Hidden population structure and cross-species transmission of whipworms (Trichuris sp.) in humans and non-human primates in Uganda.
Whipworms (Trichuris sp.) are a globally distributed genus of parasitic helminths that infect a diversity of mammalian hosts. Molecular methods have successfully resolved porcine whipworm, Trichuris suis, from primate whipworm, T. trichiura. However, it remains unclear whether T. trichiura is a mult...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:845920460461462b9130bcc2e8d5ae3f 2023-05-15T15:13:36+02:00 Hidden population structure and cross-species transmission of whipworms (Trichuris sp.) in humans and non-human primates in Uganda. Ria R Ghai Noah D Simons Colin A Chapman Patrick A Omeja T Jonathan Davies Nelson Ting Tony L Goldberg 2014-10-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0003256 https://doaj.org/article/845920460461462b9130bcc2e8d5ae3f EN eng Public Library of Science (PLoS) http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4207677?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1935-2727 https://doaj.org/toc/1935-2735 1935-2727 1935-2735 doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0003256 https://doaj.org/article/845920460461462b9130bcc2e8d5ae3f PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Vol 8, Iss 10, p e3256 (2014) Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 article 2014 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0003256 2022-12-30T21:58:07Z Whipworms (Trichuris sp.) are a globally distributed genus of parasitic helminths that infect a diversity of mammalian hosts. Molecular methods have successfully resolved porcine whipworm, Trichuris suis, from primate whipworm, T. trichiura. However, it remains unclear whether T. trichiura is a multi-host parasite capable of infecting a wide taxonomic breadth of primate hosts or a complex of host specific parasites that infect one or two closely related hosts.We examined the phylogenetic structure of whipworms in a multi-species community of non-human primates and humans in Western Uganda, using both traditional microscopy and molecular methods. A newly developed nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method applied to non-invasively collected fecal samples detected Trichuris with 100% sensitivity and 97% specificity relative to microscopy. Infection rates varied significantly among host species, from 13.3% in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) to 88.9% in olive baboons (Papio anubis). Phylogenetic analyses based on nucleotide sequences of the Trichuris internal transcribed spacer regions 1 and 2 of ribosomal DNA revealed three co-circulating Trichuris groups. Notably, one group was detected only in humans, while another infected all screened host species, indicating that whipworms from this group are transmitted among wild primates and humans.Our results suggest that the host range of Trichuris varies by taxonomic group, with some groups showing host specificity, and others showing host generality. In particular, one Trichuris taxon should be considered a multi-host pathogen that is capable of infecting wild primates and humans. This challenges past assumptions about the host specificity of this and similar helminth parasites and raises concerns about animal and human health. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Human health Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases 8 10 e3256 |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
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ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
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Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 |
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Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 Ria R Ghai Noah D Simons Colin A Chapman Patrick A Omeja T Jonathan Davies Nelson Ting Tony L Goldberg Hidden population structure and cross-species transmission of whipworms (Trichuris sp.) in humans and non-human primates in Uganda. |
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Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 |
description |
Whipworms (Trichuris sp.) are a globally distributed genus of parasitic helminths that infect a diversity of mammalian hosts. Molecular methods have successfully resolved porcine whipworm, Trichuris suis, from primate whipworm, T. trichiura. However, it remains unclear whether T. trichiura is a multi-host parasite capable of infecting a wide taxonomic breadth of primate hosts or a complex of host specific parasites that infect one or two closely related hosts.We examined the phylogenetic structure of whipworms in a multi-species community of non-human primates and humans in Western Uganda, using both traditional microscopy and molecular methods. A newly developed nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method applied to non-invasively collected fecal samples detected Trichuris with 100% sensitivity and 97% specificity relative to microscopy. Infection rates varied significantly among host species, from 13.3% in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) to 88.9% in olive baboons (Papio anubis). Phylogenetic analyses based on nucleotide sequences of the Trichuris internal transcribed spacer regions 1 and 2 of ribosomal DNA revealed three co-circulating Trichuris groups. Notably, one group was detected only in humans, while another infected all screened host species, indicating that whipworms from this group are transmitted among wild primates and humans.Our results suggest that the host range of Trichuris varies by taxonomic group, with some groups showing host specificity, and others showing host generality. In particular, one Trichuris taxon should be considered a multi-host pathogen that is capable of infecting wild primates and humans. This challenges past assumptions about the host specificity of this and similar helminth parasites and raises concerns about animal and human health. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Ria R Ghai Noah D Simons Colin A Chapman Patrick A Omeja T Jonathan Davies Nelson Ting Tony L Goldberg |
author_facet |
Ria R Ghai Noah D Simons Colin A Chapman Patrick A Omeja T Jonathan Davies Nelson Ting Tony L Goldberg |
author_sort |
Ria R Ghai |
title |
Hidden population structure and cross-species transmission of whipworms (Trichuris sp.) in humans and non-human primates in Uganda. |
title_short |
Hidden population structure and cross-species transmission of whipworms (Trichuris sp.) in humans and non-human primates in Uganda. |
title_full |
Hidden population structure and cross-species transmission of whipworms (Trichuris sp.) in humans and non-human primates in Uganda. |
title_fullStr |
Hidden population structure and cross-species transmission of whipworms (Trichuris sp.) in humans and non-human primates in Uganda. |
title_full_unstemmed |
Hidden population structure and cross-species transmission of whipworms (Trichuris sp.) in humans and non-human primates in Uganda. |
title_sort |
hidden population structure and cross-species transmission of whipworms (trichuris sp.) in humans and non-human primates in uganda. |
publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0003256 https://doaj.org/article/845920460461462b9130bcc2e8d5ae3f |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Human health |
genre_facet |
Arctic Human health |
op_source |
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Vol 8, Iss 10, p e3256 (2014) |
op_relation |
http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4207677?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1935-2727 https://doaj.org/toc/1935-2735 1935-2727 1935-2735 doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0003256 https://doaj.org/article/845920460461462b9130bcc2e8d5ae3f |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0003256 |
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PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases |
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8 |
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10 |
container_start_page |
e3256 |
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1766344127454117888 |