Molecular detection and characterization of Cytauxzoon felis and a Babesia species in cougars from Florida.
Piroplasms, morphologically indistinguishable from Cytauxzoon felis, previously were detected in 36% of cougars in Florida. We utilized a nested 18S rRNA assay, which amplifies DNA from all piroplasms, to screen blood samples collected from 41 cougars from Florida (39 native Florida panthers [Puma concolor coryi] and two translocated Texas cougars [P. c. stanleyana]) from 1989-2005. Thirty-nine of the 41 cougars (95%) were positive for piroplasms; however, sequence analysis and restriction enzyme digestion revealed that only five were positive for C. felis. Samples from 32 cougars were positive for a Babesia sp. Two cougars were co-infected with both C. felis and the Babesia sp. Phylogenetic analysis of 18S rRNA gene sequence indicated that the Florida panther Babesia sp. was most closely related to a Babesia sp. reported from Ixodes ovatus from Japan, Babesia divergens, and Babesia odocoilei. This study indicates that Florida panthers harbor two distinct piroplasms, C. felis and a Babesia sp., and that some individuals are infected with both organisms. The infectivity and pathogenicity of this Babesia sp. for domestic cats is unknown. This represents the first report of a feline Babesia sp. in North America.
Yabsley
Michael J
MJ
Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA. myabsley@uga.edu
Murphy
Staci M
SM
Cunningham
Mark W
MW
D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000469:parasitology; D001403:Babesia / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001483:Base Sequence; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016792:Piroplasmida / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D011529:Protozoan Infections, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology*; D046011:Puma / Q000469:parasitology*; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000032:analysis; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology
D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S