Parasitology Commons^™

The Enigmatic Spelaeorhynchidae Oudemans, 1902 (Acari: Mesostigmata) Blood-Feeding Ectoparasites Infesting Neotropical Bats, With Catalog And Notes On A Collection From The Manú Biosphere Reserve In Peru, Donald Gettinger, Madalyne Epperson, Candy Hermasillo, Scott L. Gardner

MANTER: Journal of Parasite Biodiversity

A survey of ectoparasites associated with bats collected along an elevational transect in the Manú Biosphere Reserve, Peru, includes specimens of two species of an unusual and rarely collected family of parasitic mites, the Spelaeorhynchidae Oudemans, and reveals information on the natural occurrence of these infections. In lowland rainforest (450–1,000 m) along the Rio Alto Madre de Dios, Spelaeorhynchus soaresi Peracchi was recorded exclusively infecting two species of frugivorous Carollia, C. brevicauda and C. perspicillata. At higher elevations in the mountains and cloud forests, Spelaeorhynchus praecursor Neumann exclusively infected two species of nectarivorous Anoura, A. cultrata and A. …

Insights About Diversity Of Tetrabothriidae (Eucestoda) Among Holarctic Alcidae (Charadriiformes): What Is Tetrabothrius Jagerskioeldi?, Eric P. Hoberg, Kaylen Marie Soudachanh

MANTER: Journal of Parasite Biodiversity

Tetrabothriid cestodes are characteristic helminths that infect species of seabirds globally. We begin with the exploration of the diversity of tapeworms of the genus Tetrabothrius Rudolphi, 1819 (Eucestoda: Tetrabothriidae), some of which are distributed among seabirds of the family Alcidae (Charadriiformes) at boreal to higher latitudes of Holarctic seas. During the course of 2 decades of field inventory from 1975 through the early 1990s (in addition to earlier collections assembled by Robert L. Rausch and colleagues in Alaska initiated in the late 1940s), an extensive series of tapeworm specimens attributable to species of Tetrabothrius was recovered from seabirds across the …

Hyperparasitic Spore-Forming Eukaryotes (Microsporidia, Haplosporidia, And Myxozoa) Parasitizing Trematodes (Platyhelminthes), Yuliya Ya. Sokolova, Robin M. Overstreet

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

ABSTRACT

Trematodes serve as outstanding hosts for a variety of parasites. This paper restricts those parasites to three groups of non-related taxa parasitizing trematodes and forming invasive spores similar in external morphology, which is why in the past these three groups of parasitic eukaryotes were united into the taxon “Sporozoa” (Kudo, 1924). (1) Trematode-infecting microsporidia (type Microsporidia Balbiani, 1882: Rozellomycota: Holomycota) are represented by more than 30 species. Among those, the species with sequenced barcode (SSU rDNA) are phylogenetically associated with either microsporidia from invertebrates, as the species of the genus Unikaryon (7 species), or fish microsporidia, as the species …

Efficient Coi Barcoding Using High Throughput Single-End 400 Bp Sequencing, Chentao Yang, Yuxuan Zheng, Shangjin Tan, Guanliang Meng, Wei Rao, Caiqing Yang, David G. Bourne, Paul A. O'Brien, Junqiang Xu, Sha Liao, Ao Chen, Xiaowei Chen, Xinrui Jia, Ai-Bing Zhang, Shanlin Liu

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Background

Over the last decade, the rapid development of high-throughput sequencing platforms has accelerated species description and assisted morphological classification through DNA barcoding. However, the current highthroughput DNA barcoding methods cannot obtain full-length barcode sequences due to read length limitations (for example, a maximum read length of 300 bp for the Illumina’s MiSeq system), or are hindered by a relatively high cost or low sequencing output (e.g. a maximum number of eight million reads per cell for the PacBio’s SEQUEL II system).

Results

Pooled cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) barcodes from individual specimens were sequenced on the …

Adult Worm Exclusion And Histological Data Of Dogs Repeatedly Infected With The Cestode Echinococcus Multilocularis, Hirokazu Kouguchi, Hidefumi Furuoka, Takao Irie, Jun Matsumoto, Ryo Nakao, Nariaki Nonaka, Yasuyuki Morishima, Kazuhiro Okubo, Kinpei Yagi

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

The data presented in this article are related to a previously published research article titled The timing of worm exclusion in dogs repeatedly infected with the cestode Echinococcus multilocularis (Kouguchi et al. 2016). This data describe a comparison of worm exclusion in the early stage of infection (1 day and 6 days post-infection) between dogs infected for the first time (control group) and dogs repeatedly infected with the parasite 4 times (repeated infection groups). We observed that 6 days post reinfection, the number of adult worms in repeated-infection groups decreased by 88.7% compared with the control group. Histological analysis comparison …

Host Relationships And Geographic Distribution Of Species Of Blanchard, 1848 (Onchoproteocephalidea, Onchobothriidae) In Elasmobranchs: A Metadata Analysis, Francisco Zaragoza-Tapia, Griselda Pulido-Flores, Scott L. Gardner, Scott Monks

Scott L. Gardner Publications

Species of Acanthobothrium have been documented as parasites of the spiral intestine of elasmobranchs. Results of a metadata analysis indicate that 114 species of elasmobranchs have been reported as hosts of 200 species of Acanthobothrium. The metadata analysis revealed that 3.7% of species of sharks and 14.9% of species of rays that have been reported as hosts to date; some species are parasitized by more than one species of Acanthobothrium. This work provides a Category designation, as proposed by Ghoshroy and Caira (2001), for each species of Acanthobothrium. These Category designations are a tool to facilitate comparisons …

Obituary: Sydney Anderson (1927–2018), Scott Lyell Gardner, Robert M. Timm, Nancy Olds, Hugh H. Genoways

Scott L. Gardner Publications

On August 12, 2018, the American Society of Mammalogists (ASM) lost one of its giants of the latter half of the 20th century when Sydney Anderson quietly passed away at his home in Birmingham, Alabama, at the age of 91. “Syd,” to his many friends and colleagues, was born on January 11, 1927 in Topeka, Kansas, to Robert Grant and Evelyn Fern (Hunt) Anderson.

Anderson began his professional career at the University of Kansas, where for four years (1955–1959) he served as Assistant Curator in charge of mammals in the Museum of Natural History, and Instructor in the Department of …

Coproid Predicts The Source Of Coprolites And Paleofeces Using Microbiome Composition And Host Dna Content, Maxime Borry, Bryan Cordova, Angela Perri, Marsha Wibowo, Tanvi Prasad Honap, Jada Ko, Kate Britton, Linus Girdland-Flink, Robert C. Power, Ingelise Stuijts, Domingo C. Salazar-García, Courtney Hofman, Richard Hagan, Thérèse Samdapawindé Kagoné, Nicolas Meda, Helene Carabin, David Jacobson, Karl Reinhard, Cecil Lewis, Aleksandar Kostic, Choongwon Jeong, Alexander Herbig, Alexander Hübner, Christina Warinner

Karl Reinhard Publications

Shotgun metagenomics applied to archaeological feces (paleofeces) can bring new insights into the composition and functions of human and animal gut microbiota from the past. However, paleofeces often undergo physical distortions in archaeological sediments, making their source species difficult to identify on the basis of fecal morphology or microscopic features alone. Here we present a reproducible and scalable pipeline using both host and microbial DNA to infer the host source of fecal material. We apply this pipeline to newly sequenced archaeological specimens and show that we are able to distinguish morphologically similar human and canine paleofeces, as well as non-fecal …

Diet Analysis Reveals Pre-Historic Meals Among The Loma San Gabriel At La Cueva De Los Muertos Chiquitos, Rio Zape, Mexico (600–800 Ce), Elisa Pucu, Julia Russ, Karl Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

Coprolites have been a source of study for archeologists due to several reasons: they not only provide information on the life and nutritional habits of ancient individuals but also on their health. In this paper, we processed 10 coprolites collected at La Cueva de Los Muertos Chiquitos (600–800 CE), Rio Zape, Mexico, with acetolysis solution for pollen analysis. The number of pollen grains/gram of each coprolite sample was quantified along with the macroscopic remains of these samples. The main food item ingested by the population was maize, followed by Agave. Squash blossoms were also part of their food source …

Pinworm Research In The Southwest Usa: Five Decades Of Methodological And Theoretical Development And The Epidemiological Approach, Morgana Camacho, Karl Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

Pinworms infected Ancestral Pueblo populations since early periods of occupation on the Colorado Plateau. The high prevalence of pinworm found in these populations was correlated with the habitation style developments through time. However, in previous studies, Turkey Pen Cave, an early occupation site, and Salmon Ruins, a late occupation site, exhibited prevalences that were anomalously low, suggesting that these sites were outliers. Alternatively, it is possible that the previous quantification method was not successful in detecting the real prevalence and eggs per gram, which led to inexact interpretations. The aims of this study were to verify if previous pinworm prevalences …

Preface For Special Section On Archaeoparasitology: A Global Perspective On Ancient Parasites And Current Research Projects, Jong Yil Chai, Min Sea, Karl Reinhard, Dong Hoon Shin

Karl Reinhard Publications

Archaeoparasitological research has rapidly developed in recent years, entering a new stage of improved understanding of our ancestors’ parasitic infections across the world. This progress is based on a variety of recently developed research techniques. During a period of rapid innovation since 2016, there has been no much opportunity for parasitologists to gather and share in-depth views about this novel research field. This was remedied by the 14th International Congress of Parasitology (ICOPA) held in Korea (Aug. 19-24, 2018; EXCO, Daegu). For archaeoparasitologists, ICOPA provided a unique opportunity to gather and exchange research and ideas. The participation was unprecedented in …

Confusing A Pollen Grain With A Parasite Egg: An Appraisal Of “Paleoparasitological Evidence Of Pinworm (Enterobius Vermicularis) Infection In A Female Adolescent Residing In Ancient Tehran”, Morgana Camacho, Karl Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

There is often the risk of confusing pollen grains with helminth eggs from archaeological sites. Thousands to millions of pollen grains can be recovered from archaeological burial sediments that represent past ritual, medication and environment. Some pollen grain types can be similar to parasite eggs. Such a confusion is represented by the diagnosis of enterobiasis in ancient Iran. The authors of this study confused a joint-pine (Ephedra spp.) pollen grain with a pinworm egg. This paper describes the specific Ephedra pollen morphology that can be confused with pinworm eggs.

Pinworm Infection At Salmon Ruins And Aztec Ruins: Relation To Pueblo Iii Regional Violence, Karl Reinhard, Morgana Camacho

Karl Reinhard Publications

The study of coprolites has been a theme of archaeology in the American Southwest. A feature of archaeoparasitology on the Colorado Plateau is the ubiquity of pinworm infection. As a crowd parasite, this ubiquity signals varying concentrations of populations. Our recent analysis of coprolite deposits from 2 sites revealed the highest prevalence of infection ever recorded for the region. For Salmon Ruins, the deposits date from AD 1140 to 1280. For Aztec Ruins, the samples can be dated by artifact association between AD 1182-1253. Both sites can be placed in the Ancestral Pueblo III occupation (AD 1100-1300), which included a …

Cercarial Parasitism Of Freshwater Snails In Sandhills Ponds Versus Streams, Caroline Emily Spethman

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Parasite prevalence was calculated for all aquatic snails collected from four freshwater localities in Western Nebraska from Summer 2016 to 2019: Dunwoody Pond, Haythorn Ranch, Neven’s Restoration, and Breen’s Flyaway. With data of increasing trematode cercarial infection specifically at Dunwoody Pond, this community was further studied. In Summer 2019, a total of 217 freshwater snails representing species of Physa sp., Stagnicola elodes (Say,1821), and Helisoma anceps (Menke,1830) were collected from Dunwoody Pond and Dunwoody stream, near Ogallala, Nebraska. Eighty-one snails were collected from Dunwoody Pond, 76 snails were collected 31 meters upstream, and 60 snails were collected 61 meters upstream …

The Skiles Mummy: Care Of A Debilitated Hunter-Gatherer Evidenced By Coprolite Studies And Stable Isotopic Analysis Of Hair, Kirsten A. Verostick, Isabel Teixeira-Santos, Vaughn M. Bryant Jr., Karl Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

The Skiles Mummy (SMM), a naturally mummified adult male from the late archaic period of Lower Pecos Canyonlands of South Texas, represents a unique case of care. SMM is an exceptional mummy within this region due to both the retention of a full head of hair, and having a diagnosed case of megacolon, a complication commonly associated with Chagas disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi. Stable isotopic analysis of his hair is consistent with a diet incorporating of C₄/CAM plants with some C₃ plants, freshwater resources, and higher trophic level animals. However, the segments of hair most …

