 4 major towns (Auchi, Benin, Ekpoma, and Uromi) and environs in Edo state, Nigeria. Six genera (Apodemus sp., Crocidura sp., Mastomys natalensis, Mus musculus, Rattus sp., and Sorex sp.) were identified from 502 trapped small mammals. Overall, M. musculus (71.9%) and Rattus rattus (20.1%) were the most frequently trapped. In total, on examination of blood, gastrointestinal contents, and brain tissues, 12 helminth taxa (Angiostrongylus sp., Aspicularis sp., Capillaria sp., Gongylonema sp., Heterakis spumosa, Hymenolepis diminuta, Hymenolepis nana, Mastophorus muris, Moniliformis moniliformis, Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, Strongyloides sp., Trichosomoides sp., and Trichuris sp.), and 6 protozoan parasites (Babesia sp., Trypanosoma lewisi, Plasmodium sp., Eimeria sp., Isospora sp., and Toxoplasma gondii) were isolated. Most prevalent helminths with relatively heavy mean intensity were Strongyloides sp. and Heterakis spumosa, while Plasmodium, Eimeria, and Isospora were the most prevalent protozoan parasites. Generally, intrinsic factors like sex and age had marginal influence on the rate and burden of infection in M. musculus and R. rattus. Although the infection rate and prevalence of zoonotic parasites were low, they were largely recovered in rodents from Ekpoma. This study elucidates the public health implication of the presence of zoonotic parasites in these small mammals.

Zoonotic trypanosomes in South East Asia: Attempts to control Trypanosoma lewisi using human and animal trypanocidal drugs.

Beside typical human trypanosomes responsible of sleeping sickness in Africa and Chagas disease in Latin America, there is a growing number of reported atypical human infections due to Trypanosoma evansi, a livestock parasite, or Trypanosoma lewisi, a rat parasite, especially in Asia. Drugs available for the treatment of T. brucei ssp. in humans are obviously of choice for the control of T. evansi because it is derived from T. brucei. However, concerning T. lewisi, there is an urgent need to determine the efficacy of trypanocidal drugs for the treatment in humans. In a recent study, pentamidine and fexinidazole were shown to have the best efficacy against one stock of T. lewisi in rats. In the present study suramin, pentamidine, eflornitine, nifurtimox, benznidazole and fexinidazole, were evaluated at low and high doses, in single day administration to normal rats experimentally infected with a stock of T. lewisi recently isolated in Thailand. Because none of these treatments was efficient, a trial was made with the most promising trypanocide identified in a previous study, fexinidazole 100mg/kg, in 5 daily administrations. Results observed were unclear. To confirm the efficacy of fexinidazole, a mixed infection protocol was set up in cyclophosphamide immunosuppressed rats. Animals were infected successively by T. lewisi and T. evansi, and received 10 daily PO administrations of 200mg/kg fexinidazole. Drastic effects were observed against T. evansi which was cleared from the rat's blood within 24 to 48h; however, the treatment did not affect T. lewisi which remained in high number in the blood until the end of the experiment. This mixed infection/treatment protocol clearly demonstrated the efficacy of fexinidazole against T. evansi and its inefficacy against T. lewisi. Since animal trypanocides were also recently shown to be inefficient, other protocols as well as other T. lewisi stocks should be investigated in further studies.