Diversity of trypanosomes infecting Australian wildlife

Abstract

We agree entirely with Hamilton and Stevens [1xResolving relationships between Australian trypanosomes using DNA barcoding data. Hamilton, P.B. and Stevens, J.R. Trends Parasitol. 2011; 27Abstract | Full Text | Full Text PDF | PubMed | Scopus (4)See all References[1]. Our analyses in Thompson et al. [2xParasites, emerging disease and wildlife conservation. Thompson, R.C.A. et al. Int. J. Parasitol. 2010; 40: 1163–1170Crossref | PubMed | Scopus (55)See all References[2] and Averis et al. [3xThe diversity, distribution and host-parasite associations of trypanosomes in Western Australian wildlife. Averis, S. et al. Parasitology. 2009; 136: 1269–1279Crossref | PubMed | Scopus (20)See all References[3] were designed to indicate the diversity of trypanosomes infecting Australian wildlife, rather than postulate any robust hypotheses of phylogeny. Although there was some evidence from our data of a close relationship between Trypanosoma lewisi and certain trypanosome genotypes from Australian native mammals, there is certainly a need for much more comprehensive analyses, using a wider range of loci and a broader range of trypanosome taxa. This is important for better understanding the biodiversity and ecology of trypanosome infections in Australian wildlife and the potential impact they might have on threatened populations [2xParasites, emerging disease and wildlife conservation. Thompson, R.C.A. et al. Int. J. Parasitol. 2010; 40: 1163–1170Crossref | PubMed | Scopus (55)See all References, 4xTrypanosomes in a declining species of threatened Australian marsupial, the brush-tailed bettong Bettongia penicillata (Marsupialia: Potoroidae). Smith, A. et al. Parasitology. 2008; 135: 1329–1335PubMedSee all References].