The Nuclear 18s Ribosomal Dnas Of Avian Haemosporidian Parasites, Josef Harl, Tanja Himmel, Gediminas Valkiūnas, Herbert Weissenböck

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Background: Plasmodium species feature only four to eight nuclear ribosomal units on different chromosomes, which are assumed to evolve independently according to a birth-and-death model, in which new variants originate by duplication and others are deleted throughout time. Moreover, distinct ribosomal units were shown to be expressed during different developmental stages in the vertebrate and mosquito hosts. Here, the 18S rDNA sequences of 32 species of avian haemosporidian parasites are reported and compared to those of simian and rodent Plasmodium species.

Methods: Almost the entire 18S rDNAs of avian haemosporidians belonging to the genera Plasmodium (7), Haemoproteus (9), …

Open Textbook Project [Poster], Sue Ann Gardner

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Presentations

Details of a porject undertaken to collaboratively write and produce an open access parasitology textbook for undergraduate and graduate students. The book will be published by Zea Books at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2020 and be available in English and Spanish both online and print-on-demand through lulu.com.

Co-Executive Editors: Scott L. Gardner and Sue Ann Gardner, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Publisher: Paul Royster/Zea Books, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Spanish Translator: Yoanna Esquivel Greenwood, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Project Coordinator: Sue Ann Gardner.

Project website: Concepts in Animal Parasitology.

The Interface Between Invasive Species And The Increased Incidence Of Tick-Borne Diseases, And The Implications For Federal Land Managers, Ed Clark, Janis Mcfarland, Blaine Parker, Slade Franklin

National Invasive Species Council

Includes information on the dynamics of tick-borne disease, factors affecting the occurrence and density of ticks, matrices of ties between habitat, human activities, invasive plants, and ticks, federal resources and programs related to ticks and vector-borne disease in the United States, with references and an annotated bibliography of literature on ticks, vector-borne diseases, and invasive species.

The Ecological Niche Of Echinococcus Multilocularis In North America: Understanding Biotic And Abiotic Determinants Of Parasite Distribution With New Records In New Mexico And Maryland, United States, Sebastian Botero-Cañola, Altangerel Tsogtsaikhan Dursahinhan, Sara E. Rácz, Parker V. Lowe, John E. Ubelaker, Scott Lyell Gardner

Scott L. Gardner Publications

English abstract: Understanding the factors shaping the niche of parasites and its expression over geographical space and through time continues to be a modern scientific challenge with the results of research in this area directly influencing both theoretical and applied biology. This is especially important for proactive management of zoonotic parasites such as Echinococcus multilocularis, the etiologic agent of alveolar echinococcosis. Echinococcus multilocularis has a Holarctic distribution; with its geographic range and prevalence increasing recently in areas of the western Palearctic, while its distribution dynamics are poorly understood in the Nearctic. In this paper, we use an ecological niche …

Blood Parasites Infecting The Hoatzin (Opisthocomus Hoazin), A Unique Neotropical Folivorous Bird, M. Andreína Pacheco, M. Alexandra García-Amado, Jaime Manzano, Nubia E. Matta, Ananias A. Escalante

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

The Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin) is the only extant member of the order Opisthocomiformes. This unique South American bird lives in the riparian lowland vegetation characteristic of the Amazon and Orinoco basins. Hoatzins nest in communal social units close to water bodies; they are strictly folivores being the only bird with pregastric fermentation in the crop. Because of the complex logistics involved in capturing this bird, there is a knowledge gap on its parasites. This study documents two distant lineages of haemosporidian parasites (Plasmodium spp.) in a juvenile and two adults sampled in the Cojedes state, Venezuela. Although …

Novel Information On The Morphology, Phylogeny And Distribution Of Camallanid Mematodes From Marine And Freshwater Hosts In South Africa, Including The Description Of Camallanus Sodwanaensis N. Sp., Roman Svitin, Marliese Truter, Olena Kudlai, Nico J. Smit, Louis Du Preez

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Four species of previously known nematodes from the family Camallanidae were found from different hosts in South Africa: Batrachocamallanus xenopodis from the frog Xenopus muelleri, Paracamallanus cyathopharynx, and Procamallanus pseudolaeviconchus from the catfish Clarias gariepinus and Spirocamallanus daleneae from the catfish Synodontis zambezensis. In the material collected from various marine fishes, several specimens of nematodes from the genus Camallanus clearly differed from all previously known species. Based on morphological differences these specimens are assigned to a new species, C. sodwanaensis. Molecular data of 18S and 28S rDNA and COI sequences are provided for the collected species …

Scaphanocephalus-Associated Dermatitis As The Basis For Black Spot Disease In Acanthuridae Of St. Kitts, West Indies, Michelle M. Dennis, Adrien Izquierdo, Anne Conan, Kelsey Johnson, Solenne Giardi, Paul Frye, Mark A. Freeman

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Acanthurus spp. of St. Kitts and other Caribbean islands, including ocean surgeonfish A. bahianus, doctorfish A. chirurgus, and blue tang A. coeruleus, frequently show multifocal cutaneous pigmentation. Initial reports from the Leeward Antilles raised suspicion of a parasitic etiology. The aim of this study was to quantify the prevalence of the disease in St. Kitts’ Acanthuridae and describe its pathology and etiology. Visual surveys demonstrated consistently high adjusted mean prevalence at 3 shallow reefs in St. Kitts in 2017 (38.9%, 95% CI: 33.8−43.9) and 2018 (51.5%; 95% CI: 46.2−56.9). There were no differences in …

A New Species Of Gordius (Phylum Nematomorpha) From Terrestrial Habitats In North America, Christina Anaya, Andreas Schmidt-Rhaesa, Ben Hanelt, Matthew G. Bolek

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Freshwater hairworms (class Gordiida) are members of the phylum Nematomorpha that use terrestrial arthropods as definitive hosts but reside as free-living adult worms in rivers, lakes, or streams. The genus Gordius consists of 90 described species, of which three species were described from freshwater habitats in North America. In this paper we describe a new species of Gordius from terrestrial habitats in Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana, United States. Oddly, each year hundreds of adult free-living worms appear after bouts of heavy rain on streets, sidewalks, and lawns during the winter season, when terrestrial arthropod hosts are not active. The new …

Distribution Extension Of Aspiculuris Americana Parasite Of Peromyscus Difficilis In Hidalgo, Mexico, Griselda Pulido-Flores, Scott Monks, Jorge Falcón-Ordaz

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

English: As a part of an ongoing project to inventory the helminth parasites of rodents in Mexico, 30 individuals of Aspiculuris americana were collected inhabiting the intestine from three specimens of the rock mouse Peromyscus difficilis, collected from Cerro Xihuingo, Municipality of Tepeapulco, Hidalgo State, Mexico. This species of nematode parasite different species of the genus Peromyscus (P. gossypinus, P. leucopus, P. maniculatus, and P. floridanus) distributed from Yukon Territory in Canada to Florida in the United States of America. This is the first report of Aspiculuris americana in a Mexican endemic rodent, widening …

The Prevotella Copri Complex Comprises Four Distinct Clades Underrepresented In Westernized Populations, Adrian Tett, Kun D. Huang, Francesco Asnicar, Hannah Fehlner-Peach, Edoardo Pasolli, Nicolai Karcher, Federica Armanini, Paolo Manghi, Kevin Bonham, Moreno Zolfo, Francesca De Filippis, Cara Magnabosco, Richard Bonneau, John Lusingu, John Amuasi, Karl Reinhard, Thomas Rattei, Fredrik Boulund, Lars Engstrand, Albert Zink, Maria Carmen Collado, Dan R. Littman, Daniel Eibach, Danilo Ercolini, Omar Rota-Stabelli, Curtis Huttenhower, Frank Maixner, Nicola Segata

Karl Reinhard Publications

Prevotella copri is a common human gut microbe that has been both positively and negatively associated with host health. In a cross-continent metaanalysis exploiting >6,500 metagenomes, we obtained >1,000 genomes and explored the genetic and population structure of P. copri. P. copri encompasses four distinct clades (>10% inter-clade genetic divergence) that we propose constitute the P. copri complex, and all clades were confirmed by isolate sequencing. These clades are nearly ubiquitous and co-present in non-Westernized populations. Genomic analysis showed substantial functional diversity in the complex with notable differences in carbohydrate metabolism, suggesting that multi-generational dietary modifications may be …

Imaging Coprolite Taphonomy And Preservation, Karl Reinhard, Morgana Camacho, Breyden Geyer, Samantha Hayek, Chase Horn, Kaitlin Otterson, Julia Russ

