Schistosoma kisumuensis n. sp. (Digenea: Schistosomatidae) from murid rodents in the Lake Victoria Basin, Kenya and its phylogenetic position within the S. haematobium species group.
Schistosoma kisumuensis n. sp. is described based on 6 adult males and 2 adult females collected from the circulatory system of 3 murid rodent species, Pelomys isseli, Mastomys natalensis, and Dasymys incomtus. Specimens were collected from a single location, Nyabera Swamp, in Kisumu, Kenya in the Lake Victoria Basin. This new species is morphologically similar to members of the S. haematobium group, currently represented by 8 species parasitizing artiodactyls and primates, including humans. Schistosoma kisumuensis differs from these species by producing relatively small Schistosoma intercalatum-like eggs (135.2 x 52.9 microm) with a relatively small length to width ratio (2.55). Comparison of approximately 3000-base-pair sequences of nuclear rDNA (partial 28S) and mtDNA (partial cox1, nad6, 12S) strongly supports the status of S. kisumuensis as a new species and as a sister species of S. intercalatum. The cox1 genetic distance between these two species (6.3%) is comparable to other pairwise comparisons within the S. haematobium group. Separation of the Congo River and Lake Victoria drainage basins is discussed as a possible factor favoring the origin of this species.
Hanelt
B
B
Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, MSC03 2020, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131-0001, USA. bhanelt@unm.edu
Brant
S V
SV
Steinauer
M L
ML
Maina
G M
GM
Kinuthia
J M
JM
Agola
L E
LE
Mwangi
I N
IN
Mungai
B N
BN
Mutuku
M W
MW
Mkoji
G M
GM
Loker
E S
ES
D000818:Animals; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D023281:Genomics; D007630:Kenya; D008297:Male; D009115:Muridae / Q000469:parasitology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000469:parasitology; D012547:Schistosoma / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary
D018509:DNA, Helminth