Revisiting species of Trypanosoma (Euglenozoa : Trypanosomatidae) parasitising amphibians and reptiles from Southern Africa

Abstract

Chapter 2.1 The aquatic and terrestrial clades of species of Trypanosoma could provide insight into the evolutionary history of the genus, as well as complementary information for biomedical studies of medically and economically important species of Trypanosoma. The ecological interactions and phylogeny of aquatic trypanosomes is currently not well-understood, mostly due to their complex life cycles and a deficiency of data. The species of Trypanosoma from African anuran hosts are of the least understood taxa in the genus. Trypanosome specimens were collected from South African frogs and subjected to morphological and phylogenetic analyses. This study describes Trypanosoma (Trypanosoma) cf. nelspruitense Laveran, 1904 and Trypanosoma (Haematomonas) cf. grandicolor Pienaar, 1962, with morphological and molecular data. The present study aims to create a platform for further future research on African anuran trypanosomes. Chapter 2.2 Despite reptile trypanosomes forming a large group, the majority of species descriptions are data deficient, lacking key characteristic data and supporting molecular data. Reptile hosts show potential to facilitate transmission of zoonotic trypanosomiases and offer key information to understanding the genus of Trypanosoma. Several species of squamates, from different localities in South Africa, were screened molecularly and microscopically for trypanosomes in the present study. Based on the combination of morphological and molecular analyses, two new species of Trypanosoma, Trypanosoma (Squamatrypanum) sp. 2N and Trypanosoma (Trypanosoma) sp. 2T, infecting South African cordylid lizards (Cordylidae: Cordylinae) are described in this study. The first molecular data for a South African reptile trypanosome is provided herewith.

Chapter 2.3 Species of Trypanosoma infecting reptiles are relatively poorly understood and understudied. The study of trypanosomes infecting turtles could lead to a greater understanding of the genus and its evolutionary history. A supplementary description is provided for two species of Trypanosoma infecting freshwater pelomedusid (Pelomedusidae) turtles, T. (Haematomonas) cf. neitzi and T. (Haematomonas) cf. sheppardi, with molecular data in the present study. Additionally, an undescribed species of Trypanosoma is characterised using morphological and molecular data. This study provides the first morphological descriptions and molecular data of South African turtle trypanosomes, setting a base for future research of the reptile trypanosomes of Africa.