Karl Reinhard Publications

The impact of coprolite taphonomy on parasite remains and aDNA recovery has been recognized. In general, coprolites from sites protected by geologic features such as caves and rock shelters exhibit the best preservation. In contrast, coprolites from open sites can be badly affected by taphonomic processes as shown by analyses of parasite eggs. For eggs, the impact of mites and free living nematodes has been quantified. Mites are associated with poor pinworm egg preservation. In other studies, percolation of water through sediments has a negative impact on egg recovery. We note that dietary remains can also decompose at open sites. …

Macrocheles Species (Acari: Macrochelidae) Associated With Human Corpses In Europe, Naila A. Che Kamaruzaman, Peter Mašán, Yelitza Velásquez, Alejandro González‑Medina, Anders Lindström, Henk R. Braig, M. Alejandra Perotti

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

The biology of macrochelid mites might offer new venues for the interpretation of the environmental conditions surrounding human death and decomposition. Three human corpses, one from Sweden and two from Spain, have been analysed for the occurrence of Macrochelidae species. Macrocheles muscaedomesticae (Scopoli) females were associated with a corpse that was found in a popular beach area of southeast Spain. Their arrival coincides with the occurrence of one of their major carrier species, the filth fly Fannia scalaris, the activity of which peaks during mid-summer. Macrocheles glaber (Müller) specimens were collected from a corpse in a shallow grave in …

Triatomines: Trypanosomatids, Bacteria, And Viruses Potential Vectors?, Caroline Barreto Viera, Yanna Reis Praça, Kaio Luis Da Silva Bentes, Paula Beatriz Santiago, Sofia Marcelino Martins Silva, Gabriel Dos Santos Silva, Flávia Nader Motta, Izabela Marques Dourado Bastos, Jaime Martins De Santana, Carla Nunes De Araújo

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Triatominae bugs are the vectors of Chagas disease, a major concern to public health especially in Latin America, where vector-borne Chagas disease has undergone resurgence due mainly to diminished triatomine control in many endemic municipalities. Although the majority of Triatominae species occurs in the Americas, species belonging to the genus Linshcosteus occur in India, and species belonging to the Triatoma rubrofasciata complex have been also identified in Africa, the Middle East, South-East Asia, and in the Western Pacific. Not all of Triatominae species have been found to be infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, but the possibility of establishing vector transmission …

Triatomines: Trypanosomatids, Bacteria, And Viruses Potential Vectors? [Review], Caroline Barreto Vieira, Yanna Reis Praça, Kaio Luís Da Silva Bentes, Paula Beatriz Santiago, Sofia Marcelino Martins Silva, Gabriel Dos Santos Silva, Flávia Nader Motta, Izabela Marques Dorado Bastos, Jaime Martins De Santana, Carla Nunes De Araújo

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Triatominae bugs are the vectors of Chagas disease, a major concern to public health especially in Latin America, where vector-borne Chagas disease has undergone resurgence due mainly to diminished triatomine control in many endemic municipalities. Although the majority of Triatominae species occurs in the Americas, species belonging to the genus Linshcosteus occur in India, and species belonging to the Triatoma rubrofasciata complex have been also identified in Africa, the Middle East, South-East Asia, and in the Western Pacific. Not all of Triatominae species have been found to be infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, but the possibility of establishing vector transmission …

Museum Metabarcoding: A Novel Method Revealing Gut Helminth Communities Of Small Mammals Across Space And Time, Stephen E. Greiman, Joseph A. Cook, Vasyl V. Tkach, Eric P. Hoberg, Damian M. Menning, Andrew G. Hope, Sarah A. Sonsthagen, Sandra L. Talbot

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Natural history collections spanning multiple decades provide fundamental historical baselines to measure and understand changing biodiversity. New technologies such as next generation DNA sequencing have considerably increased the potential of museum specimens to address significant questions regarding the impact of environmental changes on host and parasite/pathogen dynamics. We developed a new technique to identify intestinal helminth parasites and applied it to shrews (Eulipotyphla: Soricidae) because they are ubiquitous, occupy diverse habitats, and host a diverse and abundant parasite fauna. Notably, we included museum specimens preserved in various ways to explore the efficacy of using metabarcoding analyses that may enable identification …