Abstract
BackgroundThe brush-tailed bettong or woylie (Bettongia penicillata) is on the brink of extinction. Its numbers have declined by 90% since 1999, with their current distribution occupying less than 1% of their former Australian range. Woylies are known to be infected with three different trypanosomes (Trypanosoma vegrandis, Trypanosoma copemani and Trypanosoma sp. H25) and two different strains of T. copemani that vary in virulence. However, the role that these haemoparasites have played during the recent decline of their host is unclear and is part of ongoing investigation.MethodsWoylies were sampled from five locations in southern Western Australia, including two neighbouring indigenous populations, two enclosed (fenced) populations and a captive colony. PCR was used to individually identify the three different trypanosomes from blood and tissues of the host, and to investigate the temporal and spatial dynamics of trypanosome infections.ResultsThe spatial pattern of trypanosome infection varied among the five study sites, with a greater proportion of woylies from the Perup indigenous population being infected with T. copemani than from the neighbouring Kingston indigenous population. For an established infection, T. copemani detection was temporally inconsistent. The more virulent strain of T. copemani appeared to regress at a faster rate than the less virulent strain, with the infection possibly transitioning from the acute to chronic phase. Interspecific competition may also exist between T. copemani and T. vegrandis, where an existing T. vegrandis infection may moderate the sequential establishment of the more virulent T. copemani.ConclusionIn this study, we provide a possible temporal connection implicating T. copemani as the disease agent linked with the recent decline of the Kingston indigenous woylie population within the Upper Warren region of Western Australia. The chronic association of trypanosomes with the internal organs of its host may be potentially pathogenic and adversely affect their long term fitness and coordination, making the woylie more susceptible to predation.
Highlights
The brush-tailed bettong or woylie (Bettongia penicillata) is on the brink of extinction
One such mammal on the brink of extinction is the critically endangered brush-tailed bettong or woylie (Bettongia penicillata), which is host to three different trypanosomes (Trypanosoma vegrandis, Trypanosoma copemani and Trypanosoma sp H25), two strains of T. copemani that vary in virulence (T. copemani P1 and P2) and an ectoparasitic tick (Ixodes australiensis) that may be a vector of T. copemani [5,6,14]
Overall trypanosome prevalences During the 29 months of woylie sampling at the five locations in Western Australia (WA), a total of 881 blood samples were collected from 262 individuals
Summary
The brush-tailed bettong or woylie (Bettongia penicillata) is on the brink of extinction. The potential for diseases (such as those caused by trypanosomes) to reduce the fitness of wildlife hosts and influence their population decline is of particular concern [9,10], especially given recent evidence linking Trypanosoma lewisi with the extinction of two native rodent species (Rattus macleari and Rattus nativitatis) on Christmas Island [11,12,13] One such mammal on the brink of extinction is the critically endangered brush-tailed bettong or woylie (Bettongia penicillata), which is host to three different trypanosomes (Trypanosoma vegrandis, Trypanosoma copemani and Trypanosoma sp H25), two strains of T. copemani that vary in virulence (T. copemani P1 and P2) and an ectoparasitic tick (Ixodes australiensis) that may be a vector of T. copemani (with transmission possibly occurring via the faecal-oral route) [5,6,14]. Up until recently, Tutanning Nature Reserve was considered the fourth small population of indigenous woylies; but it is considered extinct [22]
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