title: What is the importance of zoonotic trichomonads for human health?
abstract: Trichomonads are common parasites of many vertebrate and invertebrate species, with four species classically recognized as human parasites: Dientamoeba fragilis, Pentatrichomonas hominis, Trichomonas vaginalis, and Trichomonas tenax. The latter two species are considered human-specific; by contrast, D. fragilis and P. hominis have been isolated from domestic and farm mammals, demonstrating a wide host range and potential zoonotic origin. Several new studies have highlighted the zoonotic dimension of trichomonads. First, species typically known to infect birds and domestic mammals have been identified in human clinical samples. Second, several phylogenetic analyses have identified animal-derived trichomonads as close sister taxa of the two human-specific species. It is our opinion, therefore, that these observations prompt further investigation into the importance of zoonotic trichomonads for human health.
authors.affiliation: Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
authors.forename: Julia M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Maritz
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, USA.
authors.forename: Kirkwood M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Land
authors.affiliation: Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
authors.forename: Jane M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Carlton
authors.affiliation: Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK. Electronic address: robert.hirt@newcastle.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Robert P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Hirt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission; D001717:Birds; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D014245:Trichomonas Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission; D014246:Trichomonas vaginalis / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology; D015047:Zoonoses
keywords: Trichomonas; bird disease; emerging infectious disease; zoonosis