title: Isolation of Trypanosoma (Megatrypanum) theileri from dairy cattle in Taiwan.
abstract: Although Trypanosoma (Megatrypanum) theileri, a blood parasite of bovid species, is spread widely throughout the world, it has never been reported in Taiwan. When an anti-coagulated blood sample from febrile dairy cattle was directly smeared, no parasite was observed. However, a highly distinctive morphological feature of trypanosome appeared in baby hamster kidney (BHK) cell culture inoculated with non-thrown blood buffy coat. The different stages and typical ultrastructures of trypanosome were observed in our isolate. The isolate was subsequently identified as T. theileri by species-specific PCR assay (Tth625), 18S rDNA sequencing alignment and internal transcribed spacer of ribosomal genes (ITS) as a marker for molecular phylogenetic analysis. The first T. theileri isolate in Taiwan (TWTth1) could be periodically passaged in BHK cell culture for more than one year and retained good re-cryopreservation viability. The BHK culture method would be excellent for diagnostic isolation and maintenance long-term development of this parasite.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Research and Education, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yen-Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ching-Chang
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Nai-Nu
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Shih-An
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Kwong-Chung
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Tung
authors.forename: Yung-Tsung
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Chiu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001769:Blood / Q000469:parasitology; D002417:Cattle / Q000469:parasitology*; D006224:Cricetinae; D017931:DNA Primers; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D003612:Dairying; D005260:Female; D007668:Kidney / Q000166:cytology / Q000469:parasitology; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016053:RNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013624:Taiwan; D014345:Trypanosoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D016053:RNA, Protozoan; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S