Molecular biological investigations of Brazilian Tunga sp. isolates from man, dogs, cats, pigs and rats.
Twenty-four isolates of Tunga were collected from afflicted humans, dogs, cats, pigs and rats in Brazil. To investigate genetic diversity, a hypervariable section of mitochondrial 16S rDNA was amplified using PCR and subsequently sequenced. In order to compare results with another species of the genus Tunga, three isolates of the recently described Tunga trimamillata were also checked. Whereas eleven isolates (five from cats, three from dogs and three from humans) were of identical sequence, thirteen isolates collected from dogs, humans, pigs and rats showed differences in sequence up to 49%, so that the existence of one or more new species of Tunga may be presumed.
Vobis
M
M
Institute for Zoomorphology, Cell Biology und Parasitology, Heinrich-Heine University, 40225, Düsseldorf.
D'Haese
J
J
Mehlhorn
H
H
Heukelbach
J
J
Mencke
N
N
Feldmeier
H
H
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001938:Brazil; D002415:Cats; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000032:analysis; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis; D004285:Dogs; D004478:Ectoparasitic Infestations / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D005423:Siphonaptera / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D013045:Species Specificity; D013552:Swine
D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S