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

• Main Authors: Egan, S.L., Taylor, C.L., Austen, J.M., Banks, P.B., Ahlstrom, L.A., Ryan, U.M., Irwin, P.J., Oskam, C.L.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory 2019
• Subjects: Rattus rattus
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1101/819060; https://researchportal.murdoch.edu.au/esploro/outputs/other/Molecular-identification-of-the-Trypanosoma-Herpetosoma/991005541603807891; https://researchportal.murdoch.edu.au/view/delivery/61MUN_INST/12135555820007891/13136933020007891

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.