The nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) is naturally infected with Sarcocystis neurona.
Sarcocysts were dissected from the tongue of a nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus). DNA was extracted and characterised by PCR amplification followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and nucleotide sequencing. A total of 1879 nucleotides were compared; the sarcocyst DNA sequence was identical to that reported for Sarcocystis neurona. DNA was extracted from the sarcocysts of five more nine-banded armadillos. A 254-nucleotide sequence was determined for each and found to be identical to S. neurona. Western blot techniques for detection of anti-S. neurona antibody were developed for use with armadillo plasma and samples from 19 wild-caught and 17 captive-raised armadillos were examined. Whereas all of the 19 wild-caught armadillos had antibodies to S. neurona, only one of 17 captive-raised armadillos did. These results suggest that the nine-banded armadillo are naturally infected with S. neurona.
Tanhauser
S M
SM
Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Box 100136, Gainesville, FL 32611-0880, USA. tanhausers@mail.vetmed.ufl.edu
Cheadle
M A
MA
Massey
E T
ET
Mayer
B A
BA
Schroedter
D E
DE
Dame
J B
JB
Greiner
E C
EC
MacKay
R J
RJ
D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D001135:Armadillos / Q000097:blood / Q000469:parasitology*; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000662:veterinary; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000469:parasitology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012522:Sarcocystis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012523:Sarcocystosis / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014059:Tongue / Q000469:parasitology
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D016054:DNA, Protozoan