title: Diagnosis of a Trypanosoma lewisi-like (Herpetosoma) infection in a sick infant from Thailand.
abstract: Trypanosomes were observed in a peripheral blood smear from a 45-day-old Thai infant displaying fever, anaemia, cough and anorexia. Human trypanosomiasis is not endemic to Thailand, so parasite identification was undertaken to determine likely sources of the infection. Several morphological parameters of the trypanosomes were similar to those of Trypanosoma evansi and statistically different from those of Trypanosoma lewisi-like parasites from a naturally infected indigenous rat. However, duplicate PCR assays with primers flanking trypanosome rRNA internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) resulted in amplicons of approximately 623 bp that corresponded to the expected size for T. lewisi-like parasites. The ITS1 sequence from the infant's blood was 98 and 49 % identical to T. lewisi and T. evansi sequences, respectively. Based on molecular results, it was concluded that the infant was infected with a T. lewisi-like (Herpetosoma) species.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Animal Health, Kaset Klang, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.
authors.forename: Nachai
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sarataphan
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Animal Health, Kaset Klang, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.
authors.forename: Montakan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vongpakorn
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Animal Health, Kaset Klang, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.
authors.forename: Bandit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nuansrichay
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Animal Health, Kaset Klang, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.
authors.forename: Nonglux
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Autarkool
authors.affiliation: Lampang Hospital, Muang, Lampang 52000, Thailand.
authors.forename: Tiemjan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Keowkarnkah
authors.affiliation: Fifth Bureau of Animal Hygiene and Sanitation, Huaykaew, Chiangmai 50300, Thailand.
authors.forename: Pranee
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rodtian
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
authors.forename: Roger W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Stich
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.
authors.forename: Sathaporn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jittapalapong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016053:RNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D013785:Thailand; D014350:Trypanosoma lewisi / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014352:Trypanosomiasis / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; D016053:RNA, Protozoan; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal